Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1911-11-28
To the Shooting Of Pal
terson by His Wife
.Swears Patterson Struck Her
Twice Before She Fired.
Others Testify TO Rough Treatment
lease Goes TO Jury, Today.

Denver. Col, Nov 27.-The defence
, in the Patterson murder ease placed
on the stand, today. witness to the
shooting of Charles A. Patterson by
his wife, Gertrude Gibson Patterson.
T. is Francis j. Easton of Minneapolis,
Easton was in Denver the day Of
the shooting, he testified. He corro-
iborated Mrs. Pattersons's assertion
that she shot her husband after he
had struck her twice and knocked her
down and was standing over her with
his arm raised to strike again.
| Easton said that he went to the SAN
itarium at which Patterson was pa
ticnt and started for walk in the
neighborhood. Some distance from
the sanitarium he observed a man and
n woman, apparently quarreling. When
he was 800 feet from the pair he
locked back and saw the woman read
ing a newspaper clipping. She handed
the clipping to the man and he struck
her in the face. A second blow fol-
lowed her. She struggled to one knee,
he said, and fired twice. After a short
pause she fired two more shots, he said.
on cross examination, Easton said
he saw 4. b. Shugart, the other wit
ness of the shooting placed on the
stand by the state, running to the
srot, but did not go over to the body
himself because he did not want to get
mixed up in the affair.
Special Prosecutor Benson question
ed the witness closely in regard TO
| his life history, but failed to shake the
witness eomposure. DO you know
| -.
asked II do not"
Have you been back 10 the scene
of the shooting for the purpose of tes-
t:fying here?' Il have"
on the fact that Easton made no
| effort to go to Patterson after the
shooting and had made no report Of
what he had seen. the prosecutor dwelt
with emphasis.
You did not go back 10 see whether
the man was dead or alive" he asked.
Il did not"
you sauntered away from the
scene?" II did"
You had seen a man assault a wo-
man and the woman shot him down
ana you did not tell?'' No, sir
Rode Gard and Ida Kelley. women
prisoners were called by the defence
and stated that when Mrs. Patterson
was brought to the Jail they saw
hrnise on her cheek, where she says
her husband struck her on the day of
the shooting.
Willis V. Elliott, the district atator-
ney, who acted for Mrs Patterson in
her divorce proceedings and for that
reason turned the prosecution over TO
Horace G. Benson, was the next wit
ness
At the time he drew up Mrs. Pat
tersnn's complaint again her husband
| Mr.. Elliott declared that she bore ev-
idence of assault in bruises on her
neck and face and abrasions of the
skin.
Police Matron Mary Patae. testified
that Mrs. Pattersons left cheek was
swollen on the day she was brought TO
the Jail. Mrs Nettie White stated that
she had witnessed an assault by Pat
terson on his wife in the streets of this
city, last July.
Mrs. G.. A. Jones, who lived near the
| Pattersons bungalow, testified to over
| hearing quarrel between Patterson
and the defendant nine days before the
homicide Patterson's last words on this
occasion were:
- you, l will kill you
Have you talked with anyone about
this?" asked Attorney Benson on cross
| examination.
with anybody who cared TO listen :
guess came the reply.
Easton was the last witness for the
defence and the state began it's testimo-
ny in rebuttal its first witness being
Mrs. Mary K Patterson, mother-in-law
of the defendant,
The purpose of her testimony was 10
limpeach the defendants testimony on 81
number of points. She told of a family
conference just prior to her daughter-in-
laws trip to Europe, regarding the adj
visibility of investing $500 in a printing
establishment in Chicago for Patterson.
The prisoner had denied such confer
ence took place
The witness said that her son was i'll at
her home when the younger Mrs. Patter-
son declared Patterson assaulted her.
The son was 50 weak that he had to be
lifted up in bed to be fed He was taken
TO a sanitarium on a stretcher. She con-
| tradicted. the defendant on number OF
other points.
| When court adjourned, today, there
was a prospect of the case going to the
Jury by tomorrow night. The state fin
ished its testimony on rebuttal.
| EIGHT SWORN JURORS
|