Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1911-10-14
MISS WARNER TELLS OF HER
FRIENDLY RELATIONS WITH
STATION AGENT RUSH.
DENIES MUCH OF GOSSIP
WHICH LED TO TRAGEDY
Sent Rush Two Post Cards at His Re-.
qusst-Did Not Accompany Him to
Thsatsr or Elsewhere and Never
Alone With Him Except in Phone
offiee-Stats Rests Case,
[By HARRY J. RoDGERs.l

[By HARRY J. RODGERs.l
Hampton, Oct 1.-THE state rested
its main case in the trial OF Mrs Rush
for murder shortly before noon today.
The defense's innings during which
the attempt will be made to prove
justifiable killing was begun at once.
The star witness Of the session was
Miss Lulu Warner, the telephone girl,
whose alleged relations with Rush are
connected with the causes which led up
to the murder
Some of Miss Warmers testimony.
and other testimony regarding Miss
warner and Rush. was sensational.
The young woman admitted more Of
her intimacy with Rush than had pre-
viously been told on the witness stand.
She denied much that the defense
sought to force her to confess that the
two were lovers.
Was An Excellent Witness.
Miss Warner was the best Of the
states witnesses. She said she was
almost 10. and her behavior on the
witness stand stamped her as an ex-
cellent witness even when confronted
with a gruelling cross-examination.
some questions Of which would have
established her as being the sweetheart
OF Rush had she admitted the accusa-
tions they implied.
The court sustained objections Of the
state and prevented the answers.
Second only to her testimony in
point Of interest was that Of Rev.
Thomas Carson. the Sheffield pastor He
answered many questions as to rumors
of the alleged intimacy Of Rush and
Miss Warner, but he was again pre-
vented from telling what Mrs. Rush
had told him about the murder when
he went to see her at the Hawke
homo. The objections. based on "priv-
ilege" again prevented his doing 80.
Miss Warner Makes Admission.
On direct examination Miss Warner
said her relations with Mr.. Rush were
those of a good friend only, and came
about by her keeping account OF his
calls when he was away from tho sta
ton. She said she talked with him fire.
quently. and the topics Of conversation
were religious and on business connect
ed with the telephone calls she took
for him. She admitted she sent him
two post cards. but maintained he ask-
ed her to. She also admitted he gave
her a bible.
When cross-examined she also ad-
mitted that he gave her his photograph
which she later returned to him. She
admitted that in their conversation the
words "My own" were used. but her
explanation of the sense in which they
were employed was not perfectly plain
She denied most emphatically that she
ever went to the Lyric. picture show
of Sheffield, or was ever out at night
alone with Rush. or was alone with
him any time excepting during work.
ing hours at the exchange, when he
came TO answer the calls
Preacher Investigated.
Rumor and gossip that he heard
about Miss Warner and Rush, Rev. Mr.
Carson said. caused him to Investigate
to learn the truth. but his cross exam
ination developed that this Investigation
was not d very deep probing into what
may have been the real facts. He
questioned Rush. he said, Of the rumors
Of the frequent visits to the phone Of
fee. and Of being with the girl at the
Lyric. Rush. he said. denied them, and
oeffred to face his accuser.
Miss Warner likewise denied these
claims. when she was on the stand
The station agent, the preacher said,
told him that his talks with Miss
Warner were mostly on religious sub
jects.
When the crossexaminer asked the
minister II Rush told him that while
he. Rush. and tho g!-l were in the
Lyric at the same time, Rush talked re-
ligion then. this brought laugh and a
judicial threat to clear the room.
Regarding this moving picture show
episode Rev Mr. Carson said Rush told
him the girl was at the Lyric al
ready. or before he got there, and
coming In later he merely sat down in
the same row Of seats Miss Warner
was In. and not alongside Of her. This
was substantially the girls evidence on
the same point.
Girl Center Of Interest.
All eyes conferred on the girl when
she took the witness stand, and intense
silence fell over the audience. She
explained the arrangement with Rush
to care for his business calls, and how
Rush came to answer them. She ad-
mitted sending the man and woman"
post card from swaledale, and signing
it Dolly" Asked why she signed that
name she replied. because he called
me that" She said she sent the card
because Rush asked her to. She veri.
fled Mrs. Rush's assaulting her in the
telephone exchange building when Mrs
Rush got the post card, and added
details to this sensational incident
which Mr.. Adams. the phone company
secretary. had mentioned on the stand
Friday. The witness said Mrs. Rush
struck her and tried to choke her. she
thought.
She testified she denied sending the
card to Mrs. Rush because. explained
IT didn't want a fuss there"
Referring to the telephone conver
sation between Rush and his wife.
right after this tussle in the exchange,