Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1911-11-24

my husband at the house, approach
ing. Chic cher husband), said 81
guess I'll pretend to have hemorr.
bage," which he did.
Shot in the Back.
Shot in the back!
These four words constitute the an
swer of the prosecution to Gertrude
Gibson Patterson's plea that she acted
in defense of her life when she killed
Charles A. Patterson her husband.
They have dissipated many a pretty
theory of self-defense; they have con-
victed many person OF murder.
In the first half dozen witnesses in.
troduced in the West Side court yes
terday, Special Prosecutor Horace G.
Benson made strong case to sup
port the states theory of cold, pre-
meditated murder. These witnesses
testified to facts which, linked to-
gether. give the following foundation
for the state.
Mrs. Patterson. she of "the ruinous
face" shot her husband twice in the
back. first near the left shoulder
blade.
Was Patterson brutally attacking
her, as the defense alleges, or was
he running from her in terror? He
fell upon his hands and knees, writh-
ing in mortal agony and crying aloud,
"Oh, my God! My God!" And while he
struggled to regain his feet, his beau.
tiful wife stood over him and took de
liberate aim at his back and sent a
bullet tearing through his heart. She
stopped over the PROSTATE body and
viewed its shudderings with her dark
eyes, old as experience. Then she
concealed the weapon which had
snuffed out his life, under him and
ran hastily into the Hendrie home.
Mrs. Patterson Smiles.
Enjoying the trial from a box seat
was Mrs. Gertrude Patterson, whose
laughter and smiles broke forth at
waggish remarks of her attorney in
cross-questioning witnesses, and
whose smiles swept across her cameo
like face with rare enjoyment at vari-
Gus steps in the proceedings where
the sinister memory of a murdered
husband cast it's shadow from the
grave.
Beat Her In Street Car.
ION the way home in a street car
he again beat me-"
Upon leaving her to return to the
Sanitarium, Patterson said: "Call me
up tomorrow and we'll talk it over"
They parted, and, Strain having re-
turned with her brother, she borrowed
the formers revolver because l was
afraid of him." (Patterson.)
On Sunday she was i'll and could not
keep her engagement with Patterson,
but on Monday, the day of the shoot.
ing, she had friendly drug clerk call
him on the telephone. They met that
morning.
why don't you withdraw this di
vorce suit and sign over that deed to
me and I'll withdraw my suit against
Strouss and come home" witness stat
ed that her husband asked her.
Lost Money Gambling.
"Then he asked me for $40, saying
he had lost 1t at poker, and he was
three weeks behind on his board bill"
II told him l wouldn't sign over any
thing to him." continued the witness.
do you remember anything in par
ticular that you observed at this
timer asked Attorney Hilton.
"Yes; we had walked on from the
Peck school where we met because
Chic said 1t was too public. I noticed
that a man was following u.s."
"Can you describe him?'
mo"
Bit Wife In the Shoulder.
BY this time the couple had reach
ed the sidewalks In front Of the Hen
drie home where the homicide was
committed. "He was still persisting
that sign over all my property to
him, and he said You will sign, or I
will choke the life out OF you!' Then
he seized me by the throat and bit me
in the shoulder. screamed and he
let me 90. He pulled q clipping from
his pocket, and asked: Have you SEEN
Continued on page four.