Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1913-03-21
BAUM
A SUICIDE
IS WIDOW s
DEFENSE
Powder Stains and Location of
Wounds on Husband Win Be
important Points.
VERDICT OF C0RONER'S
JURY TERMED HURRIED

The defense Of Mrs. Catherine APP
pelbaum, woman of mystery, accused
by grand jury indictment of the MUIR
der Of her husband, was outlined to-
day to The Georgian for the flrst time
since the woman was arrested.
The plan to free the enigmatic prin :
cipaI in the Dakota hotel mystery is
based on coroner's jury evidence. The
plan embraces a simple theory. Ap-
pelbaum killed himself. So say the
woman's lawyers, and so they will at
tempt to prove when the case is called
for trial next week.
Colonel John w. Moore. chief cOun-
sci for the indicted woman. said:
"Appelbaum killed himself In my
mind and i'm the mind Of at least three
witnesses before the coroner's jury.
that fact has been established beyond
the shadow of a doubt
4 have correct information to the eff
feet that the examination of the wounds
on Appellants body by the county
physician was most superficial. The
examination of the undershirt worn by
the self-killed man was also sighted
There We're powder stains on the holes
in the shirt. The county physician de-
clared under oath, he found none.
Chemical analysis has proved him to
be in error. Two other witnesses who
examined the shirt also swear that
powder stains were plainly discernible
on the garment.
Alleges Only Two Wounds.
Then comes the location of the
wounds. There were two Of them-not
three, as is the general superstition.
one entered Appellants left arm.
went through the muscle and entered
his chest. The other found fatal lodg-
ment in his diaphragm. The natural
recoil of revolver held in front OF
the body and fired twice in rapid sue
cession would produce just such
wounds. The third bullet, fired when
the second had pierced a vital part,
went wild.
Now, Appellants body was found
lying on his back, in the bath room adj
joining the bed room. Had he been
shot he would undoubtedly have stag
gered into the bath room and fallen
face downward on the thing When his
body was found. his head rested near
the far end of the room, proving con-
clusively that he could not have pos
sibly been shot and then fallen in such
a position.
1--WE must also take into considers :
ton the fact that the three shots were
fired something like this: Bang. bang
right close together-then bang The
third shot came fully 80 seconds later
We have two witnesses who gave tes-
timony at the Coroner's hearing that
they heard footsteps running down the
hall of the hotei between the second
and third shots.
I'VE have another witness, the hotel
clerk. who will swear that he caught
Mrs Appelbaum in his arms az size
s'wooned at the foot of the stairs less
than 30 seconds from the time the sec
Ond shot was fired.
Wife to Charge Suicide.
Our clients complete story will re-
flute any murder theory, rest assured.
II Is my plan now to nave her take the
stand and in her own way tell of her lie
with Appelbaum, how the man duped
her as to his relationship with other
women now she did not know that Ap-
pelbaum had been ever married before
until two months of the time he was
found dead She will tell Of putting
private detectives on the trail Of his
many episodes with girls and women
throughout the country. She will tell OF
how. when confronted with the facts,
Appelbaum not only threatened to kill
himself but her as well.
Not only did Appelbaum threaten his
wife. but on the morning he ended his
own he pressed a gun to Mrs. Appel
baum's breast and told her that her
time had come. Mrs. Appelbaum, though
she loved this man with a woman's
whole love, will not attempt to hide his
actions with her The man stripped
her of name. riches and even the COM
monest pleasures of life, and when he
found that he had arrived at the end Of
his string, put a period to his existence
with a revolver he had purchased to
kill the woman whom he had biga-
mously taken for wife"