The San Francisco call., 1913-09-23
WAN TED To
MAKE CAPT
SUFFER
Intended Suicide in His Pres
ence as Revenge, De-
CIareS Accused Wife

Plunging directly into the tssti-
mony given By Mrs. Bessie c. Mer-
riam on direct examination regarding
the incidents surrounding her alleged
attempt on the life of Captain Henry
O. Merriam in his home at Jackson
barracks on the night of June %.
1911, Attorney Walter Linforth sub
jected Mrs Merriam to nlerciless
cross examination during the closing
moments nf the widely discussed di-
vorce proceedings this morning.
With trip hammer rapidity Attor-
ney Linforth hurled question after
question at the quavering witness.
who shifted uneasily in her chair,
ciasping and unclasping her hands.
vainly trying to keep her composure
WANTED HUSBAND TO SUFFER
do you mean to tell his honor that
after Captain Merriam outraged, in
suited and wounded YOU that you de-
liberately and OF your own free will
went back to your bed and laid on his
arm the rest OF the night?" asked
Llnforth
Yes. ] went back to bed" replied
the witness.
Why did you return to your hus-
bands room TO kill yourself, as you
testified, instead of killing yourself
In the room where you found his re-
volver2' she was asked
Il wanted to end my life where he
could see me so that he would suffer
as he had made me suffer few min
utes before" cried Mrs. Merriam hys-
terically. leaning far over the railing
and looking squarely at Captain Mer-
rian. Il thought 1t would hurt him If
he saw me take my life.
DENIES BATHROOM TALK
Questioned concerning a certain
telephone conversation which she is
said to have carried on with Major
Clarence Murphy she denied that he
had ever talked to her about baths
or bath robes.
Il would have considered it bad
taste to talk to Major Murphy about
those things whispered Mrs. Mer-
RAM
Time and again the witness was
requested to speak louder, while at
other times her voice rose almost to
a shrek
Mrs. Merriam denied that she loaded
her husbands gun and, after return
;pu m tI,a ronv,, xybara ba Law ~ fba
bed, pointed the revolver at him, pull
ing the trigger three times. She said
she did not know whether the gun
was loaded or not.
With tears in her voice, Mrs Mer-
riam said she loved the army officer
too much for that, and that her only
thought was to do away with herself.
Mrs. Merriam in detail recounted
the scenes in her home at jackson
barracks on the night that her daugh-
ter Charlotte was graduated from the
girls seminary which she had been
attending.
Captain Merriam treated her brutal
ly before retiring, she said, and he
asked in bitter tones:
Tell me what can I do to make you
hate me-"
Questioned as to her actions fol-
lowing the scene with her husband,
she said:
Il got up and went to the room
where my husband kept his sword.
guns and other army paraphernalia
and secured an army revolver
In answer to questions concerning
her motive in securing the weapon,
she said:
Il wanted To die. There was moth
ing left in life for me. After se
curing the gun I returned to our
room and was met on the threshold
by Captain Merriam, who grasped me
by the wrist until I dropped the re-
volver
We went back to bed and | laid on
his arm and We talked all night long.
He was very kind and very sweet to
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