The Sentinel=record., 1913-01-12


 opened in the .Oden cottage by neigh bors the next morning.
 The suicide theory was further abandoned when Mrs. Oden went to her neighbors and told them how desperately she feared the night 1t was dark and dreary and cold and raining. She was certain that the night would bring her woe. And she begged and pleaded with more than one neighbor to come hurriedly to her side at the first sound of alarm.
 Mrs. Oden had gone to her room disrobed placed the large shotgun by the side of her bed, pulled up the covers-and there the curtain is drawn as to certainty. The theory of the coroner's jury is that she had cooked the barrels of the gun, and had probably in the night hear some noise outside, feared it's result, and had lifted the gun to shoot through the window" as she stated before re, t.ring she would do if harm came to her. and when she lifted the gun it's hammers rubbed against the bedside discharging load which blew her brains through the window.
 Coroner Dr. J. F. Randolph and Of ticers Moshier, Laughlin, Downs and others, made thorough investigations of the case. There was nothing tangible. Everything was left to con ciusions from little substance. Dr. Randolph summoned the following Jury, which returned the verdict: E. Gibbs, W. H. Pur, John Gibbs, c. w. Brandenberry, J. Lewis, A. Puhr J. Dugan, J. A. Rosman, B. Murray, Thos. Conlin, P. J. Caruth, Rowe Brown, Charles Johnson, Pat Me Carty, Joe Wakelin, A. Schick, R. O. Lewis and w. J. Warren.
 The evidence in the case was the nest unqUestionable character of evi denee that has been heard in court here for some time. The witnesses were neighbors, solicitous, friendly ana for the most part, men and wom- en well advanced in life. They re- lated their observations and there was no challenging anything that was said. The small detail might have varied, but in substance it was all truth and truth alike.
 J. Fl. Riley, veteran employe of the city street railway company. was the first witness. Mir. Riley. with his wife, are near neighbors. Mrs. Oden was a young woman, probably not more than twenty-two years of age She and her husband had domestic trouble, and she was living there in the house alone, and Mr and Mrs. Riley were sympathizers. Mr Riley testified in substance that Friday night his wife told him when he came in that Mrs Oden had been there and was very nervous We went to get her, he said, to come and stay all night with us, and not stay in that house alone. She came over and they all talked. Mrs. Oden talk ed about her people. and her home at Washington. She was pleased with the prospect of going back there after her divorce from Mir Oden. Mir. Riley told her it was not good to live alone and that she should spend the night with them. She laughed a little, and Mir. Riley and his wife were fixing a bed for her when sine decided not to stay with them. She said she would not be able to sleep there She said: It's a bad night, and nobody will stir out, and if I stayed here 1 would not know it if anybody did come to the house after me" She wanted to borrow a gun for her protection after she decided to go nome. and MT. Riley got out a small pistol and of tered it to her She said no, that she wanted big gun that would make lot of noise. 'I just want to shoot to scare" she told them. MT Riley got out his shotgun, and put loads of small shot, all the kind he had, in fife barrels. Then he accom- panied Mrs. Oden back to her home, informed her how to use the gun if she wanted to, and told her to just shoot it and they would come She said: T will just shoot it out the window, and you and Mrs. Riley come quick to me if you hear anything wrong" MT Riley left, and soon Ghe saw she had turned out the porch light. That was the last any human being saw of her alive, so far as is known. She left to go home about s o'clock. The next morning when MT. and Mrs. Riley were at their break fast they heard an alarm at her house where a neighbor had tried to get in and could not arouse her, and both knew she was dead. MT. Riley broke in the back door all the doors to the house being locked. Some of the doors have spring locks and lock when pushed hard Mrs. Oden laid the gun by the side of the bed when Riley gave 1t to her. but the muzzle was pointing to the foot of the bed When he entered her room in the morning the gun was lying by the side of the bed but the muzzle was pointing Q the head of the bed On cross-exami- nation by Prosecutor Witt, Mr Riley said Mrs. Oden said she expected he" would come, but when pressed further about who The" was, she did not answer She was quiet about her do- mestic affairs.
 Mrs. j. H. Riley was the next wit ness Friday just before dark Mrs. Oden came in to her and threw her arms around her neck and cried: Dear. be with me tonight and help me, and if you hear me come to me 2 She seemed so nervous and excited