The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1913-04-18
WORTH TEST|F|ES
IN OWN DEFENSE
Witness Tells Rambling Story
and Suffers Frequent Lapscs
of Memory.
MRS. BossERMAN ON STAND
Her Story of Shooting Hardly
Varies From That Told at
Her Own Trial.
MRS. BossERMAN ON STAND
SIC clal 10 rhe Timcs.Dispatch.l

Especial TO The Times ID ispatch
Stanton, Va, April IA. y. Worth
who Is charged with maliciously shoot
ing Luther d. Bosscrmsn. took the stand
to-day in his own behalf and told
OF his past life. his efforts To Climb"
tho many attacks of illness he had
suffered; tho frances he went into: his
associations with tho Rowzec girls and
how he shot l.. II. Bosscrman In At
Of fear for his own life when surprised
In the Bosserman home. He was very
volublc, and neither his attorney nor
the commemorative could control him,
but he insisted on telling Il rambling
story, asking the attorneys pointed
questions and getting them puzzled
ana ratified. His manner was ut times
hippant and smiling, with frequent
iapses OF memory, incoherent state
inents and rambling answers. when
damaging questions were asked him In
cross cXamination.
Ills mind frightened considerably
when tho telling OF things were favor
aoie TO him. and he frequently con-
Nulscd the court by good -humored
questions of the attorneys.
Worth sworc that he was In love with
Halle Rowzce. sister OF Mrs Bosscr-
man. and that he had an appointment
TO meet her at Bosscrman's that aftor-
noon He claimed he usually met her
there Photographs and other articles
In the possession Of Mrs. Bosserinan
which the prosecution had attempt cd
10 identify coming directly from
Worth he claimed were for Mics Halle.
and not Mrs. Bosserman. Miss Rowzec
testified along the same line AZ Worth
claiming that all of Worth's atten-
lions were 10 her and not TO her sis
tor.
Melvin Ford. who was put on the
On n
dehce OF the relations of Worth and
Mrs Bosserman. and cross-cxamina-
ton failed to shake his testimony
George ~ Hutchinson. the jailcr, gave
damaging evidence in rcbuttal. narrat-
ing the circumstances OF finding Worth
in Mrs. Bosserman's cell at ; o'clock
In the morning the day before she was
10 be tried. Worth will be placed on
the stand agaire To- morrow
Mrs Clara Rowzcc Rosscrnan. wife
Of Luther - Bosserman, VAS the FIRST
witness put on the stand by the de-
tense Mrs. Bosserinan wore n black
gown OF unusual pattern and a chic
little black hat. with pompon effect on
the side. She gave her answers in a
clear voice and unhesitatingly to her
attorney, but became very petulant
under cross examination Her stor.
OF the shooting hardly varied from
That told by her on her own trial She
ha1 made an engagement. she said
with Worth TO meet her sister. HALLE
anu lie arrived before time
Her husband returned home unex-
pectcdiy, and To avoid Il scene she
called Worth upstairs and told him to
hide I'm the wardrobe Her husba nd
came up. searched the rooms and went
to the little ballroom She followed
her husband and opened the door where
Worth stood Her husband rushed at
him. exclaimjng: Do YOU. ] will KIN
:ou" fight cnsucd. and her hug
F., band threw Worth against the win
dow. when Worth shot twice. She
threw herself between the colnbatants.
trying to separate them. Her husband
showed her aside They struggled into
the hall and downstairs. when Worth
hnally broke loose and ran
Attorney for the Commonwealth did
not spare the witness. but she made
no damaging admissions. on all points
Involving her reputation she made n
stout denial Commenting on the fact
that Worth had been caught in her cell
In Jail. the attorney asked her how the
door came to he open. She replied I:
That is just what 1 would like TO
know"
Put on as character witness Mayor
>1iayt swore he had known Mrs. Bosser-
man all her life and he would believe
her on oath.