Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1913-09-21

When Mrs. Laura NJ Reuter- pleads
not guilty before District Judge r. II.
Hudson. at Bartlesvile, tomorrow
morning, to the charge of numbering
her husband Oklahoma's most fam
Gus murder case will be on In earnest.
Mrs. Reuter- Is charged with being
one of four conspirators, whose con-
spiracy resulted in the killing of her
husband, Charles I. Reuter-, in his
home In Tulsa early on the morning of
the fifth Of May 1912. Reuter- was
shot while asleep In his bedroom by
an assassin who fled.
Following the formal pleading Of
Mrs. Reuter- to the charge, the work
will begin of selecting jury from the
venire of $50 that has been summon
ed for the case. 1t is believed the
work of selecting a jury will be much
easier In Washington county than in
Tulsa and for that reason a change
Of venue was taken. Two days will
probably see the completion of the
jury and the trial will probably last
for three weeks.
County Attorney Pat Malloy Of
Tulsa county conceded to be the
ablest prosecutor In the state, will
conduct the case against the comely
widow. He will be ably assisted by
his two deputies Edward Grassland
and Nat Ligon. The three men push
ed the case against Guy Mackenzie
and Joe Baker alleged fellow CON
spirators with Mrs. Reuter-, to a sue
ressful close last fall and the two
men are now serving life terms in the
state penitentiary. In addition the
prosecution will be aided by County
Attorney Donohue of Washington
county.
Mrs. Reuter- will be represented by
Noman Pruitt, OF Oklahoma City, Ben
Thompson of Sapulpa, and J b.
Charlton of Bartlesville, three of the
ablest criminal lawyers in the state.
Mrs. Reuter-, and her two small
children, with one or two close friends
will leave for the scene of the trial
this morning, and the prosecutors,
sheriff and newspaper men, who Will
cover the trial, will leave tonight.
Bud Bellew, the fourth conspirator,
who turned states evidence, at the
trial of Mackenzie and Baker, and
who will be the most important wit
ness for the state at this trial will
probably not be taken to Bartlesville
until County Attorney Mailoy is
ready to place him on the stand. At
present he is occupying a cell in the
county Jail, having been placed i'm
custody about ten days ago. in order
to insure his presence at the trial.
He was released shortly after the
close of the first trial and the case
against him was dismissed.
The state has summoned approXi-
mately so witnesses. whose testimony
in the main will go to corroborate
the story that will be told by Grover
Bellew. The defense will probably
use a large number in an effort to
break down the story of Bellew. and
to darken his character The entire
Gaze will hinge around the tale to be
told by Bellew
In this case. as i'm the one against
Mackenzie and Baker. the states case
will rest upon the theory that Mrs.
Reuter- was in love with her neighbor,
Guy Mackenzie and that she and Mac
kenzie planned the conspiracy that
resulted in the killing of Gaker. hired
Joe Baker to do the actual killing,
and persuaded Bud Belew to drive
Maukenzie's automobile in taking
Baker away from the scene of the
murder and establish an alibi
Probably no murder I'm the state of
oklahoma has attracted such wide at
tention rs that of Charles I. Reuter-
Following the firing of the bullets
into his brain the midnight assassin,
II was given out by his wife. who
slept in the next room. that the crime
was committed by burglar. How
ever. County Attorney Malloy was
10th to accept this theory and stories
Of domestic infeicity in the Reuter-
family made him suspicious
a rapid fire investigation resulted
I'm the arrest of Mackenzie the day
following the murder. and of Bellew
and Baker within a few days. Then
the skein of mystery began to unfold
under the able hands of Malloy and
his assistants. aided by Detective Ed
Egan Mrs. Reuters formal ar