The herald. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1905-1953, 1913-08-14
Truth Stranger
Than Fiction
By ARTHUR w. BREWSTER

shall prove, your honor. said the pros
ecuting attorney in opening the case.
that the prisoner was heard quarrel
ing with his wife 10y their ncighborS
and that he told her in tone Of ma
lightly that since she couldn't live with
him without quarreling she had better
get out After this quarrel, which oc
CURED In the evening, the house where
this couple lived was supposed to he
deserted; at least no sounds were heard
to come from 1t, and no person was
seen In or about ii.
Three days after the evening when
the prisoner told his wife that she had
better get out some boys who crossed
the back yard of the MOnahan place
found living among some bushes the
body Of Mrs. Monahan. She wore all
her Jewels, which, though of no great
value. are n kind Of property that eN-
cry woman prizes.
THE explanation is apparent. The
wife. turned out Of the house by bru-
tai husband. went to the place where
she kept her jewels, put them on her
person as the easiest way To carry
them and was about TO take him AT
his word when he followed her and
killed her with club or some other
heavy weapon, hitting her on the head
and face and rendering her almost un-
recognizable \ part of these facts,
! YOUR honor, we shall prove conclusive
! ly, and the other parts are so borne
| out by the first that the whole makes a
| chain of circumStantial evidence fully
! as strong as II we had witnesses to
| swear that they saw the prisoner com
nit the inhuman att
At the end Of this announcement wit
nesses were brought forward with the
| testimony, some to state what they
had heard on the night of the quarrel.
others to prove that the body FOUND
under the bushes was that of Mrs.
Nonahan. When the state had pro
duced its evidence the prisoners attoT'
ney brought forward witnesses to
prove that up to the evening Of the
Quarrel the couple had lived on good
terms, that Mrs. Monahan was an eX-
citable person and that her husband
was very patient with her
This was about all the evidence bear
ing on the case except that which
proved the prisoners good character
and forbearing disposition. But there
was the evidence Of the quarrel. anC
there was the body OF Mrs. MOnahan
Monahan had not been seen at tht
place since the evening when hiGi
words were heard between him anC
his wife If ever there was a stront
case against an accused person thi'
one was.
Monahan's story was this: His wifi
had recently been more than usual!
fretful and his endurance had beef
nut TO severe test. He had resolved
10 go away from home for shor
time to recoup his patience. also he
lieving that q brief separation woul'
be beneficial TO both him and his wife
He had left her at the house withou
saving what he was about to do. ii
had gone TO his brothers in a neigh
/
back to his own home when he wa
arrested for the murder.
The prosecuting attorney referred {
this statement as the best the prisone
could devise under the circumstances
but no better than any ordinary pei
son could have invented. 1t could nc
be taken seriously In view of the fact
adduced and. above all, the body G
the murdered woman. The motive fo
the murder was especially apparen
Monahan, who had turned his wifi
out of the house. was not willing tha
she should take with her her belon:
ings. Indeed. so Infatuated with ht
was he that he did not stop at mu
der.
There was nothing for the jury to
but bring in a verdict of guilty, whlc
they did after being out one hour an
ten minutes. They had filed back I'M
the court from the jury room and ha
been asked the formal questions,
the last of which the foreman had pr
nounced the fatal word:
Guilty"
The word had scarcely been spoke
when woman elbOwed her W;
through the crowd to the prisoner al
fell into his arms.
The judge, the lawyers, the jury al
the spectators looked on, unable to
terpret the scene. Presently the judi
asked:
"Who are your
"Im Mary Monahan. Mixes WIFE
For a moment there was a stillne
in the courtroom like that precedll
n thunderstorm: then all present bro
into a united shout of sympathy wi
one who had been tried and foul
guilty to meet with such vindicatiC
This. strange rs it may seem,
easier to believe than the explanaho
After Monahan left her she lock
ND the house and went to her moth
who lived in distant city. Inc
her nerves broke away entirely, a
II was necessary that she be Ike
quiet for a long time. She was e
ting better when she saw notice
her husbands trial and returned !
mediately.
Shortly after her absence two m
and q woman robbed the unprotect
house. The woman decorated hers