Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1913-03-20
Powder Stains and Location OF
Wounds on Husband Will Be
Important Points.
VERDICT OF CORONER'S
JURY TERMED HURRIED
Testimony of Few Witnesses
Expected to Free Woman of
Dakota Hotel Mystery.

The defense of Mrs. Catherine APP
pelbaum, woman OF mystery, accused
by grand jury indictment of the muir
der Of her husband was outlined to-
day to The Georgian for the first time
since the woman was arrested.
The plan to free the enigmatic prin
cipal in the Dakota hotel mystery is
based on coroner's jury evidence. The
plan embraces a simple theory. APP
pelbaum killed himself. So say the
woman's lawyers, and so they will at
| tempt to prove when the case is called
for trial next week
Colonel John W. Moore, chief coun-
| sci for the indicted woman, said:
"Appelbaum killed himself In my
mind and in the mind of at least three
witnesses before the coroners jury,
that fact has been established beyond
! the shadow of a doubt.
! Il have correct information to the ef-
! feet that the examination of the wounds
on Appellants body by the county
physician was most superficial The
! examination of the undershirt worn by
/ the self-killed man was also sighted
| There were powder stains on the holes
| in the shirt. The county physician de-
| cared, under oath, he found none.
| Chemical analysis has proved him to
! be in error. Two other witnesses who
examined the shirt also swear that
powder stains were plainly discernible
on the garment
Alleges Only Two Wounds.
Then comes the location of the
! wounds. There were two of them-not
/ three, as is the general supposition.
| one entered Appebaums left arm,
went through the muscle and entered
! his chest The other found fatal lodg
ment in his diaphragm. The natural
reCoi Of a revolver held in front OF
the body and fired twice in rapid sue
cession would produce Just such
wounds. The third bullet. fired when
! the second had pierced a vital part
went wild.
! Nov Appellants body was found
| lying on his back, in the bath room ad
joining the bed room. Had he been
shot, he would undoubtedly have stag
gered into the bath room and fallen
| face downward on the thing. When his
| body was found, his head rested near
the far end Of the room, proving con
| cIusively that he could not have pos
! sibIy been shot and then fallen in such
q position.
| we must also take into considera-
| ton the fact that the three shots were
fired something like this: Bang, bang
right close together-then bang. The
| third shot came fully 80 seconds later.
| We have two witnesses who gave tes
! tfmony at the coroner's hearing that
| they heard footsteps running down the
| hail Of the hotei between the second
and third shots.
we have another witness. the hotel
clerk, who viii swear that he caught
| Mrs. Appelbaum in his arms as she
/ awooned at the foot Of the stairs less
| than 80 seconds from the time the sec
( ond shot was fired
Wife to Charge Suicide.
Mrs. Appelbaum will tell on the
stand how her husband shot himself
and how between the second and third
shots she fed down the han and down
a fight Of steps, fainting in the arms of
the hotel clerk as she met him in the
corridor.
Our clients complete story will re-
flute any murder theory, rest assured
It Is my plan now to nave her take the
stand and in her own way tell of her lie
with Appelbaum how the man duped
her as TO his relationship with other
women, how she did not know that APP
pelbaum had been ever married before
until two months of the time he was
found dead She will tell of putting
private detectives on the trail of his
many episodes with girls and women
throughout the country. She viii tell OF
how, when confronted with the facts.
Appelbaum not only threatened to Kill
himself but her as well.
Not only did Appelbaum threaten his
Wife. but on the morning he ended his
! own ne pressed d gun to Mrs Appel
I baum's breast and told her that her
! time had come. Mrs. Appelbaum. though
| she loved this man with a woman's
whole love, win not attempt to hide his
! actions with her The man stripped
! her of name. riches and even the COM
/ monest pleasures of life, and when he
/ found that he had arrived at the end ~
/ his string, put period to his existence
| with a revolver he had purchased 10
! XIII the woman whom he had biga