Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1913-03-20

A SUICIDE
IS WIDOW
DEFENSE
Powder Stains and Location OF
Wounds on Husband Will Be
: important Points. ~
sRsf:
VERDICT OF C0R0NER'S
\ JURY TERMED HURRIED

The defense OF Mrs. Catherine Ap~
pelbaum woman of mystery, accused
by grand jury Indictment Of The MUIR
der OF her husband, was outlined 70 !
day to The Georgian for the first time
since the woman was arrested.
The plan to free the enigmatic prin-
cipaI in the Dakota hotel mystery is
based on coroner's Jury evidence. The
plan embraces a simple theory Ap-
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 nave correct information to the ef-
feet that the examination Of the ounds
on Appellants body by the county
physician was most superficial The
examination Of the undershirt worn by
the self-k killed man was also sighted.
There were powder stains on the holes
in the shirt. The county physician de-
clared. 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 discernlble
on the garment.
Alleges only Two Wounds.
Then comes the location Of the
wounds. There were two Of then-not
three as is the general superstition.
one entered Appellants left arm.
went through the muscle and entered
his chest. The other found fatal 1odRt
ment i'm his diaphragm, The natural
recoil Of a revolver held in front OF
the body and fired twice m rapid sue
cession would produce Just sVch
wounds. The third bullet fired wben
the second had pierced a vital psrt
went wild.
Now. Appellants body ives ,d1ound
lying on his back, in the bath roorn, sd
Joining the bed room Had he been
shot he would undoubtedly haHeScEtas
gered into the bath room and fallen
face downward on the thing. Whsnihis
body was found, his head rested near
the far end Of the room, proving CONF
clusively that he could not havepos'
sibly been shot and then fallen insslIoh
a position.
I'VE must also take, into conshfsraa
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-
timony at the coroneTs hearing that
they heard footsteps running down the
hall Of the hotel between the second
and third shots.
we have another witness. tho hotel
clerk. who viii swear that he caught
Mrs Appelbaum in his arms as she
swooned at the foot of the stairs less
than 50 seconds from the time the sec
ond shot was fired.
Wife to Charge Suicide.
our clients complete story viii re-
flute any murder theory, rest assured.
Ii is my plan now to nave her take the
stand and in her own way tell of her life
with Appelbaum. how the man duped
her as 10 bis relationship with other
women. how she did not know that Ap-
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
the country. She win tell OF
how when confronted with the facts,
AppcIbaum 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 he pressed a gun TO Mrs. Appel
baums breast and told her that her
time had come. Mrs Appelbaum, though
she loved this man with a WOmans
whole love viii not attempt to hide his
actions with her The man stripped
her Of name. riches and even the COM
m0nest pleasures of life, and when he
found that he had arrived al the end of
his string, put a period to his existence
with a revolver he had purchased to
Kill the woman whom he had biga-
mously taken for wife"