Arizona republican., 1914-06-17
SHOT ID SAVE
 MY LIFE" SAYS
 MRS. MULLANAX
Defendant in Now Famous Murder Trial Stands the Days Ordeal on Witness Stand With Credit to Herself

q shot him to save my lfe,' ex- claimed Mrs Mamie Mullanax on the witness stand yesterday in giving her testimony in her own defense. Il was afraid he would hurt me. I told him to stay back but he kept coming on with his arms outstreched and I shot This was the climax of the trial that has been going on in Judge Phillips court in this city for the past week. It completed the theory of the defense in it's plea of self-defense, as it was backed up by testimony of cruelities practiced upon the young wife by the big strong soldier boy, with whom she had fallen in love and for whom she disobeyed her father and ran away from home to marry
 The fair defendant stood the ordeal of the witness stand for one whole day with remarkable fortitude. She took the stand at the opening of the morn ing session of court and was under examination for the entire day with but a few short rests She bore the strain well and acquitted herself in a manner that reflected credit upon her and her cause. Despite the fact the County Attorney Lyman worked hard to discredit her testimony, in fact the cross examination took nearly three times as long as the examination in chief. she stuck to her story and made but few statements calculated to con- tradict anything that she has told be- fore. and these were only a few minor details
 Under the skilful questioning of Judge Baker she told her life's history from the time, when an innocent school girl in the rural districts of Arkansas she met and fell in love with the young and good-looking soldier, until the fateful night when goaded be- yond endurance she finally left him for good, trying in her ineffective way to gain assistance from the peace off cers of the county to protect her from her husband.
 Then came the desperate journey out to Ingleside on the night of April :, when with a pistol purchased to protect herself with. she went to the
 
 lected her effects. Some were missing and in looking for these she found he had taken them out of her trunk She took a whiskbroom, and then the quar- rel began. He insisted the broom be- longed to him, and she said it was hers. He jumped up at her and after her warning, continued at her and she shot
 Under cross examination she told of leaving her home in Arkansas and go- ing by easy stages as work presented itself to her, from town to town through Arkansas, Tennessee. Ken lucky and Ohio to Columbus where by | agreement she met her lover and the two were married. Shortly after this, a matter of a few days he left her and went to Arkansas to visit his people leaving her a little money. She re- ceived two more small amounts from him while he was gone and before he | joined her at St Louis.
 l Here it was he began to coerce her, l and endeavor to bend her will to his purpose. and to force her to lead an l immoral life for his benefit. This startling bit of testimony was devel- oped by the state, and not by the de- | fense but it served to make won | derful sensation in behalf of the de- I fendant
 | Several times during the narration | of her wrongs, the girl wept. and then both defense and state would rest for | a few minutes in sheer pity while she | recovered herself and was able to go on. She made remarkably fine wit
 ness. and filled in every small detail
 of the defense that had been stated by Judge Baker, whilst much of her
 testimony was corroborated by what had already been said on the stand.
 It developed that prior to the pur-
 chase of the pistol with which she
 shot her husband, she had sent away for one, but when it developed that she
 never received it, and it was not pre- sented in evidence, neither was it shown to have any bearing on the case, the objections to the state to the introduction of matters concerning if | were sustained.
 | When the court adjourned for the l night, the defense had rested. and i there remains but rebuttal on the part of the state to be introduced. This may take up large part of the day today. Then will follow the argument after which the case will go to the