The Detroit times., 1914-04-02
|IULD DRAMA
6IlDllICHT IS
TOLD IN COURT
Woman Reeeunts Story of
Hours Argument With Father
To- Prevent His Suicide
MOTHER. DEAF, WATCHED !.
SPECTACLE IN TERROR
Daughter Winner When Mans
Liquor rugged Brain Sue
cumbed to Slumber

The man who would die and the wo-
man who was deaf and the night OF
the long shadows were woven into a
tale Thursday morning by Mrs. Lillian
Woleast. a. she testified from the
|btand In the court OF domestic rela-
| lions for her mother. Mrs. Caroline
Drews, against her father. William
|Drews. ~
From the words OF the daughter and
THE testimony Of the man and the wo.
Imam the midnight drama was played
~ follows:
The hour was midnight in the Drew
home. Mrs. Wolgast was awakened
|by the sobbing OF her infant, and
{4yose To heat some milk. She passed
down the dark hall and as she came to
| hcr mothers door she saw her father
i standing ID the dull, hare Of night
lamp. In his hand was long knife
land because Of the rust II only CLEAN
lee duly instead Of sparkling as \
|brisht blade would have done.
s'I am tired OF life," the man NUT
|tered az his thumb slipped along the
ledge OF the knife and his eyes, red
land heavy with drink, stared at the
form OF his wife asleep In the room.
You must remember, to see this pic
|ture, that only 4 tiny oil lamp, burn
ling low at the wick. was lighting the
|scene and the shadows moved with
1.-The fickering fame. The young wo-
man In her night dress with an infant
In her arms stood ouivering With nor
|ror and the baby walled DULY The
- ia AA 40
|ulother and Mrs. Wolgast hurried at.
ter him.
/ Now Mrs. Drew is very deaf and the
bare feet-of the girl made no noiSo In
the hail and the footsteps Of the man
were mufEled ON the carpet. and yet
THE deaf woman awoke and sat up In
bed. staring with terror In her eyes
|at the two dim forms. What awak-
euad her? :. No one knows. She awoke
when the danger was In the air.
Thsn the daughter confronted the
father. and asked him the why" OF
the knife. He repeated again he was
tired OF life. His determination was
f1xed. but the instinct Of life In his
breast forbsde him do harm to his own
body before the eyes Of the others.
The Girl began then an argument,
tie winning Of which, meant life and
the loss Of which meant death. She
talked In low tones for fear Of the
'neiGhborS and Of other members OF
the family hearing this rattle OF clos
.eted skeletoa. sa
The woman who was deaf sat in
the bed and talked, but she could not
hear. She knAw, every moment she
knew, what was at stake but she
could not hear. She could just sit in
the dark and watch the lips OF the
two a they moved on and on, minute
after minute. It was too dim to tell
" the features OF the takers what
vas. passing. She was in her world
OF silence and the drama being played
was pantomime.
For one long hour the argument
went on. a daughter begging q faith
or to spare his own life, q wife. chain
ed BY shattered ear drums straining
and straining, .peering and peering
into the shadows to read the faces OF
the two.
The child walled on and on and its
crying passed unheeded. The girl
shivered with the cold and with the
terror and the woman who was deaf
rat In the bed and he tears rolled
down her withered cheeks and her fin-
gers picked ct the covers.
Then came IN ally. Exhaustion
crtbt Ia and drugged the brain Of the
man. The eyes grew tired and the
head nodded. The knife that had
been IN his hand slipped to the floor.
The lamp burned lower. The mans
voice traiied on into silence and hs
slept The girl picked up the knife
and the hour of terror was past.
The case WAS unfinished when court
adjourned 1t noon. "Rs