The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-10-28
MRS. .DOUDRE[EASED BY JUDGE WILLIAMS.
 ON A $35OO BOND.
Hearing of Sheffield Woman Proves SensatiOnal-Held On Charge of Staying
 Husband

Sheffield, October 27-(special.) )-Mrs. Irene Doud was released from custody this morning by Judge T. W. Williams on bond of s3500 to answer to the next grand jury on the charge killing of her husband, Earle Dou4, at their home in Sheffield the morning of October 19. The bond was signed by about dozen business men of Sheffield and Tuscumbia, and Mrs. Doud, accompanied by her daughters and other close relatives, re- turned to her home in Sheffield. Judge Williams reconvened court in Tuscumbia at S;30 o'cloek and announced his verdict, N hieh was that the defendant be held to the next grand jury in the sum of 5000. Counsel for the defendent made a plea for the court to make reduction in the amount of the bond, which Judge Williams finally agreed to do and placed it at S3500, and thus was brought to a close one of the most sensational trials in the history of Colbert county. The courtroom was filled this morning when the trial began at 10:30 o'clock. Probably a third or fourth of the audience was composed of women.
 Courtroom Scene
 l Mrs. Doud entered from the east room l where she had been in conference with 1 her attorneys, and was accompanied by members of her family, her two daugh- 1 ters, sons-n-law and her sister and I brotEer-in-law. She was attired in blue | tailored suit and hat, she appeared com posed and gave close attention to the I testimony of witnesses and questions of l her attorneys, Messrs Almon and Car nicheal, and attorney for the prosecution, 1 Solicitor Henry D. Jones, and County l Solicitor W. H. Shaw. Probate Judge T. 1 W. Williams presided at the trial, and at l the beginning admonished those in court l to maintain perfect order. The first wit 1 ness for the state was MT. w. H. Sadler. I He stated that he saw the corpse of MT. Doud lying on the bed upstairs about 8 o'clock that morning. He described the bullet wounds and said he saw blood on the night robe of MT. Doud. He did not
 see a pistol in Mrs Doud's room that morning and did not hear her say any !, thing that morning about the killing. 1 MT Samuel c. Cooke was examined as ! to the location and proximity of the
 rooms of MT. and Mrs. Doud he had
 made at the request of State Solicitor Jones. A diagram of the rooms on the second story of the Doud home and ex- pained it to the court, and he sad that 1 he say blood on a door leading to a
 small room.
 | pr. w. J. Maxwell testified next He stated that he lived near the Douds and
 that Mrs. Doud called him over the tele- phone the morning of the killing and 1 asked him to come to the house at once. l On the way he met Jim Hawkins, colored who told him that MT. Doud was dead Dr. Maxwell said he saw Mrs. Doud down.
 stairs and that she asked him to go up | and see Earle. He went upstairs, Mrs | n1I1 fol1 yif,cr 1i,,tr f, hic tion He felt the pulse of MT. Doud and found life extict.
 Mrs. DOud Testifies
 Mrs. Doud was the first witness on thu stand in her own behalf. She gave he
 testimony as follows in response to in
 terrogation:
 My name is Mrs. Irene Doud. I resid
 in Sheffield; have resided there for ? years have two children, Mrs. Waugh
 and Mrs. Seay. One of my daughters
 Mrs. Vaught lived with me about fou
 months of this year. The killing occurre
 one week ago this morning at my hom
 in Sheffield, where I had lived with MI
 Doud and my family for 24 years. I aros
 about o'clock on the morning of tn
 killing, went to the bathroom, passed b
 the room occupied by MT. Doud. I di
 not see him when 1 passed, but kney
 he was in the room. On returning fror the bathroom MT. Doud called me as
 passed his room. I went in and lay o : the bed beside him. He remarked that h did not believe I loved him. I told hir I did. He talked in an unpleasant mood said he had made other arrangements.
 smelled whisky. He was drinking tn l night before As I attempted to leave hi room he struck me with his hand. fo
 lowed me into my room and said: C. d. you. I will fix you and struck m tpftl, Id fct it, fl,ne e.f1 , fell on my bed. He gathered a chair 1
 his right hand and said, I will kill you reached for my gun 3S Smith & We. \ son. which was lying on small tabl 3 near my bed He struck me with th } back of his left hand just above the eye I which blinded me. I shot twice in quic : succession in the direction I thought h
 was
 3 After shooting I walked to the doc 3 Mir. Doud was lying on the floor of tl hall I went downstairs and called D
 Maxwell to come quick. I did not te 5 him over the phone what I wanted A n,
 gro Jim Hawkins, was passing the hou. r at this time I called him and he can j. and followed me upstairs where Mr. Dou was lying. I told Jim Hawkins to pic 3 MT Doud up and put him on the be 5 which he did with my assistance. M Doud and myself occupied separa l rooms He was dangerous when he ws r drinking. and not always kind whe sober. MT. Doud had threatened my lii
 before in the presence of my daughte Mrs Vaught. He threatened to kill n in the automobile house and made fir quest threats to kill me. MT. Doud hs been drinking IS or 20 years. He drar night and day, and when he would con home sick from drinking I would have
 l take care of him. We lived togeth
 about 30 years. He frequently threatene
 me- I continued to love him notwiti
 standing his threats
 Defense here rested its case. The sta
 introduced a number of character wi
 nesses who had known MT Doud, some , them 25 years. They testified that the had never known MT. Doud to be a dal
 gerous or blood-thirsty man, but ha
 known him to be of quiet dispositiC . and was apparently kind to everybod 2 At this junction the testimony close I and the argument for the state WI opened by County Solicitor w. H. Sha'
 who was followed by Attorneys k. 1, Almon and M. IT. Carmichael for the d , fense. The closing argument was mat . by State Solicitor Henry D. Jones, aft i i which Judge T. Williams announced h
 decision. holding Mrs. Doud to the grar n jury under bonds as above stated. URI