New-York tribune., 1915-03-17
Found Him in Hall, Tried
to Get Help, Then Lost
Her Head. She Says.
TEARS AND SNEERS
GREET HER STORY
Woman Denies She Knew Stained
Hat Was Victims. or That She
Touched Eyeglasses.
BY EMMA BJGBEE.

4 Bridgeport, Cohn., March l6. IL was
placid romance Of middle age which
ended in those bloody footprints and
the dying man found on the sidewalk.
according to Mrs. Helen NJ. Angle, who
told her story to the jury to-day.
A hush fell on the courtroom as she
described in a low, gentle voice how
on their last evening together they
were planning to spend the following
Sunday afternoon in Central Park.
Then he kissed her good night and
went out into the dark hall
Then | heard noise" she said ~
went out and down the stairs and
found Jimmie. He was lying on the
floor"
Here Mrs. Angles voice chokcd with
sobs. Her whole body shook and she
bowed her head in her arms. weeping
aloud. Many Of the women in the
courtroom wept with her Others
watched with snecrs. Bridgeport
women cannot forgive Mrs Angle for
dragging the elderly man who loved
her out on the sidewalk to die.
Breaks Down Twice.
For more than an hour she wept al
most constantly as she described the
rest of that night, substantially as it
has been told before. At two points
she broke down completely and sobbed
aloud. This was when she said she
looked out of the window and realized
that she had left him for strangers to
carry away, and again when she heard
from Chief of Police William Brennan
that Mr.. Ballou was dead.
"Everything else sank into insignii-
cancc beside the awful fact that the
only person who could help me was
dead"
Mr. Angles story occupied the entire
morning and the early part of the
afternoon. She was unable to go out
for luncheon, but lay on the sofa and
ate little soup sent over from the
hotel.
She was so weak that her father,
Leonard Blondell, who has the undi-
vided admiration OF the public for his
devotion to his daughter during the
trial, put his arms around her and
comforted her as the court adjourned,
and kept hold of her hand all the way
down the hall, which was lined with
people waiting to see her.
In the afternoon District Attorney
Cummings on examination intro
duced another element into the elderly
love story in the form of one
"Charlie,' a shadowy personality, who
has sailed away to Mexico on his ship.
Mrs. Angle admitted she met this man
in New York, but said that Mr.. Ballou
knew all about him and had expected
10 make his acquaintance when the
threatened war in Mexico called the
sailor friend away.
Another shadow diverted the Sunday
afternoon calm of the romance when
Mr.. Cummings produced a letter writ
ten by Mrs. Angle to Mr. Ballou a lit
tie more than year before his death.
She had previously testified that they
never quarrelled. The letter upbraids
him for a fit of temper.
Ballou Upbraided in Letter.
"My dear friend" it reads, "l do not
know what was the trouble this morn
ing. ! have no apology to make, but I
hate to make bad friends with you. |
told YOU | was going to Mrs. Eagles
last night ! would have told you the
reason if you had not gone OFF in
temper. This morning when | met you
vour face was veritable thunder
cloud You know it is not right TO
treat me that way. | will not stand
for it.
Mrs. Angle made no changes in her
main story under the gentle leading of
the District Attorney. At many points
sv,ered in her own way the point he was
about to make. She quite recovered
Ler calm and seemed to be almost en-
loving the duel Of wits. Questions
which involved the exact incidents OF
Continued on page g. column