Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1916-12-23
DECLARES HER LOVER HELD AND
FORCED HER TO DRINK CAR.
BoLic ACID.
MOTHER COMMISSIONED
TO AvENGE HER DEATH
See That His Life Answers For Mine
Was Deathbed Word Of Miss Eliza
beth Watts. Of Des Moinss-kimmase
Widener on Trial For Murde-Testi-
meny Of Dead Girls Mother.

Des Moines, Dec. 2S.-'Mother, he
ruined my life. Ny death viii ruin
Your life. See that his life answers 70:
mine.
He held me and forced it down me,
That burn on my limbs was lone last
night as We We're struggling with n a
bottle"
These were the las: words Mrs Anna
Cunningham heard from her ~22-year-
old daughter, M4Ss Elizabeth Watts, a
few pine before the girl died from
The effects OF carbo!ic acid poisoning a.
her home here on Nov. -
Elizabeth. can't ycU ;eA me some
more. the mother asked
Il VIII directly. she replied, IAe
mother said. Then Ihe nurse came IL
went to the kitchen for a moment
When l returned sns was dead
Mother Dicn't Worry.
Tia was part Of the story told by
the little mother IN CITY Judge MeT-
shon's court yesterday. which she
hopes Will send ktmnage W!Genec. -
years old. her daughters FORMER sweet
heart to prison.
agains, Widener which have not before
beer made public came ont at he pre-
liminary hearing.
The young mar went 10 live az the
Cunningham home late IN september.
4 week later the Watts girl returned
/, from the hospital.
From hat time until about three
weeks before the girls death, the
mother testified hat close company
was kept between the two.
Il asked her not TO go with him., the
mother said. but as she always told
me where they were going l didn't
worry
Lover Back to Girl.
About three weeks before Miss Watts
died Widener went to Griswold 10 do
some work. The Saturday night be-
fore the tragedy he returned, accord
ing to Mrs. Cunningham He and Miss
Watts We're visiting in the dining room
when she retired. she said
About 4 o'clock Sunday morning
when / awoke they were still together.
l told Red to 90 in my room and lay
down on the cot. About $50 he did
So"
The next day about noon the girl and
boy went down town. the mother said.
They returned about 8 o'clock and
Widener wrote some letters. About .
o'clock he went TO the drug store to
mail them.
In the evening they went to the Prin-
cess theater. When they returned at
II o'clock Mrs. Cunningham was in
bed.
About / o'clock I awoke," she said.
Il called TO Elizabeth thai it was getting
late, and asked her If Red didn't want
10 use her cot while she slept in my
room. She said ne was going to leave
town ar 4 o'clock
When she awoke early in the morn
ing the girl was asleep on the cot in
the dining room, she said. She went
about her work, and at 10 o'clock was
busy with the washing in the base
mert.
Finds Daughter Dead.
An hour later the mother returned
upstairs.
across the cot, was the daughter, un-
conscious. AT empty carbolic acid
bottle lay by her side. The woman
rdlIeC n~e!gNDOTS. ne next morning
the girl died at $50 o'clock. Shortly
before she died she was conscious for a
moment.
7 was in the kitchen when she hol-
Tered for me to come TO her" she said.
L Went. She asked, Is there no one
else in the ROOM and I told her no.
Then she said, Mother, don't leave
me. I'm afraid to stay alone. Take
my hands
oh, Elizabeth, why did you do it"
7 asked" the mother said, AN again
she asked, Are we alone tola hey
yes and she began:
Mother, he ruined my life. My
death will ruin our life. See that his
life answers for mine"
Carbolic Acid Did It.
The wOman's testimony broke for a.
while When she regained her COM
posure she finished her story.
On the girls body were two carbolic
acid burns, DR.. George Field, who at
tended the girl, testified. One was.on
the right thigh, the other, a bad Gne.
on the left ankle. These could have
been formed by acid seeping thru the
clothing, the doctor said.
AS the testimony developed, Widener
sat behind his attorney, John Holland.
He seemed calm and u~ndisturbed. Oc-
c~asionally he smiled.