Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1916-11-03
Action BY Sheriff Follows Ver-
dict of Coroner's Jury Which
Casts DiScredit on Earlier
Theory of Suicide
ALLOWED TO ATTEND
FUNERAL UNDER GUARD
Charges Made BY Mrs. Jeffs for
Use in Divorce Proceedings
She Purposed to Bring Had
She Lived Are Considered BY
Police as Furnishing Motive
for Crime

Harold Jeffs, the barber, is under
arrest on suspicion of being respon-
sible for the death of his wife yes
terday morning. He was taken into
custody by Deputy Sheriff Julius w.
Asch Immediately following verdict
OF the coroner's jury which discred-
tied the suicide theory. Upon the
prisoners request the deputy prom
ises 10 allow him to attend, under
guard, the wife's funeral this after
noon.
Following testimony of Jeffs' alleged
treatment OF his wife for the last
@.year, which was such that the regular
boliee stenographer was excused from
the jury room and a man substituted
in her place, the arrest of the hus-
band was no surprise to those who
attended the trial, and from the lack
of surprise which he showed, Jeffs
himself apparently anticipated such
action.
Jury Renders Verdict
In part the jury's verdict was that
Minnie Locke Jeffs, 40years old, born
in Newport, England, came to her
death November 2. at her home, 1881
South Beretania street, from a bullet
wound OF the brain from .22 caliber
rife held in theNhand or hands of some
person to the jury unknown.
DIR. George Herbert told of being
called to the Jeffs home, OF finding the
rifle in Mrs. Jerfs' hands and of being
present when she died, and Jeffs re-
lated a story similar to the one in
the Star-Bulletin Thursday. Attorney
Leon M. Straus, however, who had
been recently retained to prepare for
Mrs. Jeffs a divorce complaint, prov
ed to be the star" witness, and
under command from Deputy Sheriff
Asch and Deputy Prosecuting Attor-
ney w. T. Garden, gave testimony
against Jeffs, so revolving as to be un-
believable
Lawyer Reads Woman's Charges
-The inhuman, bestial and unnatur-
al crimes with which she charged her
husband when she asked me to pre-
pare divorce papers were so horrible, T"
said Straus, prefacing the reading OF
the papers in question to the jury,
that required her to write them out
and swear TO them before a witness be-
fore | would take her case"
Straus then read to the jury the
statement which Mrs. Jeffs had writ
ten and signed, and the complaint
which he had drawn up and was on
the point OF fling in court when her
death took place. The attorney stat
al that the acts alleged in the com.
naint were so nauseating that a fore
- 4 efn nh tvhO a q
tempted 10 take the dictation in the
presence of Sraus and Mrs. Jeffs
fhrew down her pencil and refuseds
Egen though public stenographer. to
continue. The stenographer was cali
ed, with her notes, to the inquest this
morning and corroborated Straus'
statement. She promises to trans
cribe the notes. as far as she then
took them.
Jeffs Story Changes Some
Although Jeffs' story this morning
Was practically the same as the one
the deputy sheriff says Jeffs told yes
terday morning there was a slight but
material change. The deputy says
Jeffs said yesterday that he could
have taken the gun away from the
WOIildu UCiOlO buC CO uoo hS tAN1f
but at the inquest he said that the
fatal shot was fired almost instantly
after he had found his wife in his bed
with the gun to her temple and before
he could make any move to take II
away from her. When asked by the
deputy why he made different state
ment yesterday. Jeffs hesitated and
mnmbled something to the effect that
"she didn't have a desperate look on
her face and / didn't think she would |
shoot"
Several startling statements which |
Jeffs made today included one that
Mrs. Jeffs had threatened several
times to commit suicide. he having
taken the rife away from her when |
she once attempted to do so; another |
HAT she was addicted to the use of in
sApxicating liquors to what he believed
10 be an excess, and also that she had
often told him the house in which |
they lived was unlucky and that both |
he and she were kahunaed.
When the verdict was received by |
Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Garden
he ordered Jeffs into custody to be |
held for investigation.
Il