Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1917-01-26
Dramatic Story Told By
SPANIEL in Sobs From
Witness Stand.
JURY LEFT IN TEARS
God Helped Me Tell 1t
as 1t Was Declares
Accused Man.

Nssocinted Prc,s Leased Wire
SAN ANGELO, Texas. Jan. 25. -
C1uNulsNcly sohhing out his tcsti-
luony. while tears flowed freely down
iho checks Of the Jurors who control
his fate. and while women spectators
who packed the courtroom wept and
ATTORNEYS plainly showed their emo
ton, Harry J. spaniel Of Alpine. Texas,
formerly of lla2elton. Pa. and Waco,
TcNas, charged with killing his wife.
Crystal Holland Spaniel. and Lieut.
col Malcolm &. Butler. 4. S A.. today
told dramatic story Of incidents lead
ing M TO the double killing, charged
the shot that Killed his wife was fired
hy Colonel Butler. and. concluoius.
sobbod out: THANK God; I've praised
Almighty God TO let me tell IL as.tr -.
Thank God! O Crystal!'
It was the first time Spaniel had
unfoldcd the story Of the killing of
Mrs. SPANIEL and Butler In an auto
Tile At Alpine on the night Of July 81.
1916. lie is on trial for the killing OF
LIS wife The case charging the kill
!rg OF Colonel Butler was set over 20
February I.
Tragedy After Quarrel.
Tho fatal shooting OF Mrs. Spaniel
ard Rutlcr. the witness testified fu.,
lowed fight In the automobile. a5
q result of an incident which occurrec
earlier in the evening. The story OF
the SHOOTING was preceded hy long
narration of incidents In which Spaniel
charged Butler had paid undue atten-
tion To defendants wife. trying ~
show her Off" and leading up to tho
evening of July 90 when he said
be saw Butler hurried and excitedp.
leave his tButler's) room in the Hol-
| II ..
saw Mrs. SPANIEL emerge from But
/ lcr's room, where she had gone with
! Mrs. Butler. 3 Mrs. Butler had LEFT the
+ room for . few minutes. Mrs. Spanell.
when faced by her husband. told him,
according to Spaniel. that Something
had happened" but she Couldn't TOT,
him what 1t was then" His wife. wit
! ness said. told him she would tell him
when they reached home.
'IIa,c II Out Now"
Mrs. Spaniel accompanied her hus-
band to their automobile. Spaniel
tcStified, when he recalled saying 20
his wife.
Tin going to have 1t out with him
O3utlcr) right now
40, not here; If you want to have
It out with him call him over To the
car Mrs. Spaniel said. according to
witnesses.
Spanell said ne remembered calling
Hutlcr to the automobile. OF his get
ting into the car, but did not recall
whether the Spanells little daughter
leit the car. After driving "a few
blocks, Spaniel testified. he asked
Butler 'point-bank what he had done
upstairs Butler replied nothing"
that Mrs. Spaniel was lust excited"
and misunderstood him.
The Quarrel.
II said" continued Spaniel, "I sup
pose If Mrs Spaniel were not here
you'd deny that you were upstairs at
all?'"
" No. replied Butler, Mrs Spaniel
and Mrs. Butler went upstairs to wash
their hands and | went up, too
Mrs Spaniel cried out, lie didn't
have any business following US
"Thcn ] said TO Butler: A man
who hasn't any more respect than to
follow women around and do as he
tButler) had done. was nothing but
II remember Butler jumped out OF
his seat and said: If II wasn't for
Mrs. Spaniel I'd choke those words
down your throat
Couldn't Repeat Words.
No, he won't I'm the one that
has been insulted' D." Spaniel said Mrs.
Spaniel cried as she jumped to her
feet. she tried to tell me something
while Butler tried TO keep her quiet.
She kept saying that as soon as Mrs.
Butler left the room he (Butler)
grabbed her. but she said Il can't re-
peat his filthy words
At this time Spaniel said he re-
celved a blow on the back OF his head.
Butler grabbed him and pushed my
head down on the steering wheel. |
then thot OF the gun In the pocket
Of the car and got it some way"
Witness Ramblcs.
Hero Spanells testimony for the
first time rambled somewhat. as II
events were not quite clear. Then
he continued
"The clouds had been coming over
me- cloud after cloud, veil after veil
| didn't know what was acting; was
,omebody else acting? | didn't know
Hhat II was or who it was; IT wasn't
me; and | knew | tried to turn 1t
back. Then ! heard one shot
THAT was the only shot | heard.
know we wrestled on the scat felt
that If Butler got that gun away from
me he would Kill me and Crystal too
| knew ne was getting 1t away from
CONTINUED ON PAGE SEVEN
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