The Washington times., 1917-01-14
Explains to Officers How She
Shot Man She Accuses of
Mistreating Her.
AIDED BY FORMER HUSBAND
Shooting Reveals Romance
Which Broke Up Home and
Turned Into Tragedy.

killing of her. husband in the fashion
able Park Hill district early yesterday.
While officers watched. she explained
the events which. she. says, caused her
twice to shoot John Lawrence Smith.
the man who led her to desert her first
husband and whom she married while
he was employed as her, stepfather's
chauffeur.
In the minutest detail she pointed out
where Smith, msdly drunk, she says,
stood when he tore the clothing COM
pletely from her body and forced her to
crawl on her hands and knees before
him. swearing that she was his slave.
Then she went TO the next room to her
bed and showed how she was lying
when he burst through the door, swear
ing TO kill her. 1t was when he bent
over the bed that she took from the
folds of the bedding a small-caliber
revolver and shot him in the temple.
Aided by Divorced Husband.
She rushed downstairs. she said. to
tell servant what she had done. Re-
turning, she saw her husband lying on
the floor, and went to the mantelpiece,
where he had laid a larger caliber re-
volver, after, daring her to shoot him
with it She walked over TO her hus-
band with the revolver and fired a
second shot into his brain, killing him
instantly
She was accompanied to the scene
of the killing by her attorney, re-
tanned by her former husband, whom
she deserted at the instance of the
man she killed.
Since her arrest, her divorced hus-
hand, W. A. Moore. prominent at
torney, son Lof the late Bishop
Moore, of the Methodist Episcopal
Diocese of Colorado, has been almost
constantly with her. Immediately
after her arrest Moore retained coun-
sci to defend her when she comes to
trial in the court of which his
brother. Julian II. Moore. is presid-
ing Judge. Judge Moore will not
preside when his former sister-in-
law is brought to trial on a murder
charge.
Romance Turns To Tragedy.
The killing of Smith has revealed
The romance which broke up Moore's
home and which turned into tragedy.
Mrs. Moore married Smith, after he
had secured a position as chauffeur
in the household OF her late step
father, Alfred Britton,t wealthy oil
man Of Hreaka, Calf. and formerly
OF Tulsa Okla, and Beaumont. Tex
The Moore's were unhappily married,
and shortly after the birth of their
child. Mildred, this unhappiness in
creased. Smith became Mrs. Moore's
friend, and in him she confided her
troubles. Finally a divorce was
agreed to. Mrs. Moore went to her
home in California and there married
Smith. who had followed here three
years ago.
MY life has been a hell ever since
then" she told police today. Accord
ing to her story, Smith refused to
work. Dragged that he married her
for the money she had inherited and
repeatedly threatened to kill her.
Then, at Christmas time, she came to
Denver to see her twelve-year-old
daughter, who had been awarded to
Moore at the time of the divorce.
She lived at Moore's home and her
divorced husband moved to a hotel.
Sent Child From the Home.
Smith followed her and at . o'clock
in the morning went into her home
and forced the butler to admit him.
Keeling drunk, Mrs. Smith told the po-
lice, he entered the room where she
and her child were sleeping and awoke
them Then started five hours of
abuse to terrible, she said, that she
repeatedly fell to the floor on the
verge of Inconsistencies. Her hus.
band tried to force her to drink whis.
Jly with him, and when she remon.
strated, tore clothing from her body
and poured the liquor on her. Mrs.
Moore managed to send her child from
the house with the nursemaid when,
she claims, Smith threatened to abuse
the girl.
II was after 6 o'clock when Smith
left the woman a moment to go to the
bathroom to get some more whisky.
She took her "Iady's size" revolver
from a drawer and ran to the bed.
Smith staggered into the bedroom
and the shooting followed.
Life @NIghtmare OF Horror
For over an hour after the killing
Mrs. Smith and an aged German but.
Ter sat in the house looking at the
Then the dazed woman teIephoned
her divorced husband at hfs hotel and
told him she had KILLED a man."
Moore at once notified the police
and an automobile load of detectives
was sent to the house. They found
Mrs. Smith sitting by the body of her
husband, entirely disrobed, her night
dress and kimono torn to ribbons
and scattered about the room.
I'm glad he's dead" the woman
said as she was being taken to the
police station. "Even If ! hang or go
TO prison for life, I'm glad he's dead.
Ny life with him was a nightmare Of
horror. and now he threatened TO
ruin the life of my child also"
aBrute.- Says Divorced Husband.
II wish 1 had killed him myself, "
said her divorced husband. I'm glad
he's dead, but wish it had been from
drink or by his own hand. Why am
helping Mrs. Smith? Because she is
the mother of my child, and love my
child. Besides, he was brute"
Mrs. Smits's father WIS Arthur
Newton. who had oil properties in
Texas and Oklahoma, and she was ed
ucated in Los Angeles. After her
father's death her mother married
Alfred Brittou, Newton's business
partner. The Brittons moved from
Later her mother dropped dead on 3
Los Angeles street.