The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1918-05-24
JURORS And SPECTATORS IN TEARS
AS MISS LUSK BARES SECRETS OF
PASSION IN EXCUSING Her CRIME
Relates How Wisconsin Veterin-
arian Won Her Confidence and
Then Her Love Contemplat.
ed Suicide Several Times
Refused to Tell Mrs. Roberts
OF His LiasOns with Teacher

N
Refused to Tell Mrs. Roberts
OF His LiasOns with Teacher
Waukesha, Wis, May 24-With
two jurors and many spectators in
tears, Grace Lusk, brought to dra.
matte conclusion late yesterday her
own story of her life almost until the
Staying of Mrs. Mary Newman Rob.
erts, for which she is now on trial.
Swaying in the witness chair at
times as If on the verge of collapse,
often lowering her voice until it was
almost inaudsble, she denied that she
ever pursued DR.. David Roberts anG
charged that he. first appealing for
her help In the preparation of book,
FINALLY won her sympathy by tellins
of his unhappy homelife. After de-
scrfbing many meetings in Chicago
and other places during course Of
nearly two years, Miss Lusk told OF
arranging conference with DR.. Rob-
erts in a Milwaukee hotel in May,
1917, about q month before the ira.
gedy. 1t was to this meeting which
she carried the same pistol with which
she later shot Mrs. Roberts.
Intent on Suicide.
Il had decided that the situation had
to be Strengthened out" she testified,
and that IL Or. Roberts did not care
for me, l would take my own life. !
told him how sincere had been in
my affection. That would never
have allowed it to start If he had not
assured me that MRS. Roberts did not
care for him. Things now were be-
yond my control. My reputation was
gone and my life ruined. Mrs Rob.
erts also was hopelessly w0nged. II
this had been q game on his part, and
II l had been SO simple as not to
have understood it, would take the
consequences. . b
Then he said he cared ten thou
sand times more for me. asked him
10 tell her Me said 1t was impossible.
i again asked him II he cared for
me. He assured me he did. j then
took the pistol made him. put his
righ hand on q bible and asked him
to swear that he would go home and
tell the truth. He said that At was
impossible q THAT time. !, said that
l would give him until the 10th OF
June and he. then sw0re that he would
tell Mrs. R0b6ffs sthat we cared for
each other u. told hi INTO ask for his
freedom and he said: DO y0u think
that will be necessary II tell the
truth?' Then put down the gun and
told him that he need not tell her II
he did notssiantot u. He said that he
would tell ihBfp1that' 1t was better to
be hones1ibiiud. asan!s5.tt l'ttF So.
.eoHhdok witt's sobs:.h ..as
At thB p6iht Miss ,Ltisk paused and
hid heru1SSs under 4fe sbrim Of her
hat, hGf shoulders SHAKING with sots:
Two jurymen3 openly wiped the
tears from their eyes while scores OF
women were weeping in the bushes
courtroom. Although it was ten min
utes before the usual time, Judge
Lueck ordered an immediate adjourn
ment and the defendant staggered to
her feet only to almost fall into her
fathers arms.
Today she continued her story and
later in the day she faced q severe
cross examination by the prosecution.
Friends fear she will break down un'
der the strain
First Meeting.
Miss Lusk began her testimony this
morning by telling of her first meet.
ing with DR.. Roberts, of how he had
telephoned to ask her to come to his
office to help with with some manu-
script he was preparing and OF hof,
instead, she had invited him to, meet
her at her offices at the Y NJ. c.. A.
She said he told he rof some financial
losses and remarked: >.
"You won't care for me as friend
il lose my money "Most of my
friends are poor" sch said,
At a later meeting in her offices
when they were working over the
manuscript. she said he leaned over
her desk and kissed her. and when
she reproved him, kissed her again
and asked If she cared for him. She
said she replied that he was married
and that he said: .a.s
i "A "Model Wife"
There is no happiness or love IN
the heart of either myself or my
wife should like to be free, but
that is impossible, as in the eyes OF
the law Mrs. Roberts is a model wife !
Simply she told Of their growing IN
timacy and of how he confided his
business and family troubles to her
while they worked together on the
manuscript of his book which ne
brought to her. Later she described
visits to Chicago, where she sald
that they registered several times as
man and wife, DR.. Roberts on at least
three instances buying her railway
ticket from Milwaukee to Chicago ana
paying the hotel bills
Instances Of Jealousy.
Then she related instances OF his
jealousy, OF how once he had forced
her to obtain q receipt from a Chicago
hotel to prove the story she told him
Of her visit there. She denied that
there was ever any reason for this
jealousy. Always, she said, DR.. Rob
erts assured her that he cared for her
more than any one else and protested
when she was away from home even
for day. At many points she flat
" contradicted the story DR.. Roberts
told on the witness stand. She denied
that she had ever threatened to go
to dinner in Milwaukee with mar
ried man il DR.. Roberts did not take
her. saying that the only married men
she. knew were husbands Of friends.
Regarding a meeting in April, 1917,
at which DR.. Roberts had testified
that she struck him in the face when
he refused to swear that he cared