Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1919-07-17
UNDERTAKEN ACCUSED OF MUIR.
pERlNo MOTHER MAY
TAKE STAND.
WIFE OF ACCUSED
IS GOOD WITNESS
Mrs. Emerson, Self Possessed and Do.
tern,ined In Her Answers, Aids Hus-
bands Cause-Effort TO Prove Abb
For Aeeused-Suieide Theory Promi-
nsnt In Testimony.
Special to Times Republican.

Special to Times Republican.
| Mount Ayr, July l7.-Roy Emerson
is expected to take the stand today in
his own defense and win endeavor to
prove himself guiltless of the murder
Of his mother, Mrs. Kate Emerson. at
| Creston.
Mrs. Roy Emerson. % years Of age,
and wife of a little more than year,
| testified Wednesday in behalf of her
| husband. She proved good witness,
| being perfectly self-possessed and sim
| cere in her statements. She passed
thru gruelling cross examination
| without faltering.
She explained such parts Of the test
| imony Of other witnesses as were en-
| bsrrassing to her husband, so far as
she had knowledge OF them, and was
firm and persistent in all her state
| ments.
Mrs. Emerson testified as to the par
ty gathered at her apartments the
night of the tragedy, which included
neighbors and friends residing in Cres-
ton. DR.. Coakley, she said, was not
| there on invitation. She testified that
DR.. Coalley had told her husband peo-
pie were accusing him Of having killed
his mother and that bloody rag had
been found in waste barrel.
Il can explain that easily" Emerson
| was said to have replied, Il wiped my
shoes on that rag and threw it in the
barrel"
His shoes had come In contact with
the body OF his mother when 1t had
been removed from the elevator shaft.
Attempt To Establish AIibi.
Evidence tending to establish an all
bi for Emerson, and to establish the
possibility that Mrs. Emerson commit
ted suicide has been introduced in the
trial by the defense. A number OF wit
| nesses were sworn who testified that
Mrs. Emerson frequently talked Of SUI
icide and that there was no place In
the world for her. The defense also,
thru a number of witnesses, was able
| to trace the movements OF the accused
son on the day of the supposed murder.
Mrs. Hawker testified that she had
| known Mrs. Kate Emerson well and
was . member Of the same lodge. She
testified that Mrs. Emerson had spok-
en- to her a number Of times regarding
/
Hawker stated she. Mrs. Emerson, had
termed dizzy spells"
Mrs. Walter Huntington called by
| the defense, stated that she resided two
| miles east Of Creston and had known
Mrs. Kate Emerson for thirty or forty
years. Mrs. Huntington stated that fol-
a period Of two years she had lived In
| Creston and that during this time was
| q frequent caller at the Emerson home,
| The witness next testified that Mrs.
Kate Emerson was subject to sudden
| sickness. The last one that she, Mrs.
Huntington, knew Of being one that
| occurred in March at which time Mrs.
Emerson was i'll two weeks. When
asked as to the disposition of Mrs. En-
| erson she said that Mrs. Emerson was
| melancholy at times.
Mentioned Suicide Often.
Mrs. Huntington stated that she
knew Of three times when she had
] heard Mrs. Emerson say that she was
| going to kin herself. The witness stat
ed that she also knew Roy Emerson
| and that when she visited in the En-
erson home she had seen Roy but that
he was only there for a few minutes.
The witness further testified that she
had never heard Roy mistreat his
mother and that she had known Roy
+. since he was a baby.
D. w. Higbee used the testimony
given by Mrs. Huntington before the
grand jury and brought out the state
ment that she had made there that
she, speaking of Mrs. Kate Emerson,
had said that she was not afraid OF
Roy now but that she did not know
what he might do later" 1871
Worried Over Money Matters.
Attorney Higbee then asked what
prompted this statement by Mrs. Kate
Emerson and Mrs. Huntington testified
that she and Mrs. Emerson were hold
ing a conversation and Mrs. Emerson
was telling her Of trip she had made
to the Emerson office at 2 o'clock one