The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1919-03-26

did So he could be cHtraditcd from any
state in the United States and compelled
to provide for his wife and children.
"Un Sunday prior to the crime MIS-.
Clatur went 10 the home of nelGhoor.
Her husband was there. but she DIDN'T
know il. She entered the front door,
and Clator was in the kitchen. Mrs. Ga
tor stopped in the living room Of the
house and said 10 the woman OF the
house:
Made Previous Threats.
""Thc -t--- has sold the
store. He says that I can collect rent
for the store and that he will send me
money from Texas TO live on, but nc
will like he'll
The state will provo that this wo-
man has made threats against the ~hoie
oil the Clator family. We will also prove
that on the day before the murder shc
told John Clator that if hr sold the
store and went away she would Kill her-
self. He exactcd a promise from her
that she would not do such a thing. he
didn't leave the house the next morn
ing. He had intended to go 10 acQualht
his sister with the prices of groceries.
He was murdered by his wife in 4 WILL
full. deliberate. prcmcditatcd and mallc-
ious manner. as charged in tho lndlct-
mcnt. If tho state proves all OF these
charges we shall ask for verdict car
rying with it the death penalty
Attorney Handlan's Statement.
AT. tho outset of his statement to the
Jury Attorney j. Il. Handlan said:
"Licntlrmcn Of tho jury, | fell Jusu-
fed in saying that if all Of the citizens
Of III" lililc town Of Clator had hearu
Mr.. Mckrrs statement they would not
say that he had spoken of the same
Airs. Clator with whom they had llVed
side hy side for these many years.
II cannot help hut divcrgc At the very
outset. For the purchase from &c mca-
ere pockrih6ok allowed her Of gift foi
her brother and Il friend who entered
4 r army. Mrs. Margaret Clator carried
Il black eye inflicted by John ClatT:
The little service flag that you saw IN
tho window Of that little home in me
country today was for hcr brother, VINO
is still in Uncle Sat. = service.
This woman when but girl WORKED
after completing her schooling ohe
WIS first employed NJ the Central Glass
works. Then she went to Work al
House & Herrmanns store where she
met John Clatnr. she married TINS man
against tho wishes Of her parents and
partly against tho wishes of his own
nrupir, who, it seemed, did not want
him 10 marry anyone.
For Il short time they were In Texas,
but thn" driflcd back to Clator ana ne
started the grocery store and became
pc,s;,nasIrr. She was good wife and
\ faithful mother. Five children were
born 10 them. Three died in carly in
fancy. Eugene aged three, and Helen.
aged tru are living.
husband Abused Eer.
"AbuSc Of this poor woman by John
Ilaior started in 1911. At that time she
WIS about To give birth 10 her trst
baby John Clator slapped h"r. He
chokrd mr. and hc kicked her, and we
will prove th"s" charges.
Hi, las, abuse. gentlemen Of the
Jury, was to urge upon her to commit
suicide, tho suicide that Mr.. HandIan
told you Of.
This woman has rendered service
that no man has Il right to expect OF
woman. least Of all of wife and
mother. When they moved mi" thelr
house j, was not complete. This Loyal
iittln woman took tools and finished
vha, she could. The crudcly built steps
a, the from, Of the house are the work
of her hands, her last effort 10 com"
plc.c tho home.
"Durinr the six months that Clator
was in Texas his wife operated the
store and accumulated profits Of Sl.OOo.
with which she paid off mortgage on
the homo.
We mon labor under n great disad-
vantage in Il case of this kind. There
is much that only IL woman can UNDER
stand and appreciate.
Clerk Caused Jealousy.
Three years ago there came to the
Clntor store a JovnS girl. MIS- Clhter
didn't like this. She never said there
was anything improper going on. but
her .ncighbors will come on this stand
and testify that the girl, to say the
least, was mighty indiscrect.
more than once Mrs. Clator entered
,he store and found her husand and
this girl standing close together. They
would suddenly separate
Once this wife and mother entered
that little store and found this girl
dressing 4 sore toe for Clator. just an
hour before Mrs. Clntor had offered to
care for tho toe, but John Clator re-
fused to permit his wife TO do SO, yet
permitted and seemed TO enjoy having.
the young clerk in the store give his
foot attention.
MIS-. Nlat0T kNc" well net uuSI]fAiN1
and also told the girl that she did not
like these things, but the girl remained
In the store
Mrs. Clator knew we'll he Husbands
mediate habits. a situation developed
TINT only woman can appreciate. This
husband talked Of the girl to his wife,
morning. noon and night. When unco-
scn!oua ad injured in an automobile
accident. he constatly called for the
girl nd ravcd about her.
His inchriety became habltual. Night
after night he came home drunk. bring
nE with him at least quart Of liquor
We will prove that he still had quart
20 his credit at Bridgeport even after
his death and that he brought Il quart
home Of tho night before he diod."
Mr. Fandlan hero said that It WIS q
peculiar coincidence that he had o.
rooted Mrs Clator to the prosecutors
Office whom sho stopped on the street
and asked whore Mr.. McKee's office was.
Flo said he did not know her and had
mover met her until he was retained as
her counsel. and was very much SUI
pr!sed to learn that tho women he d.
rectod was Mrs. C1Rtor.
Continuing. Mr.. Enndlnn aaid:
Bunertngs Beyond Conception.
ut IN beyond human conception what
th!a woman suffered. Her husband was