Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1919-07-11
EMERSON HAD
MANY QUARRELS
With Mother
Witness at Sons Trial Tells OF
Disputes Over =. Money
and of Finding Of
Woman Dead.

Mout Ayr. Ia, July lo.-(Special
Telegram. )-Walter Matlock, EN-
balmer, was called shortly before
noon Thursday in the trial OF Roy
Emerson of Creston,. charged with
the murder of his mother, Mrs. Kate
Emerson, May E, and was still on
the stand when court adjourned in
the evening.
He testified that he had been in
the employ of the Emersons for
about one year, at the time of the
tragedy. On that day, he said, he
had attended funeral in the after
noon, taking William Hoffman, the
only other employee, with him, and
that the two had returned to the
undertaking establishment about
$50 p. m. After their return, he was
left alone in the Office for about an
hour, while Roy Emerson and Hoff-
man went to a hospital to see a pa
tient. After they returned from the
hospital, the three discussed details
for funeral and about $50 went to
the morgue in the basement to ex-
anime the body of baby.
While they were in the moruge,
Emerson stepped out of the back
door, into the basement proper, and
Immediately called to Matlock to
join him. Upon going into the base
ment, Matlock testified, he saw
some dark object lying near the bot
tom of the elevator shaft, but could
not tell what it was, as it was rath-
err dark in the room. They moved
closer to the object, and Emerson
exclaimed: "My God! It's my moth
err"
Corroberates Previous Testimony.
Matlock testified that nobody
touched the body until after the ar
rival of DR.. Coakley, whom Hoff-
man called at once, and who ar
rived not more than five minutes
after the discovery of the body.
Matlock told of going to The room
on the second floor, and corfoborat-
cd the testimony of DR.. Coakley as
to the details of the room and the
finding of trail of blood across the
fccr.
Matlock also told of frequent
quarrels between Emerson and his
mother, chiefly over the signing of
checks, and said that at one time
Mrs. Emerson threatened to stop
payment on all checks signed by
Roy, but later reconsidered and al
lowed him to sign checks. He also
told of one instance when Roy
seized his mother by the wrists and
forced her into a chair, following
quarrel about a woman who was
then in the office, and told of in
stances wherein Roy had called his
mother vile names.
Urges to Rush Funeral.
Matlock told of numerous visits
of Emerson at his apartments just
after the murder, and said that Roy
urged that the funeral arrangements
be rushed as much as possible, in
order to avoid an inquest, but said
that if. an inquest were held. he
wanted it kept as quiet as possible.
Attorney T. F. Maxwell, for the
defense, conducted the cross-exami-
nation. Matlock will be recalled to
the stand the first thing Friday
morning.
DR.. J. w. Coakley resumed the
stand Thursday morning. DR.. Coax
ley described his findings of the con-
dition of the body of Mrs. Emerson
at an examination shortly after it
had been discovered.
Did Not Want Inquest.
DR.. Coakley said that Roy Emer-
son repeatedly told him that he
desired no inquest to be held over
the body of his mother. When,
however, the coroner insisted upon
an inquest, Roy, according to DR..
Coakley, called the physician into
the reception room of the undertake
ing establishment and said about
the following: Doctor, you know
very we'll that mother was subject
to dizzy spells. I am convinced that
mother was under the influence of
such a spell when she fell into the
elevator shaft, and I wish you would
testify to this effect"
The physician identified part Of
a skull as that of Mrs. Emerson.
He said that a fracture of the right
temple, which was the immediate
cause of Mrs. Emerson's death, ac-
cording to the finding of several
physicians, among them himself,
could not have, been caused by the
fall into the elevator shaft, but was
the result of blow by blunt in
strument.
The court room was crowded to
Thursday, chairs being
placed in the aisles to accommodate
the visitors. A large delegation
from Creston is here attending the