Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1919-07-17


and Arthur Wilson Held For
Court Without Bail.
Both Arthur E. Wilson and Mrs. Ber-
tina Laura Pittinger. calm and cool, went
On the witness stand testifying in their
own behalf at the preliminary hearing
before Justice Alban Wood Friday after
noon of last week on the charge of mur-
der of William H. Pittinger the latter's
husband.
Wilson answered all questions in a slow
calm manner. He showed a tendency,
however to amplify and to answer more
than he was asked.
Mrs. Pittinger on the other hand, made
her answers short and snappy. At no
|, time during the examination did either
of the accused show the least emotion.
Wilson testified that Mrs. Pittinger
had come to his home on Friday before
the occurrence at the request of his wife;
that his (Wilson's) wife had gone to
Frederick and requested Mrs. Pittinger
to remain at the Wilson home and to
take care of the men folks while she
(Mrs. Wilson, was in town; that after
Mrs, Wilson's return Monday evening
he, Wilson, was drawn to the barn by
quarrel an d that he heard Pittinger
swearing and promptly ordered him to
leave the place, threatening to swear
ont a warrant for his arrest
Thereupon Pittinger aid, stated the wit
ness" Don't need tt arrest me, I'm g ling to
blow my heart out" A. he was leaving
Pittinger turned to Mrs. Wilson and
said. "come around tomorrow and pick
up my pieces" The next evening his
wife informed him that Mrs Pittinger
and herself had been over to the Pittin-
ger place and found that Pittinger had
committed suicide. Later he burned the
bed clothes and bedding of the cot on
which Pittinger's corpse had been found
and some of Pittinger's s wearing apparel.
This was done at Mrs. Pittinger's re-
quest, he said.
Mrs. Pittinger stated that her husband
came to her Monday evening as Mrs.
Wilson and herself We're milking in the
stable on the Wilson place and asked
her to come home.
On her refusal he grabbed stool and
threatened to hit her with it. Mrs. Will
managed to calm him for a while but
later, in the barn, he once more became
abusive and cursed her. At this point
Wilson interviewed and she herself was
seized with fainting spell. Next day
she saw furniture truck going toward
her house and fearing that he was going
to move out her furniture she went to
her home accompanied by Mrs. Wilson.
On her arrival there she found that her
husband had shot himself. She had the
clothes burned because she understood
that was the wish of the undertaken.
On cross examination by States At
torney Anders Mrs. Pittinger admitted
that her husband and herself had quarrel
ed over which Church she should join.
He preferred the Lutheran and she the
Dunkard. On one occasion he had said,
eff you join the Dunkard church shall
surely blow your brains out"
She admitted having left her husband
once and going to Hanover.
Mrs. Pittinger created sensation when
she admitted while on the stand that the
quarrel with her husband came about at
the Wilson home when he accused her of
being intimate with other men. She
denied that the man she was principally
accused of associating with was Pierce
Wilson son of the accused man, but she
did admit that she had spent the dav
before the alleged murder with Pierce.
She denied the rumors af1 ,at that she
was planning to divorce Pittinger so that
she might marry Pierce Wilson. She
did say, however, that Pierce Wilson
was the only man she ever went out
with except her husband, despite the
fact that the States Attorney mentioned
the names of other men living in Fred
erick county who said they had been
familiar with her.
The hearing lasted until o'clock in
the afternoon, at which time Mrs. Pit
finger and Arthur Wilson were held with
out bail for the action of the September
term of the Grand Jury on charges of
having murdered William A. Pittinger.
| Mrs. Margaret Wilson, wife of the man
accused of murder, was held as an ac-
complice, but was later released under
her own recogl izance, so that she could
go home and care for her four children.
Arms Infected.