The Washington times., 1920-01-03
SAY MRS. UH[
I LOVED VICTIM
Friends of Slain "Suitor" Deny
Wife's Story Of Suspicious
Husband.

CUMBERLAND, Md, Jan. g.
Relatives and friends of Edgar Bryan
Pownall, who was killed here Wednes-
day morning by Mrs. Kate Uhl, wife
Of Mervin Uhl, deny that the stab
bing was brought about because
fownall had forced attentions upon
the young woman and then refused
to admit this to her husband.
Father Denies Story.
That was the story told by Mrs.
Uhl Immediately after she was ar
rested She said that Pownall, who
\ lived in the apartment above those
occupied by her. visited her apart
ment Tuesday and attempted TO as
sault her. She said her husband sud-
denly returned home and that Pow
nall ned when he saw Uhl. She said
her husband ordered her TO leave the
house. She admitted to the police she
stabbed Pownall after he refused to
go TO her husband and tell him that
he had forced his attentions on her.
Thomas p. Pownall, father of the
dead man. and Mrs. William E. Pow
nall. sister-in-law to the father. de-
MED that Pownall was in the apart
ment OF Mrs. Uhl the night before the
killing. They said Pownall and Uhl
attended a dance together that even
ing. and that Pownall. who returned
home just before Uhl. told them Uhl
had taken a girl home from the dance.
Thy said Pownall was mounting the
steps leading to the second-foor
apartment when Uhl entered. They
admitted. however. that they heard
ghl quarreling with his wife and that
they heard him accuse her of having
entertained Pownall.
- Invited to Apartment.
The father of the dead man said
that shortly before his son was stabbed
Mrs. Uhl invited the young man to
come to her apartment. Because of
what he heard the night before he
said he pleaded with him not to go to
the Uhl apartment He said he told
Mrs. Uhl to come to the Pownall
apartment and talk there to his son.
But that she refused to do so.
Bryan, in response to the plead
mgs of Mrs. Uhl, started to her apart
nent." said Mr.. Pownall. she was
not apparently angry when she asked
him to visit her. She was smiling
and used coaxing tone. l tried to
hear their conversation, but could not.
Almost Immediately Bryan left her
rooms, and while running past me on
$ho oSdfWd tOlu Uni ndu
stabbed him. Hardly two minutes
elapsed from the time he left our
apartment before he returned stabbed
The statement of Mr., Pownall was
-eorroborated by Mrs. William E. Pow
nall. She also said she pleaded with
Bryan not to go to the Uhl apartment
when Mrs. Uhl called him. She SAID.
however. that Mrs. Uhl was "in love
with Bryan" and that "she killed him
because he refused to eIope with her"
s"Only a few days before the kill
ing" she said. Mrs. Uhl told me that
Bryan was the dearest boy on the
face OF the earth, but that her love
for him did her no good because she
was married. She was good woman,
a good wife, and a good housekeep-r
Until about two weeks ago she wor-
shipped the ground her husband walked
on, despite the fact that he spent very
little of his time at home. But lately
a change came exer her. A few nights
before the killing Uhl remained away
from home all night. The next night
he put his wife out of the house and
locked the door because she refused
to put his socks on him. 1 let her
back in the house"
Friends Of the Pownalls attempted
TO place most of the blame for the
killing on the shoulders OF Uhl.
Residents here are anxiously await
ing the outcome of the trial. Mrs.
Uhl has retained as her attorneys for
1ner States Attorney David A. Robb
and Saul Praeger.