El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1920-05-07
FIGHTS
HARD FOR LIFE

I which the prosecution asserts were
! written by Mrs Doster, were intro
duced in evidence.
3 The first witness from the scene
was Mrs. Joe Clark, who with her
/ husband owns the Hotel Clark in
Columbus, where the shooting &C
Mrs Clark said Capt. Doster was
[ killed in room il OF her hotel The
shots which the prosecution allege
I killed Doster were heard in the room
about $3.50 o'clock on the morning OF
L ~ Carl, engineer and real es-
I tate dealer OF Columbus followed
Mrs Clark to the stand He said he
made map Of the room, showing
the contents as they were before the
shooting. The room, he said, is 10
feet square and contains a bed. a
bureau, the usual chairs anC a basin
with running water. The map he
made was introduced in evidence and
nailed to the court room wall for
the jury to see.
r ". Johns, a plumber, who was a
roomer in the hotel. testified he did
not think shot awoke him. but that
he awoke about 6-35 and heard a
shot Immediately after he awoke. and
then he heard means such as a person
In great agony would make
Mr.. Johns said he broke into room
Il and found an army officer lying
in semi-circle with the middle Of
his body touching the floor and his
chin and one elbow on the bed and
his booted feet stuck under the bot
tom Of the bureau. The witness said
he saw a woman in a blue Japanese
Z kimono. lying on the bed. The man.
the witness said, appeared TO be
wounded and the woman asked for
help When she was asked what kind
OF help she wanted the witness said
she called for water.
Rubbed Dead Mans Head.
NnNn 70
whom he identified as the defendant.
seemed as cool and collected as could
be- But he said he did see her rub
the dead mans head and for a fleet
ing moment look at the body affec-
The plumber testified that he saw
powder burns on Capt Doster's shirt
and on one Of his hands. He also
said he saw wound in the woman's
breast 4 pistol the witness said,
was found under the woman's head
and the hot water running in the
bowl.
The revolver ard the bullets taken
from the body were introduced in
evidence, after being identified by
witnesses
Or. T. d. Dabney. a physician Of
Columbus, who was in the hotel. was
witness and said he went into the
room with Mr.. Johns. In addition 20
seeing the woman rub the officers
head, the doctor said he saw her open
II ne were dead Several witnesses
including Dabney- testified TO hear
ing two shots in immediate succession
and then a third after a brief inter
val Jack Campbell and T. j.. VIII
liams also testified 10 hearing shots
in this way.
The prosecution was trying to show
that the captain was shot first and
then that the woman shot herself. BY
another witness. a physician, 1t was
testified that death would result in
from five to eight seconds from such
2 shot An effort was made TO show
that IL was at least that many seconds
between the second and third shots.
Jack Breen. a customs inspector and
formerly deputy sheriff at Columbus,
testified that he was called TO the
scene and found. among other things.
q As caliber army automatic pistol
in the pocket Of a military overcoat- /
he said no shots had been fired
from it.
Notes Found in Handbag.
Mr.. Breen also said he found two
notes in handbag or small grip.
These notes were introduced and viii
be referred TO later. Mr.. Breen said
Mrs- Doster told him the captaiE7 shot
at her and then she grabbed the gun
pened.
T. J. Cole. justice Of peace at Co
lumDus. told Of sending Mrs. D0ster
TO the military hospital and Of hold
body. The Justice identified a MILL
tary shirt and an undershirt as
those worn by the army officer when
he was found dead. The witness said
the woman told him she shot Capt I
Doster in self defence
The justice Of the peace, who is also
coroner, testified the woman asked
the men who carried her out on a
her head fall out. Mr.. johns said
during his testimony that Mrs Doster Z
asked Tor 2 hEpOdermic and asked ]
that her left leg be rubbed An army
heaval and Dr. Dabney testified she I
directed this army physician 10 Capt. I
DCsters grip 10 get a lypOdermic .
syringe to use on her An effort was /
MADE ~ the prosecution 70 Introduce /
a telegram alleged TO have been re-
ceiTed by Capt Duster along with /
the notes, but IL was objected 70 by /
P F. Hamilton attorney for the ac- 4
cused. and the objection was upheld. I
signed by Different Names.
The notes introduced purport to /
be from Mrs Doster 10 Capt. Dos ]
ter and 70 have been written be-
tween the time she left California /
for Kansas and after she agreed to {
stay away from the army officer I
forever and the time she was found .
10 be in Columbus again.
Although the notes introduced are f.
signed by different names, one be-
ing signed by Gertrude Musgrave and /
the other not signed at an. i. L. I
foulks, cashier in the Deming Ma I
tional bank who qualified as q ]
handwriting expert with Is years I
experience, testified the notes were I
written by the same person. The /
first note found in the room Of the /
Columbus hotel occupied by the I
DOsters on the morning Of the al /
legged murder, was to Capt. Doster !
and reads.
Il am sorry 70 do this. but Wade .
has wrecked my life for good and .
forever. cannot stand this horrible I
life any longer I was a true and /
good woman TO Wade. Some people !
may blame me. but I am sure If they
knew the inside part they would not
blame me in the least. I have some I
thing like $500 on my person and 4
q 500 Liberty bond in the First Ma
-ional bank at Columbus, n. NJ II is
In the name Of Mrs Maude Doster, a I
plenty to pay all funeral expenses /
for myself / want to be buried by /
Wade's side. I have been tortured Z
80 much he'll could not be any worse.
hope all Of my friends viii forgive
and forget
II am mentally unbalanced and
have been for some time. Wade has
me very much in a way.
how could he ever do 81, is more than /
could ever solve Dispose Of my
things. Write TO Charles Musgrave
Mountain City. Tenn. and send my
trunk and my belongings TO him
Goodbye TO all. Wire Frank Doster,
Pasadena, Calf"
The second note was much shorter
and muck more mysterious. 1t also
vas 20 Capt. DOster and read:
Important Capt Wade Doster,
amp hospital Columbus, n. N. Meet I