The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1920-06-18
.WEEPS AS
STORY OF
BRUTALITY
IS RECITED
Refuses to Sit in Same Room
With Bride on Trial for.
Killing Her Boy i

Mrs. Margaret Prathers
mother Of Howard I. Sawyerd
and first cousin of Senator Hi
ram Johnson, presidential a.
pirant, was summoned from
her home at Walla Walla to
take the witness stand Friday
afternoon to testify for tha
state against her daughter-in-
law, Madge Anna Sawyer, on
trial in Judge Boyd j. Tall
mans court for husband
murder. 4
While other witnesses for ~thet a.
fense were testifying this morntn6
that Howard Sawyer. her fnventoF5
son. had a reputation for tottng -
gun and beating his former wife.
Bessie Knettie. Mrs. rPrather sat Ia
little room outside<the. courtrooul
and wept 4
When told she might have sssua6
in the room where the trial was mi
progress Mrs. Prather. said mo, d
don't want TO get that close to hers
meaning her accused4 young daugh}
ter-in-law. Madge Enm
GETS LETTER FROM
HIRAM JOHNSON .9
Mrs. Prafher said she had NJ -
ceived n letter. from senator Jol
son expressing his sympathy Tor ~
loss OF her souk and his ccufIdonom
in the states case
The republicans didn't nominate
Cousin Hiram for president" 80
said. because he is a man with =.
strong will and mind OF his oWnY
They wanted somebody they can dxcs
tate to-
My boy. Howard. wasn't the kin0
OF man the witnesses say he was. at
all. He never swore. His father
used to curse right out. anywhere
He was an Irishman. and 1t was =
habit with him. but none Of my bcya
ever used that kind Of language
BRIDE LISTENS TO 80
TESTIMONY lNTENTLY
Meanwhile, half-dcxen> defunno
witnesses in the courtroom took ~
stand in rapid succession. and to14.
ov~r che oo1crtion OF Deputy Pruue-
cutor T. II. Patterson. what SawyerAx
reputation was in Pomeroy. where 10
lived for time; lin Walla Walta
and in Seattle.
Madge Sawyer listened inten&lE.
She seemed much stronger, tho moro
pale OF face. than on previous days-
She heard her story OF the mannGr
in which she shot her bridegroom II
self-defense near their gas cruiser
Hydah. In Lake Union. on May 10,
corroborated in every detail.
Mrs. Gertrude Hickock testified.
that she knew Sawyer and his ftruk
wife in Pomeroy, when they lived
there in 1919. and said Sawyer hod
"a reputation there for beating her.
This was also the testimony Of B.
J. Rummins. OF Seattle. who was =
partner OF Sawyer.
Another partner. Walter J. Robin
son. testified that Sawyer had the
reputation of always going around
armed. On crosAexamination. Pat
terson asked:
SEEKS TO SHOW HE
WAS A DEAD SHOT
did you ever hear of Sawyer BE-
ing in gunfight?"
NO" said Robinson.
Did you ever hear OF him fight
ing with man in any way?" burst
out Edward c. Hyde. defense counsel.
Patterson objected to the witness
answering the question, and tho
judge sustained the objection. amid
the laughter OF the crowd that pac1p
ed the courtroom to the doors.
Hyde sought to show by F.. -
Robinson. another business associate
OF Sawyer. OF Pomeroy. that the
slain inventor was known as a dead
shot
I'VE admit he was" said Patter.
son.
That Madge was to have become I
mother. was the belief of Mrs Ruth
Robinson, wife of f. N. Robinson.
herself the mother of two babies.
CROWD BATTLES
TO GET INTO ROOM
II visited her here in March,
said Mrs. Robinson. II noticed in
dications of her coming mother
hood. The smell of food nauseated
her. We talked about babies. 1
didn't ask her whether she was in
that condition. and she didn't tell
me, but felt in my own mind. and
feel now. that she was then an
preaching motherhood"
The defense closed its case at 11:sO
with the testimony of Nelson Cook.
an ex.soldier, called as a firearms
expert.
Cook told the jury the pistol Saw
yer had in his hand when he was
killed was dangerous at so feet and
would kill at 100 yards. II Wa -
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