The Washington times., 1920-02-06
Woman Remains Unmoved Dur
ing Bitter Arrangement BY
States Attorney.
CLASPS BABY DURING COURT
Cumberland Prisoner Pleads
She Killed Pownall In
Self-Defense.
(By Staff Correspondent.)

(By Staff Correspondent
CUMBERLAND, Md, Feb. g.
Calm under an arraignment that
made most of the spectators vince,
Mrs. Katherine Uhl, with her six
teen-month-old baby in her arms,
sat unmoved in the Allegheny
county court here today while State
Attorney Fuller Barnard demanded
that she pay the death penalty for
killing Edgar B. Pownall, an un-
welcome suitor.
Wanted Elopement.
Young Pownall met his death In
the Uhl apartments December 81 after
he had sought in vain to make the
mother Of three little children elope
with him and after he had refused to
explain to the woman's husband that
she was innocent of wrong-doing.
During the arraignment her large
brown :. eyes flashed l-defiance at
theps prosecuting attorney as he pic-
tured her the cruel calculating MUIR
derese. 'rf3 SIS
Occasionally, she glanced toward
and Jane, three years old. who
were with her husband. Mervin Uhl,
in the courtroom and who were oc-
casionally caressed by sympathic
spectators. 1t was Russell who
caused murmur of sympathy
through the courtroom when he
came in and rushing to his mother.
asked:
kiss me, mother" Mrs. Uhl
leaned over. embraced the little fell
low. and again remained the calm
defendant, who apparently was con-
vinced of her acquittal because she
intends to attempt to prove to the
satisfaction of the jury that she chad
slain the aviator mechanic in defense
of her honor.
Attorneys Charge.
She bit her lips once-when States
Attorney Barnard shouted to the
jury: ITS a clear case of first-degree
murder-well set and planned. This
woman prepared and armed herself
with a deadly weapon for the sole
purpose of killing Pownall.
She dimmed the kitchen by an I'm
provised blind and then pleaded
that he come to her that she had
something important to tell him-she
wanted to kill him, and she plunged
a knife through his heart because the
young man repulsed her. Gentlemen,
1 ask you to bring in a first-degree
murder verdict as charged in the i'm
dictment against this young woman
| The selection OF the jury who
will decide the fate of Mrs. Ubl was
begun at 9:15 o'clock yesterday morn
ing. The twelfth Juror, Edwin T.
Dixon, auditor for the Cumberland
and Pennsylvania railroad, mar
ried man. was selected ut $40 o'clock.
He was taken from tine third special
panel Of veniremen summondcd, court
officials having difficulty reaching
| them because many were at work.
| Eighteen talesmen were disqualified
they had formed an opinion or were
opposed to capital punishment.
| Attention To selection.
As each OF the talesmen were ex-
amined by Judges Robert r. Hender-
son and Frank waggaman, the lat
ter of Hagerstown. presiding at the
trial, Mrs. Uhl never wavered, listen
ing intently to every question relative
to the challenging.
| She smiled when Edward A. Erick,
| OF South Cumberland, was asked IL he
| had formed an opinion of the case
/ and he answered that he had formed
an opinion in favor of the lady.
Erick was promptly excused.
| The court room was crowded long
before the trial began, many Of the
spectators having come to Cumber-
| land from all parts of the county.
There were people in all walks OF life'
| including many women.
Attired in a jacket suit OF green
cloth, wearing q becoming veil and a
large mouse -colored hat, trimmed
with small green flowers, Mrs. Uhl.
carrying her baby, Virginia, in her
arms, entered the courtroom, and only
reached the prisoners dock after
! court attendants were forced to break
n path through the crowd that filled
not only the corridors, but jammed
the aisles and all available space In
the room.
| Relative. Near Her.
sitting close to Mrs. Uhl were her
husband, her father, Thomas A
Geary, of Mount Savage, Nd, and TIVE
aunts, Mrs. Ida Lewis and Miss Myrtle
Jones. Occasionally, when the tales
men were being examined. Mrs. Uhl
glanced or spoke significantly OF the
| prospective talesman who would de-
eide her guilt or innocence.
| Immediately after court conveneA-
Judge Henderson ordered that IL
sc~~tinusd en- P>s~ao-a-.AA .