Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1921-10-26
MRS. SOUTHARD
TAKES STAND IN
HER OWN Be HALF
Woman Accused Of Staying
Her Husband Denies PraC-
ticaIIy Every Allegation OF
State Witnesses.

Twin Falls, Idaho, Oct. 20
Denying practically every allega-
tion contained in the testimony
of previous witnesses, Mrs. LYDIA
Meyer Southland, alleged slayer of
Edward T.. Meyer. spent the great
er part of the day today ON the
witness stand on both direct and
cross examination,
Mrs. Southland appeared bright
er and more cheerful after her
days grilling than has been the
case in some time past. She
chatted hrcezily with her attor
neys, exchanged a word or two
with newspaper men and COM
ported herself on the whole as one
freed suddenly OF restraint.
Her replies to questions were
addressed directly to the jury in
whose direction her gaze was bent
most Of the time. Her answers
for the most part Were quick and
voluble. only occasionally did she
glance in the direction of her at
torneys or hesitate before speak
ing.
Knew Never owned Land.
Mrs. Southland admitted that
Edward f., Meyer owned 20 acres
of land. She did not urge him
to make a will however, and
never discussed with him the mat
ter Of life insurance. She de-
MED that she had ever said that
she knew or believed that Meyer
could not recover from his final
Illness or that she had made use
of the words attributed to her by
former witnesses with respect to
the holding of a post norton on
the body of Meyer, to wit: go
ahead and cut him all to pieces
If you want to-"
Cross examination of the wit
ness was constantly interrupted by
objections on the part Of attorneys
for the defense, the most frequent
objections being on the ground
that such examination was not be-
ing kept within the record of the
case. Practically all were over
ruled by the court.
Says Clerk Was Mistaken.
Purchase of the poisonous insect
exterminator was admitted by Mrs
Southland and two packages placed
by her as the amount she bought.
Asked as to whether she remem-
bered the testimony ef the clerk
who waited upon her to the effect
that her purchase was of several
times this amount, she declare l
that the clerk was mistaken. She
declared that she had no recollec-
ton of the clerk saying to her,
"Good gracious, woman, what are
you going to do with 1t all ?" or her
reply to the effect that she in
tended taking 1t to ranch in the
canyon, all of which was contained
in the testimony of the clerk as a
witness for the state.
Mrs. Southland testified to the
effect that she, too, was taken sick
shortly before Mr.. Meyers first
attack in his final illness and that
both were sick at the same time.
Her sickness, she said, resembled
that of Meyer and lasted until after
her husbands death. The symp--
toms, she said, were similar TO
those of her husband although she
did not suffer as much.
Enters DenialS.
The witness denied having ever
said in response to a suggestion
that she call doctor during her
husbands illness: "Well, | will call
q doctor then they can't have any
thing to say or that she ever told
Mrs. Carrie Howe, the ranch board
ing house keeper, following the
death of Meyer, that she would
like to have Mrs. Howe as a witness
in the event of trouble in connec-
ton with the death.
Mr.. Meyer, the witness asserted.
was--not in good health for some
time prior to her marriage to him.
On July of last year the two went
to Salt Lake City in a car and
Meyer was too i'll to drive, the wit
ness doing the driving herself.
IN only one occasion during
Meyers stay at the hospital in
which he died did she ever offer
him food or water, she declared.
This was on the day after his ar
rival a yatiapt