The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-10-23
GIVEN NO CHANCE
 ID TESTIFY, SAYS
 RUTH GUSSMAN
No Reconciliation With Par ents, She Declares-TeIls Why She Was Not Used
 as Witness In Court


 Charging that the state solicitors called her to Birmingham last Mon day to testify against her father, Rev. Edwin R. Stephenson, and then refused to allow her to go on the stand, Mrs. Ruth Stephenson Guss- man, in letter to The Age-Herald declares that the truth concerning her private life prior to her mar riage was greatly misrepresented at the trial.
 Mrs. Gussman says there has been no reconciliation between herself and her parents, and accuses them of be- ing responsible for their own trouble, She gives as the reason for her speak ing to her parents on the last day of the trial that she wanted to show Fred Fite, her fathers attorney, that she was not out of the state. Her letter follows:
 Her Letter
 Tn order to defend myself in the face of statements made by lawyers and newspapers, I wish to make the following statements:
 "The state solicitors called me to and then rerused to put me on the stand. My object in testifying was to tell the truth concerning past events which have been greatly mis- represented on the witness stand and. in common gossip. l have been in the city since Sunday, October IS, ana came at the request of the state at torneys, who later refused to allow my testimony, and made no explana- ton. Therefore, I did not have the opportunity to tell the court of how my parents have punished me most bitterly, how they beat me. locked m. in my room for days at a time, how they bounded me, humiliated me, anu mistreated me, during the last seven years.
 Tn fact one minor reason why joined the Catholic church was that early in girlhood l lost all respect for my parents faith or any faith of their choosing because of their conduct to- W Htt ihcs 4hJ PdttHlS lHSlSt tndt they love me, but if the way they have treated me during my girlhood raising me up in an unspeakable part of, town. humiliating me and deny Ing the happiness of girlhood--if that is an example of their love, then l shall be much better off without fl
 No ReconcfIfation
 There has been absolutely no re- conciliation with my parents I am very sorry for them in their trouble. but only they are responsible for what has happened. have forgiven them all. their unjust treatment, punishment and censure of me. but it will be years before can forget and until l can forget there shall be no reconciliation.
 My object in speaking to my pa rents Friday was to show that MT. Fite was greatly mistaken in saying that 1 was not in the state, and that I had lost all love for my parents.
 As far as my parents attitude to- ward the cathoiic church and Father coyle Is concerned. they have all ways expressed themselves most bit terly. and l have often heard them in the last seven years express de- sire for the death of Father coyie and the destruction of the Catholic ca thedral.
 T wish this letter to be published Aust as l write it 0r not at all.
 RUTH s. GUSSMAN."
 With their daughter determined not to return to her home. the Stephensons entered upon the regu- lar routine of their life yesterday at their home at 2126 Seventh avenue. north. Neither cared to talk of their plans for the future except that Mrs. Stephenson said she thought her hus- band would take rest in the coun- try as change from the confne- ment of the county Jail where hc has been for the past two menth&