The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1921-10-26
Denies SHE
FED POISON
TO mates
Mrs. Southland Takes Stand
in Own Defense at
Murder Trial
n, ROBERT A. DONALDSON

ny ROBERT \. DONALDSON
TWIN FALLS. Idaho. Oct. Ga
ms LYDIA Southland. alleged blue
s..rsess." woman who may or
v.v not 80 down as one OF the
,r,asess criminals In history, ac-
..,,rr 20 the outcome OF her
go, on the specific charge OF muir
1rr,rr her fourth husband. Ed
d +. Meyer. resumed the wit
,,ss stand again today In her own
defense.
In taking the stand. Mrs. South
"a undertook TO fefutc alone prae'
eeallv all the testimony introduced
- me state during the three weeks
,h,t Il piled up evidence OF five
alleged murders against her
TESTIMONY OF
STATE u DENIED
In attempting to withstand the
vsp,a.fire grilling given her on
DISCRIMINATION by District Al.
torney Frank l.. stephan. Mrs.
southard catcgorically denied Irac'
nrsnv all the damaging statements
sh., 40 witnesses stated she had
ado ever period OF six years.
she denied that she had given as
= reason for not living with her
husband at the ranch the excuse
nat she was being treated by a
Actor for typhoid fever
Mrs. Southland was first placed on
NJ stand yesterday afternoon and
toId her story In her own defense.
Mrs. Southland answered the ques-
lions slowly and In wcltmodulated
voice. she appeared to be somewhat
nervous She told Of her visit TO the
blue Lakes ranch on August 20.
1870. where Meyer was foreman. and
q Meyers sickness that night. She
described the symptoms. which did
not vary in detail from the symp-
IONS as described by other wit.
uesses.
The prosecution claims the sypp-
toms are those OF arscnlcal poison
ing
Asked by Chief Counsel W. r.
Guthrie as 20 what had been served
for dinner. she answered: only
varmed-over beans. boiled potatoes
and canned corn. That was all"
The defense claims Meyer died
from ptomalne poisoning after eat.
ing spoiled food Asked regarding
Meyer's death before she married
him. Mrs. Southland said: "He wasn't
vel and kept complaining 10 me.
On July We drove 10 Salt Lake
CITY and had TO drive the ma
chine because he wasn't well
enough. He kept coughing. asked
him what was the matter. He said
he had never recovered from the ef-
secfs Of pneumonia which he had in
1914"
DENIES FEEDING
HUSBAND ARSENIC
Ar any time did you administer
srsenlc 10 Meyer" Guthrie asked
Il did not-never." Mrs. Southland
answered.
Please explain about the fly pa.
PER which you purchased and took
10 the Blue Lake ranch.
MY husband asked me 10 bring
down TO the ranch some fly killer.
that l.. some poison" she said.
bought two packages from the drug
store and took them with me the
day I went to the ranch gave
the packages to Mrs. Carrie How.
the cook at the boarding house. and
ne put IL out on the table"
you heard the drug clerk testify
hat you bought 20 packages Did
you ever purchase any such
amount?''
NO" Mrs. Southland replied 81
bought the fly paper from that
store. but only bought two pack
ages. My husband said the flies
we're bad at the ranch"
Mrs. Southland said that Meyer
seemed slightly better two days be-
fore his death and wanted 70 have
The nurse Dismissed. She said she
would not consent to this. That
evening. she said. the nurse teie-
phoned her that Meyer had had re-
hpse and was dying.
The day before his DEATH" she
aid. he was a very sick mana dy-
ING man. and that he never got any
bitter from that time on"
sHE AND EMPLOYE
ALSO MADE ILL
Mrs. Southland also testified that
she and y. b. Squires. an enploye of
the ranch. also were made sick by
The food.
She said that Mr.. and Mrs. Walter
Hoodenpyie came to her room the
esy after Meyer died. Mrs. Holden
pyle Is Meyers sister. She said she
told Mrs. Hoodenpyie that the doctor
had told her that Meyer had died Of
typhoid fever.
The day after the funeral. she said.
te HoodenpyIe-. w. j. Trueblood.
Mr. southard's father. and herself
bed conference regarding Meyers
estate.
Mrs. Southland said she gave Mey.
Gs papers to her father, who gave
mem to the Hoodenpiyes. She said
ne did not know that Meyer had
aksn out any insurance. or that he
h>d made a will In her favor.
Mrs. southard denied that she took
~ her mourning an soon as she re
turned from the funeral, as previous
Witnesses had testified.
MrS. Southard was next questioned
issarding the death Of Edward Doc
~ her brotber.in.law. who Ii al
fzed to have been her first victim. Z"
Hle dcnicd ILL ..ho had aru