New-York tribune., 1921-06-03
Mrs. Ethel Mott
Admits Murder:
Gets Life Term
Letters to- Admirer. Hanged
for killing Her Husband,
Slaatter Defense and She
Changes Plea in Court
Immediately Collapses
Had No Food During Trial
and Kept Up OH Drugs;
Taken TO Prison at Once
spse,oi D;spatea to The Tribune

BRlDGEP0RT. Conn, June Ethel
Hatchins Mott was sentenced to-day
to spend the rest of her life behind
the bars OF the state penitentiary when
she changed her plea from mot guilty"
to the charge of first degree murder,
TO guilty" IN the second degree.
She was condemned for the murder
OF her husband, George +. Mott, ON
her own handwriting, More than fifty
letters which she had written to Ell
wood B. Wade while both were prison
ers in the County Jail convinced her
attorneys that it would be impossible
TO acquit her of the charge of first
degree murder we're the letters read
into the testimony.
I'VE would have given the State g
hard battle if these letters had not
been found and turned over to States
Attorney Cummings" said Henry f.
Shannon, counsel for Mrs Mott today
"The letters put different aspect
on the case said Robert G. DeForest,
another of her attorneys. Reading OF
these letters convinced me that the
wisest move was to have Mrs. Mott
plead guilty
Plea Accepted Reluctantly
States Attorney Homer S. Cummings
said he was reluctant and hesitated to
accept the plea, but left it to the judg-
,nent of the court. Judge Maltbie said
he deemed it wisest to accept the plea
for various reasons.
The offer by the defendant to plead
guilty in the second degree for the
murder of George Z. Mott, her husband,
on August go last. came after a series
of collapses by Mrs. Mott last night
and this morning.
When Clerk Fred ". Tracey asked
for her plea. Mrs. Motifs answer,
shoulder, was barely audible.
In accepting the plea of guilty Judge
Maltbie took occasion to condemn the
"despicable. morbid curiosity of the
crowds of men, and women, too, God
save the e.ark," and the Satisfying of
the appetite for scandal by the sickly
hued press
Immediately after Mrs. Mott had
pleaded guilty recess was ordered
was taken into the Sheriff's office.
Reaching the Office, supported by two
deuty sherifs, she swooned She was
placed upon q couch aud q physician
summoned, but she recovered sufficient
~ this afternoon to be moved to Weth-
ersfeld 20 start her sentence In the
prison. where she will work in the
laundry department.
Kept Up Under Drugs
1t was learned tonight that the
woman had been unable to eat any
thing since her trial began. She had
been given drugs, Shannon said, to en-
able her to appear in court
One year in the county jail was the
punishment meted out to John Edward
Johnston for his part in the murder
Of Mott. Johnston was permitted to
change his plea from not guilty Of
murder in the first degree to guilty
60 Of manslaughter.
George n. Finklestone, appearing
for Johnston, informed the court that
Johnston had assisted the state as far
as possible; that since the crime and
during his Incarceration his mother
had died, and that Johnston believed
she died OF broken heart. When the
court pronounced sentence, Johnston
said Thank YOU" and smiled as if
much relieved.
Murder Due to Intrigue
The body of George L. Mott was
found crushed into trunk, half burie /
IL Sport Hill Swamp, near Bridgeport,
Conn, on August 81, 1920. Elwood B.
Wade, known to be an adnlirer of Mrs
Mott, himself a married man, was ar
rested, together with Mrs. Mott and
John Z. Johnston, their alleged ae
complice.
The murder was said to have grown