The Washington times., 1921-05-29
MOTT
PLAC|DAS
TRIAL LACS
Woman Whose Charm Led Two
Men to Death Is StoIid. AZ
Life Hangs In Scales.


Bv MARGERY REX.
Wratten for InternatfonaI News
Service
BRIDGEPORT, Conn, May 2s.--
One day nearer fresdom--or the gal
lows.
Mptionless in her misery. Mrs. Ethel
Hutthins Mott sits az still ana placid
as .. porcelain image.
Only the darling glances of her
dark eyes betray the Interest the ac-
cused now displays in the progress of
her trial for life.
Her head is upheld. She looks at
Judge and jury fearisssly. But yet q
tear Is seen to fall. 1t catches on the
net of her widows veil.
Testimony so far In tiresome--ex-
graphs. location Of rooms in the for
mer Mott home and talk Of stains and
marks on wall and hall.
A woman spectator with small por-
cine eyes like siin in her fat face
leans forward for q moment, licking
her lips with evident relish.
DUE A DIsAPPOINTMENT.
But she must 90 unsatisnsd. Even
the high-powered curiosity that
brought her here must grow listiess
before the dry and technical char
acter of the present proceedings.
Those who came TO watch the
woman pay" may have to wait until
ever account the law decides she owes
to her life.
But now . ripple of interest causes
the court visitors to sit up sharply
blood linens Of the Mott house
hold are held up for Ill to see.
Erhel Motifs head 10 averted. her
long -iashed eyes nxsd on the floor
obliquely.
Those were the most vivid impress
sions of the accused widow in the
court room. Her trial win DO resumed
Tuesday.
: Lawyers for the defence may OF
may not put Mrs. Mott on the witness
stand. That will be as they choose.
Those who trail the trial may never
see more of Ethel Hutchins Mott than
the usually bowed back of her black
draped head. its. thick knob of hair.
on which her plain toous IL placed
with Indifferent touch.
sOBs OCCAsIONALLY.
They may nev@r hear more from her
than an occasional sob or q haIf-supt
pressed whisper at some bit of testi.
mony that makes her Vince.
No matter what her sentence. what
ever the verdict, few things will equal
the strain or hardship that 10 In the
enforced waiting and listening while
an old story 10 told over again. Just
q pale, frail woman. oval and waxeu
of face. slight of body. her Dropping
head capped with a mass OF inky hair,
quiet in manner. soft spoken, alto
Eether inconspicuous and seemingly
inoffensivs enough, 10 Mra Mott
"LTTTLE wOMANs TYPE.
Little woman" men call her type.
tenderly and will do for her anything
from the reasonable to impossible.
And little enough does the little
woman" think of the wreckage that
often follows In her wake. Ethel
Mott may be. and seems TO be quite
unaware OF the attraction she has had
for men and could not tell you any
more about what makes men wish
to help her than could the two row
dead for love OF her. For ono was
murdered and another hanged for her
sake.
About the woman men want to pro-
tect 10 always an indefinabie some
thing which arrests the attention Of
the male of the species, thereby caus-
ing the more penetrating female to
pass on with a sneer or look OF envy.
according to her disposition. We've
all seen tho little woman" for whom
men have shaved and toiled, her favor
to gain. or her ambitions to further:
we've seen the same plain ''little girl"
enter ballroom full OF her lovelier
sisters and walk of with all thoir
beaux: we've seen charm. beauty and
cleverness outclassed by the demu-e
average looking woman whom men
desire to call little wife"
And here let IL be noted that the
woman men love to speak of rs
little" are not necessarily OF small
stature. This quality Of drawing out
male protective instincts, and the use
q giantess. 1t Is a matter for specula-
ton whether or not the murdered
mans wife ever consciously made use
OF her appealing qualities.
MRS. MOTT SHIELDED.
Mott himself had met her at an I'M
happy period of her life. He knew
of her struggles. her mistakes. He
offered her the protection of his name
and his home. And because another
man met her later and wanted to
himself as her legal pro-
tector, Mott had to die,
Contrary to various reports. Ethel
Mott is not beautiful. Yet for her
sake, two men have died. The lover
claimed the life OF the husband and
the State took life from the lover.
In the opening address counsel for
the defense said the only part played
In, the crime by Mrs. Mott was to try
to shield Wade.
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