The Washington herald., 1921-04-16
Girl Wife, Gertrude Mo
layi, Breaks Down Un-
. der Quizzing.
KISSES DEAD BODY
OF MAN IN MORGUE
Sobs Repentance While
Telling Story; Claims
Unintentional.
God forgive me. .hot hIn-

God forgive me. shot him"
With eyes Redeemed by weepinE
and features drawn from sleepIess-
ness and worry. Mrs. Lydia Ger
trude Melsvi. 22-year-old widow Of
Abdul Hassin MolavI, confessed 10
the shooting OF her wealthy hus-
band in a room on the third hoor
OF 1914 Rhode Island avenue north
west, late Thursday night.
The confession was made 70 In
spector Clifford L. Grant, chief .-of<
detectives, in his ofice at the Dis
trict Building shortly after z
o'clock last night
After admitting to the police that
she had fired the shot which re-
suited in the death Of her husband.
Mrs. MolaI pleaded with Inspector
Grant and Detectives Cornweii and
Flaherty TO permit her to see the
body Of her husband Despite the
fact that they explained 10 her that
the morgue was a gruesome place.
she continued her pIeadinga and
her request was granted.
Visit Body In Mereue.
Arriving at the morgue she was
shown to the place where the body
OF her husband lay. For a few sec
onds she stood staring. Then, fall
ing upon her knees by the stous
slab she uttered a prayer.
Rising. she kissed the face Of
the dead man and cIasping her
hands above her head sobbed:
me-
Immediately after the confessfoa--
charge Of murder was lodged
against the girl wife. and she was
taken back to the House Of Deten-
ion to await the verdict Of the cor
oners jury. which will be given al
the inquest to be held at the morgds
this morning at IL O'Clock.
Sobbing patheticslly. the youthful
self-confessed mUrdeness told the
following story. according 20 the
police. after having repeatedly told
the police that her husband had
died as the result OF a self-innicted
wound.
Her Story Of killing.
"AbAl had not spoken 10 M.
since Wednesday evening. He
treated me scornfully. and although
l had made repeated efforts to make
him speak to me. he continued 20
ignore me and TO remain silent Il
threatened late last night 10 leave
him and go to my mothers home, az
go Twelfth street northeast. and
began packing some Of my cIethinE
IN small bag. II was while doinr
this that l discovered the revolver
picked IL up and walked toward
my husband who was lying on the
bed reading a newspaper. I pointed
the revolver at him hoping that he
would become intimidated and would
break his silence and cease his
scornful attitude toward me.
Heard Bullet Drop.
The next thing / saw was nv
nus soand start up and fall from the
oeo unto the noor. i do not even
remember hearing any discharge Of
the revolver which held in my
hsnd, the only thing l do remember
nearing the bullet fall to the
moor. CThe detectives believe that
~nat she describes as the bullet
railing to the floor was the emnty
shell as the revolver used was a q,
calore automatic, which ejects the
shell after hringD : =
After my HUSBAND had fallen No
the moor rushed TO his side and
IN my excitement laid the revolver
on the noor beside him. 80
when my husband returned 70
the room last night, I asked him Al
ne wanted a cup Of tea. II. did NO,
answer me. Later asked him
~here he had been. Again he did
not answer me. Since our ii,,I.
Misunderstanding Wednesday even
ing ne had not spoken to me and
treated me with scorn."
She Cried for Help. p
Melsvi's body was found l,v,n.
upon the noor of the room occ,'-
pied by the Melsvis on th. 49,
moor of 1910 Rhode Island .vsne
northwest. shortly after II.so
O'Clock Thursday night. WITH . hnI-
let wound through the cbs,, Si.
wife. who had rushed aho,,, -.
house franticaIIy calling for hair
was found sobbing upon thu aoor
DR.. Grant s. Barnhart- os 1.,,
Rhode Island avenue nortbwoS, ,
summoned and pronounced m. -
dead. 'He man
After an investigation bv ns,..-
ta I've Sornwell' Of police hesdquar-
aSASA d ramsey kPNllN.
u was decided that owing 10 ~.
IL was almost imno,-
sioIe for the man TO have eommftte6
suicide and the woman was ordered
held for investigation.
Bullet ThrouEh Newspaper.
A bullet hole through the news
paper which Molsvi was reading nd
the peculiar course Of the buIIes
arouse Detective Cornwelps sosni-
cions OF the suicide theory. The bNI-
let entered the body at the len sI6s
of the chest just opposite the arm.
pit and came out on the riFht sids
above the waist line The hslI.f
through a pillow and was
found by the police on the mattress.
The body was lying on its hacN
with the revolver under the upturn-
ed left hand. A pool Of blood was
on the bed and another beside the
body on the floor.
The youthful wife was taken 20
headquarters early yesterday morn
ing and was quizzed by Detective
but she maintained thaf
she knew nothing OF the shooting
and that her husband had comuitted
suicide because OF business reverses
The auizzinE was taken up again
about noon yesterday and conttnued
until late yesterday sfternoon. when