The Washington times., 1921-06-15
SIGHT OF VICTIMS
!. COAT BREAKS mrs.
ORTHWE|N'S CALM
CoIlapses as ZiegIer's Blood
Stained Garments Are Flash
ed in Courtroom.

CHICAGO. June 15.-Confronted
with the overcoat which Herbert F.
Ziegler wore when she shot him, Mrs.
Cora Isabella orthwein broke down
yesterday In the midst OF her trial
for murder. The trial had to be halt
ed for several minutes while the de-
fendant partly recovered her compo-
sure.
The collapse came when Sergeant
James c. Moffat, the first policeman
on the scene after the shooting. was
asked to Identify the overcoat.
Mrs. Orthwein had been sobbing
quietly during the sergeants descrip-
tion of the death flat" on Surf street.
When the overcoat-a blue chinchilla
garment-was held up to view OF the
witness the defendant threw herself
forward on the counsel table. Sobf
shook her for several minutes. then
she regained control of herself and
the trial went on.
Sergeant MoffAts narrative follow
ed testimony given by DR.. Joseph
Springer. Coroner's physician. regard
ing the direction from which the bull
let was fired. Mrs. Orthwein had
sdiu BIO hilltu zicBiet III 6S'h
when he was attempting to strike her
DR.. Springer declared the bullet had
been fired from behind the victim.
WITNESS QUOTES DEFENDANT
There was little likewise In Ser
geant Moffat's story to support the
contention OF, Mrs. Orthwein that she
fired in self-defence.
When I found Ziegler lying dead
IL n-sh NIB Qd
shot him." Moffat testified
"'He lied to me-" she said. He
was running around with other wo-
men and couldn't stand it. so
killed him."
The witness said Mrs. orthwein ap-
pesred to be under the influence of
liquor and that much of her language
was unprintable.
she was very hysterial.~ the SER
geant testified. She made an effort
to kill herself. Then she threw her.
self on Ziegler's body and Kissed his
face repeatedly. She kept crying and
cursing. Hrst the man and then her
self"
The testimony regarding the direc-
ton from which the bullet was fired
was admitted after objections by
Benedict j. Short, attorney for Mrs
orthwein. The important part came
when Assistant States Attorney
Lloyd Heth succeeded in getting tho
court to permit DR.. Springer to
answer the question:
Gould you determine whether the
fatal shot was nred from behind the
yictim?"
"I should Judge that II would havs
been impossible to have nred the
| bullet which killed Ziegler from any
other position than from behind" DR.
Springer replied.
SHOWS WHERE BULLET ENTEREN
DR.. Springer stood UP in the wit
| ness box and removed his coat when
under cross-examination by Mr.. Short
He was asked to indicate on his own
body tho place of entrance OF the
bullet and it's course. DR.. Springer
then counted of his own ribs and in.
dicated the place of the bullet wound
and made the same indication on
Shorts body.
In his opening statement Mr.. Heth
painted Mrs. Orthwein as a schemins 6
parasite and a remorseless vampire
who deliberately planned the murder
| OF Ziegler. He asserted that Ziegler
was giving her $3.50 a month for her
support and that she had no right to
| keep MIN from her apartment As ehe
attempted to do.
THE State will prove said Mr.,
Heth, that this woman had been
goaded to a fury OF jealousy, that she
had been obsessed for a long time
with the fear that he would leave her
and return to his family. Further
than that. she had been enraged by
reports OF his trifiing with other
women"