The Washington times., 1921-07-17
Coroner $ Jury CongratuLates Man For Killing
Paranour Who Stole Affections Of His Wife
Prosecutor Bends Every Effort
To Have Slayer In Seat
Pleasant Love Tangie Held,
But Twelve Men Commend
Him for Deed and Vote
Unanimously to Free Him.


Unanimously to Free Him.
CONTINUED from First PageD
fession to the eldest con Of the mar
who shot him, statements were Issued
by the husband, an expert accountant
and income tax 'cOunseller, and by
Mrs. Goetx, legally held In Nashville
to await the outcome of the divorces
proceedings. instituted by her hue
band
TO these statements has been added
q report made by J. Franklin Watts
Swallowed Byrd and Mrs. Goetx In
the southern city Immediately pre-
ceeding the tragedy at Maryland
Park.
The three documents dovetaii TO.
gether and seem to show conolusively
why the husband was able to frame .
bill of complain, which was filed BY
Former Governor A. H. Roberts. Of
Tennessee; retained az counsel b
absolute divorce and the custody Of
According to Mrs. Qoetx's state
ment. Byrd was guilty of no wrong.
and the friendship between her. and
the soldier, many years her junior,
was entirely platonic and most limo
cent. But her husband successfully
maintained In court that the sanctity
of his hearthstone had been violated
and his hopes of continued marital
happiness had been blazted by the
into her life.
Vito Tells Of Meeting.
Mrs. Goetx said:
I'm route to Warrington In April
was the first time ever saw Mr..
Byrd. Near Roanoke. Va. MOTTO
ed two men sitting behind me and
the children. my baby, Paul For
rest, was peeping around the seat
at Mr.. Byrd. who gave him q piece
of chocolate cake and he got II all
over his face. Mr.. Byrd then lean
ed over the seat and said to me. L
beg pardon, madam, but may take
the baby back and wash his facex'
7 told him II was not necessary but
he insisted, saying 1t was his fsult.
When he returned with the baby we
engaged in q conversation which
lasted into Warrington.
1T did not see Mr.. Byrd again for
three weeks. We were sitting on
our porch ono evening. and he came
strolling up with my baby. whom
he had met accidentally some dis
lance from our home. I introduced
him to my husband and explained
that ] had met him on the train.
Mr.. Byrd has taken rooms with an
army officer in the neighborhood Of
to see me and my eldest son. AL
though our acquaintance was most \
casual ana proper. my husband
began to make remarks about Mr.
Byrd's visits, and on one occasion
when I asked Mr.. Goetz to do some
thing for me he replied sarcasti-
cally, oh, let Byrd do II for you.
The husband slayer insists that from
the day Byrd first met Mrs. Goet1 she
was a changed woman, lost her In
terest In her home and threw her
marital vows of fidelity to the winds.
In his bill Of complaint he charged
that q few days after she met Byrd
"she attacked me with large butcher
knife and declared she would kill me.
Such an attempt was made on me on
five or more occasions"
Accused Her Of InfSdelity.
Goets charged that his wife was
guilty Of repeated acts of misconduct
with Byrd in the Maryland Park home
and in Nashville.
Following the husbands arrest for
murder, he said he had suspected n
plot to murder him from the first day
Byrd called at his home. Goetz's APP
prehension became 30 grave that he
employed Detective Watts to not only
shadow Mrs. Goetz and Byrd, but to
protect him from violence.
On June / Detective Watts took up
the trail He established himself in a
10 A M
next door to the Goetz's residence. and
swears that BYRD frequently visited
the Maryland Park home during the
husbands absence.
''Mr. Goetz told me his wife was
insisting on trip to Ten
nessee, and her nagging was SO un.
ending he finally consented to let
her co." said Detective Watts yes
terday. ION July / she left Wash
ington for Nashville at 1880 O'Clock.
She got lower berth No. IL, from
Washington to Chattanooga, on the
Southern Railway. She changed
trains for Nashville. heard her re-
mark on the train that something
would happen
Mrs. Goetx went to the house of a
man named Mabrey in Nashville. On
Wednesday, July 6. Byrd arrived at
-
was there. He waited around the
platform for an hour and half,
when Mrs. Goetz arrived.
Saw Hugs and Kisses.
IT sat on bench in back Of them
and I saw Mrs. Goetz grab Byrd and
hug and kiss him there on the plat
form for many minutes. They were
the most affectionate couple have
ever seen.
They engaged in secret CONVERSE
ton at the station for long time. as
though they were plotting. Then they
went to the telephone office. and, un-
derstand, tried to get Mr.. Goetz on long
distance telephone. This, l believe.
was to assure themselves that Goetz
was not following them. They re-
manned at the telephone office nearly
all day. Off and on they walked the
street, arm in arm. They were not
apart for a minute of daylight.
Constantly they were talking in
whispers, as though some great secret
were being discussed. They visited
several parks In Nashville, notably
Centennial Park and the park near the
ZOO. They sat closely together in the
parks, discussing secretly.
az - Il III