Evening journal., 1921-10-12
shot, SHE SAYS,
BECAUSE ABUSED
Ethel Gibbs Tells Jury To-
day Why She Killed
Booker
LOVED HIM, SHE
DECLARES ON STAND


completed in Court of oyer and Ter
miner, before Chief Justice Penne.
will and Judges Heisel and Richards
this morning. The jury will be charg.
this afternoon.
Ethel Is charged with having shot
and killed James Arthur Booker
Negro. with whom she lived. at 50l
Lafayette street last August is. In
his address to the jury. Deputy At
torney- General Switzerland, who
prosecuted the case. said the affairs
OF Booker and Ethel we're anything
but amicable and for that reason a
first degree murder charge was not
pressed against her.
Alexander JamisOn Is attorney for
the Gibbs girl. He was appointed by
the court. His defense was that
Booker had been abusing Ethel
throughout the day Of the tragedy
and that the Negro was shot in a
struggle between him and the girl
! for possession OF .45 calibre pistol
with which the Negro had threat
ened to shoot Ethel.
Joshua Laster, Negro. was the
first witness called by the State. He
testified that about fifteen minutes
prior to the shooting. he saw Ethel
at the door OF sol Lafayette street.
swinging a pistol similar TO the one
used In the shooting. After the shot
had been fired, he said. Ethel came
running out of the alley along tn.
house. but that she went back T.
the room Of the tragedy with him
Booker was lying on the floor with
his head at the door. a bullet wound
through the left temple. Ethel took
some money and left the house. nc
stated.
Leon Brunswick testified that a
short time before the shootig he saw
Booker running from the house and
that he had conversation with
him, following which Booker return
ed 70 the house. Several minutes
later he heard a shot and. going to
the house, found Booker lying un.
conscious on the floor with the bull
let wound in the temple.
Omcer Snyder. OF the ambulance
crew, told OF finding Booker on the
fioor OF the room OF the Lafayette
street house and Of taking him tC
the Delaware hospital. The Negro
was still breathing when they found
him, he said.
Detective ]. c. Riley testified thai
he, Patrolman Reilly and Ofiicel
Reese went to the house following
the report to the police of the shoot
ing. Learning that Ethel was the
murderess, they traced her to ;
house at Fifth ad orange streets
! where they found that she had takei
} a taxi-cab to 20 to Hockessin. The,
overlook her At Oak Grove, he said
p A written statement. signed b
e Ethel. following her arrest, was pro
q duced by the detective and was ad
/ mitted as evidence. In the statemen
. Ethel said that Booker had brough
Z home a quart of "jump-steady" an
\ had been drinking steadily OF 1t. II
8 beat her and later demanded hi
e pistol. She said that she had pawn
3 ed Il. knowing that II was in tn
. pocket Of his coat They later hal
!, a struggle over the coat and eh
secured possession OF Il, but Booke
subsequently, wrested Il from he
and, taking the revolver. loaded &
According to the statement. Eth,
said that Booker struck her In IN
face with the pistol and threatene
her, ave got a mind to blow you
head on" He pointed the weapon a
her and pulled the trigger. but
I failed 70 explode, she said. A tussl
for possession of the gun followed
the weapon being discharged an
killing the man.
There were no marks on Ethel
:, face 10 verify her charge that Booi
u er had struck her with the pisto
q Detective Riley stated. althour
= there were bruises on her thro'
y and shoulder.
u DR.. John II. Mullin, who perform
n ed the autopsy on Booker. said thi
q the bullet entered his left temp
and that when the skull was lift,
n to determine the course OF the lea
y it fell from back OF the skull Hs
IN tho shot been fred at close rams
l. the skull would have been mo
ID shattered. was the opinion given
8, the doctor
q. Mr.. Jamlson questioned DR.. Null
IS, as TO his experience. asking him
s. TO the number OF persons he had e
g amined with gunshot wounds In Il
head. DR.. Muilin said that he nj
of examined between two and thr
ye thousand such cases. having serv
g. in the army two OF his hve yea
"a experience as a practlcing physicia
he when the defense opened ETH
was the frst witness called. 81
said that she Is twenty-three yea
OF age and that she went TO live wi
Booker two weeks after she m
~ him at a dance in Philadelphia ;
Y years ago. She lived with him n
cause she loved him." she said.
For almost the whole day
which she shot Booker. he had be
ID iii-treating her, she testified a
er sas drinking considerably. He h
Mt beaten her before, but never so 4
IN verely az he did on that day. 8
o. said. He threatened TO shoot b
ne and even snapped the trigger OF {
- pistol, but Il did not explode, the
ID legged murderess stated. Their tro
bies terminated IN a struggle for pi
NJ session OF the gun, In which I
3 weapon was discharged and Book
KILLED. She az no time had her q
ger on the trigger. she said.
GET WHISKY IN RAID