Arizona republican., 1921-10-04
MRS. SOUTHARD CHARGED
 WITH EXTRACTING POISON FROM FLY PAPER TO TAKE LIFE OF FOURTH HUSBAND
Witness Tells of Purchase of Insect Poison and De- scribes Illness of Myer;
 Find Poison Fly Paper.

TWIN FALLS. Idaho. Oct. 3.-A poisonous substance used as an in sect exterminator supplied the theme about which was woven the stories of the first two witnesses to testify in the case of Lyda Meyer Southard charged with the murder of Edward F.. Meyer, former husband, by means of poison secured from soak ing pieces of paper in water and ad- ministered m her husbands food
 The opening statement by Prose cutting Attorney Frank l.. Stephans. was delivered immediately following the securing of a jury. He said he would show the alleged crime was committed by means of poison de- rived from the exterminator-
 Only small number of spectators were present when the first witness for the state, Mrs. Carrie Howe of Muscatine, Iowa, boarding house keeper at the Blue Lakes ranch at the time of the death of Meyer, told of the defendant bringing the exter- lninator to the ranch and setting 1t about the bs arding Eouse in saucerS of water. She described in detail the illness of Meyer andxthe events leld- ing up to lis death. told of copver- sations watIi the defendant in which ske advised .te ealing of physician and the defendants alleged reply that 'she would cali doctor and then no one would have anything to say'' She testified that follow ing the removal of Meyer from the rarch to a Twin Falls hospital she fouila two packages Of the exterminaror in a drawer in a small commode un- derneath some papers in the room occupied by the Meyers. ehe also found another poisonous insect kil- Ter under the bed in the room.
 That the defendant also told the witness that she did not love her husband as a wife should was testi- fled to by Mrs. Howe who added that she advised Mrs. Meyer to treat him right" to which the witness re- piled that she intended to. Cross examination failed to shake her tes- timony.
 Granville Haigft, manager of the ranch upon which Meyer was em- ployed as foreman up to the time of his last illness, told of conversations with both the deceased and his wife. He stated that he was present when the exterminator was discovered in the drawer of the commode and iden- tified certain marks placed thereon At the time he turned it over to Dep uty Sheriff Ormsby when the latte first entered upon his long investlga' tion of the Meyer death
 He testified in detail regarding hl endorsement of purchase note ol an automobile previously acquires by the then Mrs. Meyer which not was signed by the defendant as Mrs McHaffie although this was supse ouent to her marriage to Meyer Tn relationship between Meyer and hi wife while at the ranch he describe as more that of companions than { husband and wife. Both told 2 conversations with the defendant which the latter stated that pr. J. I Coughlin, called in the case had sal that he knew of several similar case and that one of these, a young glr was not expected to recover Tn witness also receunted conversation with the defendant in which ptc
 maine poisoning and typhoid feve were mentioned as the ailment frol which Meyer was suffering. The de
 fendant herself gave as >eason VII
 she could not spend more time
 inc ranch with her husband the fa'
 that she was suffering from the lai
 mentioned disease.
 Mrs. Howe was still upon the stan
 when court adjourned for tNe day.
 All but one member of the jury al
 married.