The Washington times., 1921-10-15
HUSBAND A
CAVE MAN,
KIN CHARGE:
"have to Beat EN- to Make EN-
Love You," Witness Says
Contractor Boosted.

The eyes of Ethel, Elmer, jr.,
and Paul-the three small chill
dren of Elmer F. Dwyer, George
town plastering contractor, who
is fighting for their custody in
juvenile court-were filled with
innocent smiles as they greeted
q somewhat pale father upon ad-
journment of court yesterday aft
ernoon.
In the brief moment that they
We're permitted to ,see their father
before their return to the House
of Detention they did not learn
what had happened in the five
minutes preceding his appearance
before them.
Defense Weapons.
Hidden behind the closed doors of
an adjoining room, they had not
heard the sobs that came with the
testimony of their suicide mothers
aunt. sixty-five years old, Mrs. Emma
MAJ. of Clarendon, Va.
Nor did they know that with the
4tearfuf story Of what Mrs. May de-
clnred she had seen with her own
feyes,' Dwyer's defense saw fit not to
tcross-examine the witness, and the
prose ution--with witnesses yet un-
lheard--rested it's case.
Until yesterday the Dwyer case had
presented much testimony of a tri-
angle tragedy, of home once happy,
and now confused. But with the few
brief statements of the final witness
Lagainst Dwyer and his eighteen-year-
,old bride Of three weeks yesterday
Iafternoon, drama thus far confined to
the anemia of words stalked into the
crowded court room. 1t Haunted its
presence with grip that paled
'Dwyer. 1t caught the frail STEP
mother bracing herself, and it throt-
tied the defense into silence.
Saw Him Beat Her.
Mrs. May made a good witness for
, the prosecution.
"With my own eyes," she sobbed,
IL have seen Elmer kick Loretta the
deceased Mrs. Dwyer) dozens Of times
land once saw him take off shoe
and hit her with IL across the mouth"
! 'Other witnesses before Mrs. May
had voiced bitter words against the
man who seeks to gain release of his
three little ones from theHouse of De-
tention, but the hint of bitterness
with which the words came seemed
TO steal from a hoped-for effect.
When the case was halted yester-
day, to be continued Wednesday
morning, Dwyer was already prepared
70 return the fight. He branded the
series of charges made in the testi-
mony against him as falsehoods, in
cluding the statements of Mrs. May,
He attributed the breakdown of Mrs.
May while on the stand to the fact
that "her conscience was hurting her
for telling those, lies"
Park Lane, Va, a brother of the
/. deceased Mrs. Dwyer, included the
statement that Dwyer had admitted
to him last summer that the then
Miss Julia Coyle, Dwyer's present
wife. had something on him, and
Ihe couldn't get rid Of her."
Servant Testifies.
Martha Parker, colored 1870 Thir-
tfeth street northwest, employed dur
ing the first part of the present
year as a washerwoman in the
Dwyer home when Mrs. Dwyer had
the. money" brought the only hint
OF comedy that has graced the hear
ing thus far. Her frankness in tell.
ing of Dwyec coming to the kitchen
one morning looking for coffee and
remarking to Mrs. Dwyer, "if Julia
NV sweetheart, were here, she would
have the coffee ready" was attended
by q laugh from the court listeners
that threatened their expulsion.
Mrs. Estelle Buittner, of Mackey's
Hill, Va, sister of the deceased Mrs.
Dwyer, testified that the Dwyer
home had suffered unhappiness for
the past three years. During the
final week OF February last, Mrs.
Buittner declared, Mrs. Dwyor had
asked her to come to the " street
home because she was ILL., After
DIR. Stanton had attended her, Dwyer,
she said. reported that Mrs. Dwyer
was feeling better on the following
day.
Mrs. Buittner said that later on
the same day she. receied word from
Harry, Dwyer's son. that Dwyer had
his mother out OF bed and was beat
ing her in the yard.
Mrs. Puittner testified che asked
her sister.in.law, Mrs. G. II. MAY,
10 20 to the Dwyer home to remain
until she herself could get there.
When she arrived, she said. Dwyer
had put her sister.in.law out Of the
house, but Dwyer later gave Mrs.
Buittner consent .to remove Mrs,
Dwyer 20 her home In Virginia for
treatment.
while / was there the Telephone
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