The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1921-11-30

law looked the same rs w. :. Nh"'
she believed her t" lie snnC, and that she
never had a suspicion that her laugh
tcr-in-law was not altogether r!sht.
Morning Session.
Prosecuting Attorney Carl c. Bach
mann in his opening address To the
jury this morning. did not ask for a
verdict Of murder in tho first degree, for
Mira. Louise touklc. CHARGED with the
murder Of Mrs. Pearl Wtlliams. The
| facts. he Said would have 10 he deter
| mined by the jury. since the duty or
Gctermiu!ng what tho dcsree Of the
crime IS up u the jury.
He opened with tho reading Of the
indictment and then explained tho
charge OF homicide. The indictment. he
said charged murder in IN" first degree,
murder IN the second degree. voluntary
manslauShtcr, Involuntary manstaughter
and assault. All murder" he said is
taken as second degree murder" 1t -
the duty OF the state 10 elevate tho Of
Tense to first degree murder and Of the
defense to lower the degree.
Bear IN mind. gentlemen. that when
You hear tho evidence that this defend
mt did xii Pearl Williams. right then
YOU have a CISe Of second dcGre" muir
der. Then the state must elevate II OF
the defense prove there was some legal
justification.
Must Decide Justification
II understand that there will be no
denial OF the staying. ! understand the
defense Will attempt 20 81 ow that there
was Justification for the killing. That
Is for you gentlemen 10 decide"
Mr.. Bachmann then rccited tho facts
% he understood them and as they were
told 10 him he said by the defendant.
The first domestic trouble in tho Con-
kle home. he said. occurred SOME - or
IA years ago, when Conkle became In
VOWED with another woman. He got
away from her he said and they lived
together as man and wife until recently.
when Mrs. Williams and the Conkles
took a trip to California. returning In
March Of the present year.
Remember" he said this Is not n
contest In which the state is trying TO
send 4 woman to the electric chair or
+ the p~rritcntiary. 1t is a part Of II legal
nvestlFatlon Of tho circumstances sur
rounding this crime.
Events Leading to Tragedy.
when they returned from this trip
they were all friends. What occurred
on that trip between Mrs. Williams and
Conkle. don't know. Mrs. Conkle tells
me she didn't know. but became sus-
p~icious.
About two weeks before this tragedy.
Cunkle went TO Pittsburgh. Whether
Mrs. Williams went alonS or not 10
not know. However. whom Conkle re-
/ turned. shc left homo the next day and
went 10 Chicago. Conkle went for her
n brought her back"
He related in detail the story Of how
Mrs. Conkle broodcd over tho affair,
made up her mind to prevent Mrs. VIII
Iiams from running another home
how she walked to the W!lliHm1 home.
spoke 10 Mrs. Williams. said; "Fearl.
you'll never break up another home "
and shot her: how she went to tho lIav-
er"amp home and Cove herself up. 4.
Mrs. Conkle sat quietly and d~rX-cyel
throughout the prosecutors prescnta-
! ton.
Boycs's statement.
Attorney $. o. Boycc. in opening for
the defense. also referred to the indict-
mcnt and agreed with III" prosecutor as
20 the meaning Of the Indictment. He
said he was also glad To agree with the
! prosecutor that tho matter OF issue was
not on contest. but a hearing 10 deter
mine the facts,
Never in the state OF West Virginia.. -
he said, nor in tho whole United States.
has this case had n parallel. This Is the
proudeSt m OF my life. that / am
privileged to defend such a woman az
this. and l only fear that my poor abil-
ity may not be able TO defect TO you
what A sterling character she has"
Mrs. Conkle We0ps
vt this point Mrs. Conkle showed
emotion for tho first time. She wept
bitterly and sobbed for several minutes.
Many women in the audience also sob
bed.
He told OF the childhood friendship OF
the women of their close relations. and
of an offer Mrs. tupkle made, Sevcrul
years Y to Mrs. Williams, to make her
home with them. The offer. he said
was declined. because Mrs. Williams
knew she had already e~ucroachcd in
the home circle. lie sa!d the defense
would show that there were improper
relations between Perry Conkle and Mrs.
Pearl Williams
A Woman IN Ten Thousand
Mr.. Boyce said tnat everyone who
anew Mrs. cUnkle was impressed with
the fact that sho was a good woman
one wOnan in ten Thousand. Ho told Of
the trip to Los Angeles. during which
many things occurred which to a more
SOPHISTICATED woman would have proven
that things were very wrong between
Conk.e and this woman. while the three
were in 4 small apartment IN Los An
COLES. lie told of Mrs. Conklc being
awakened late one night and finding
Mrs. Williams on her knees at con
kles's side OF the bed. The incident
she believed IT. but during the seven
4 weeks Of their stay many little things
occurred.
Found Thorn Kissing.
On the trip home. he said. Mrs. Conkie,
who had retired carly. found Mrs. VIII
liamS and Conkle kissing o~ne-Rnother.
This. he said, was the breaking point,
from then on they rode in separate
coaches home.
CiN tn1 ~ I,,.hnnI ~ nnld
tha shn didn't want TO have anything
10 do with Mrs. Williams. lte|tcllS Of
Mrs. Conk's, unable 70 stand his treat
ment, leaving her husha nd and later re-
tuning. He touched on the incident or
"A years ago. saying Mrs. Conkle was
SO wrought up she attempted to take
her own life.
Mr.. Royce Told Of the trip Conkle took
10 Pittsburgh to visit his brother. He
came homc. he said. long nfter the train
had arrived. He said the train was late,
but she knew the train had come in
on time.
Without apparent emotion. Mrs,
Conkle. In company with the jury. cours
attaches. etc. took again early Tuesday
the trip she took on the morning OF
October 30. when by her own admission,
she shot and killed Mrs. Williams. q.
Visit Scene of Killing.
through tho tidy rooms oF the little
house, rear 1920 Chnpiine street, the
jury. defendant aud court attaches
walked. The tiny Kitchen was Just M
the authorities loft II after removing
Mrs. Williams body. The undonned
gloves, hat ind coat Of the slain woman
lay across the Kitchen table. Just rs she
had placed them on tho ratcful morn.
ing. \ crumplcd table cloth lay ncrhs+
Il smaller table and II litter Of bottles,
etc. covered the draining hoard.