The New York herald., 1922-12-21
HIRSCH BACKS WIFE
IN SHOOTING TRIAL
Chats With Her as Witnesses
Try to Show She Shot Him
Deliberately.

Hazel Hirsch. blonde and debonair,
chatted amicably with her husband Os-
car in the court room at Mneola yester-
day while Nassau county prosecutor
piled UP evidence to show that last June
she deliberately shot Mr.. Hirsch through
the jaw with an automatic pistol after
dinner dance at the home of Refine
Davies In Freeport.
The fracas has apparently left no in
dentation upon either the countenance or
the soul of Mr.. Hirsch.
The present friendly conduct OF the
couple, however. was at variance with
the testimony regarding their deport-
ment on the night OF the shooting. Sew
eral witnesses. among them Magistrate
Bernard J. Douras, father Of Refine
Davies and her sister Marion. the NOV
Ing picture actress, testified that Mr..
Hirsch employed vile epithets in address,
ing his wife and when she attempted to
approach him, kicked her in the face.
'She shot me. the ----. She swore
she'd get me and she did, was was
what Magistrate Douras said he heard
when he ran out OF the Davies home In
response to cries for help coming from
the direction of the lawn. He saw Mrs.
Hirsch running away in the direction Of
her home and called to Joseph Quash.
the Davies chauffeur, to head her off.
He did not know at that time that the
commotion was being made by the
Hirsches who had left the dance an hour
before, but thought holdup had been
perpetrated.
There was no getting away from the
complete reconciliation of Hirsch and
his wife. as Elvin N. Edwards, As
sistant District Attorney. admitted In
his address to the jury at the opening
OF the trial. From the day they met
in the hospital shortly after the shoot
ing they had been absolutely recon-
ciled." he said.
THE answer lies in the fact that
there is a skeleton in the family closet"
added Mr.. Edwards. 1--WE will show
you some of the skeleton-how much !
don't know"
When the prosecution had closed Its
case the skeleton still remained con-
cealed beneath the ordinary routine OF
testimony, but Mr.. Edwards promised
that 1t would be disclosed to-day. The
most telling point scored by the prose-
cution was the testimony of Police
Lieut. Elmer a. Raynor OF Freeport.
who recalled n conversation with Mrs.
Hirsch shortly after the shooting in
which she said she had been practically
held q prisoner for four days.
Many conflicting statements were at
tributed TO Mrs. Hirsch by various wit
nesses who were with her after the
shooting, but the majority of the
testimony showed that during moments
when she was not raving hystericaliy
she showed the greatest soltcitude Tor
her husband. Mrs. Frederick n.
Schrader, a guest at the party. told OF
having seen her go forward to the
couch upon which Hrsch was lying TO
console him" Ii was then that Hirsch
reoeIIed her with his feet.
Magistrate Douras recalled that wniie
Hirsch was being helped into the house
Mrs. Hirsch lay kicking on the ground
and mumbling, II didn't do 1t. i had
to do II. He made me do IT," To George
Van Cleve. writer and brother-in-law OF
Refine Davis. who followed Magistrate
Douras to the lawn after the shot was
fired. Mrs. Hirsch muttered. i've shot
nv daddy" Later she used the same
expression TO John NJ Hartman. Chief
of Police of Freeport, In inauirins now
"d.ddy" was getting along.
The testimony OF persons at the Davis
marty tended TO show that Hlrsch had
no hesitation about accusing his wife OF
the shooting when talking to neighbors
and friends. but as soon as the police
authorities arrived he shut up. and to
ell inquiries answered that Luke NC
Luke" had shot him. When he was
lying on the sofa before the police ar
rived Van Cleve heard him say How
could she do 4? She got me at last