The Washington times., 1922-03-04
SHOT HER
BETRAYER
IN COURT
"He'II Never Harm Another, "
She Cries, as He Falls
Dead.


old school girl, dreW a reUolper and
before q crowded Waco, Ter., court
room, shot to death the man she
had named as tho father of her
child.
He is J. S. Crosslin, Whita-haired
former clergyman and really man,
distinguished citizen, and father of
q large family. Crosslin t0ds sent
enced to nine years. imprisonment,
but WGs granted a retridt on q
technically and the tragedy oc-
Cured during the second trial.
WACO, Tex, March 4.-Marcie
Mathews, the frail seventeen-year-
old girl who shot J. C. Crosslin be-
fore a crowded courtroom in Waco,
Tex, has one short sentence of ex-
PLANTATION.
"They made me suffer humili-
alton over and over again"
That is the gist Of her plant.
Granted Another Trial.
They were not satisfied to i'm.
for her, but they had to go and
give him another trial. His lawyers
found a negal technicality for an
appeal, and they dragged her out
before everybody to tell and re-
tell her sorry story. AS II she had
no feelings. As IL the repulsion Of
her school friends meant nothing
to her, she explained afterward:
"YOu people knew that he dis
graced me and deprived me even
of the right TO go to SCHOOL,! she
cried cat in court, accusing the
whole misfit scheme Of things,
Judges, lawyers and law.
Even her father, who wished to
protect her in every way. had the
delicacy not to come to court at the
second trial. because he knew how
she felt.
These feelings Miss Matthews
made clear after the shooting. She
says she has no regret for having
slain Crosslin.
When she shot him down she ut
tered the compa ssionate cry: -.
"ne'n never harm another girl
now"
The central figure OF this tragedy
is an under 'ized, pale. and moody
and frail that the pathos OF her ex-
treme youth is emphasized. She
weighs barely ninety pounds. She
lived with her father in one OF
Crosslin's houses.
Marcie Mathews was only fifteen
when the crime of which Crosslin
was accused was committed. There
IL n nameless baby.
Friends say that Crosslin won her
confidence because he had once
been a minister. She was attend
ing school when he met her, and
she continued to attend classes un.
Ill she had to stop.
Another factor in the case IL that
Marcie Mathews has that fierce and
reverent love for school which Is
only found among girls. Not to be
able to go on with school work had
q tremendously melancholy meaning
in her psychology.
He Had Family,
Crosslin was sentenced to nine
years imprisonment at the first
trial, but he obtained an appeal from
the decision. which nullified the
first degree. and he was granted
another trial. lie sat in the court
room, a white-haired, florid man. He
was a realty dealer, and had a wife
and three children.
Up to the disclosure Of this af-
fair he was one of the towns dis
tlnguished citizens. He played q
confident role throughout the trial,
but on the day of the shooting he
was nervous, as though sensing
death.
Miss Mathews drew out her pistol,
90 hA ~
in a desperate, shame-driyen passion
she shot. The dazed spectators
looked on as IL paralyzed until three
shots had been fired.
There was a staccato report, and
q steel slug drilled Crosslin through
the chest He floundered across
the table directly in front Of Judge
Monroe on the bench.
Shot Three Times.
Whitehead and with eyes flash
ing. Marcie stepped swiftly across
the space that separated the wit.
and fired another bullet into the
PROSTATE form. Apparently still
alive, Crosslin's form quivered as
the second bullet buried itself be-
meath his ribs. Then, as II to
make the certainty of his death
absolute, the girl advanced still
closer and fired a third shot.
BY that time w. II. Forester,
attorney for the accused man, had
seized her and a court officer tore
the weapon out of her hand. The
tiny girl, almost a child in appear
ance, was the calmest of any one
in the courtroom as she submitted
to arrest.
ming strongly in Miss Mathews
favor as she awaits trial for
murder. The Judge waived prece-
dent and released her on $4,000 bail.
A score OF citizens We'd for the
privilege OF bailing her out.