The Morning Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Okla.) 1919-1927, 1922-06-06
NERVES SNAPPED
CAUSING WOMAN
TO SHOOT RIVAL
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several days before. the tragedy. her
husband said he had quit the Novak
girl. on the day of the shooting,
according to Mrs. Sheriff.. she re-
ceived several telephone calls from
the Novak girl who informed her
that she was coming after Mrs.
Sherrlll's husband and was going to
take him to live with her.
The first call. according TO the
accused woman, came early In the
morning. There were several more
calls that morning and about
O'Clock, she testified, the girl called
again and annoucned that she was
starting after Harry Sheriff. the de-
fendant's husband. A few minutes
later. Mrs. Sheriff. said. she saw the
girl sitting in car across the street
from the Piermont hotel on East
First. The hotel on that date was
owned by Mrs. Sheriff.. The wit
ness said that sch saw her husband
, standing In doorway about 25 feet
from the auto in which the Novak
girl was sitting.
what did you do then?" Flint
Moss asked.
81 don't know"
what did you next known or re-
member?''
| Woke Up In Jail.
| THAT / was in the county Jail.
woke up there. l don't know how
l got there. except what some wom-
en- who were there said and what
was told. The women there told me
that / had been put In on March 23.
l don't know"
The woman's attorney next asked
| IL she intended to ever again live
with her husband. An objection
made by John Goldesberry, chief
state counsel. was sustained. Moss
then dictated into the court record
an offer OF proof that the woman
never again intended to live with
her husband. The states objection
was sustained.
A few more immaterial questions
and the woman was excused from
| direct examination. After a con-
| sultatlon between states counsel the
woman was excused without cross
examination. This waiver came as
surprise as 1t had been expected
that she would be submitted TO q
grilling cross questioning.
Practically all of the defense testi-
mony introduced yesterday morning
was an effort to prove that Mrs
Sherrills father. Nelson NJ. Roberts
'"h iuilS bttH hllllNltu with Spells
OF insanity and had been insane
many times. Among witnesses who
testified were Mrs. Roberts. the de-
fendant's mother. Mrs. Pearl Stanley
and Mrs. Harry Davis. The latter
two are sisters OF Mrs. Sheriff..
Subject to Fits OF Anger.
Mrs. Roberts. woman past 60
years of age, according to her tes-
timony. although her looks are de-
ceptive as she has black hair and is
much younger looking than she
claims, told Of fits OF anger which
her husband had been afflicted with
since their marriage In 1879. lie
often became angered at stock on
his farm and would become morose
for days at time. Often. she said.
! he would become angry at his chill
dren for no apparent cause. She said
he also would make false accusations
against her OF alleged intimacy with
his brother. His actions. at various
times, she testified. were strange and
often he talked and mutterec to
himself incoherently.
She said he would go away from
their home and stay for days at n
time and then return suddenly and
make no explanations OF his absence.
He would get out OF bed at all hours
of the night. she testified. and with
the aid Of lighted matches, look un-
der the beds. chairs and other fur
niture. After the children had be-
come grown, Mrs. Roberts said. the
"crazy spells" became more fire.
quent and her daughters advised her
to ger divorce. But she said she
didn't believe In divorces. For the
last several years. according TO Mrs
Roberts, one or more OF her daugh-
tiers has always lived with her, for
fear that sometime in his spells OF
"queerness' her husband might at
tack her.
The two daughters corroborated
In practically every detail the testl'
mony OF their mother. IL was
brought out during the testimony oi
1.-THE three witnesses that on frequent
occasions Roberts had without any
cause and without any explanation
struck his wife. On several occa-
sions. It Is said. he would walk In
the house. knock his wife down and
then go back TO his farm work.