Evening star., 1922-07-22
SHACK MURDER
LAID TO BRANNAN
Continued from First Page.)

the bench. and Brannan had his arm
around her," said the witness.
Knocked Man Down.
Did you hit Brannan at all?' asked
the commonwealth attorney.
Just slapped him once" replied
Vaughn. But when pinned down to
why he slapped" Brannan. Vaughn
Brannan was treating Mrs. Copper
thite right. He later admitted
knocking Brannan down.
The witness memory was vague
regarding his actions after o'clock.
He said he had gone in to see Mrs.
cot. Il thought she was only drunk"
said the witness. When pressed. he
acknowledged she was cut and bleed
ing.
1t was Vaughn who called Sheriff
Clements on the phone early yester-
day morning to notify him Of the
murder. He met the officer and d.
rected him to the scene of the crime.
Mrs. Rhodes, thin. bob-haired
blonde, thirty-flve years old and the
eight and three years, followed
Vaughn on the stand and her memory
as to what transpired in the shack
on the night of the murder was even
more hazy than Vaughn's. She SAID sne
was too drunk to remember much Of
81
walk perfectly straight"
She said she had paid no attention
to Mrs. Copperthite. could not tell
what kind of dress she wore and
said when she went through her room
in the morning she thought she was
When questioned further Mrs.
Rhodes acknowledged having placed
the twelve-month-o child. Joseph
Copperthite, on its mothers breast.
Own Dress Bloodstained.
When confronted with a blood
stained dress of her own, she said
the stains had been on 1t for more
than two months.
Mrs. Mary Scherrer. who lives on
houseboat within stones throw
of the Rhodes shack, told Of having
been there early Thursday afternoon
and of having seen Brannan strike
Mrs Copperthite. 1T was then I
left for my own home" said the wit
ness. She said she demonstrated with
James Copperthite. husband OF the
slain woman. testified briefly as to
his wife's actions on the Wednesday
preceding the crime. He said she had
left his house. with her child. to go
shopping in the city, and the next he
heard of her was when he was notl-
fed she was dead.
George w. Swink and Sheriff Gle
ments we've called to identify blood
stained articles picked up in the
shack after the murder.
Sheriff Clement; ta sbs that 1bsas said At he s
o'clock yesterday morning, when
Vaughn. whom he had known for
wears. told him that woman was
dead down on the river.
HE said" declared the officer, that
7 might bring a doctor. but he was
AFRAID it was too late. He then told
me TO meet him at the freight yards.
and he would direct me to the shack.
He met me, and. in company with
Deputy Sheriff Kines, we rounded up
Mrs. Rhodes and Brannan ana placed
them under arrest"
81 asked Vaughn" continued the
oficer, "how it happened, and he told
me that Brannan had been beating
Mrs. Copperthite and that he went
away. He added that when he return
ed about 8 o'clock the woman was
lying on the ground near the mouse
md that he and Brannan and Mrs.
Rhodes carried her inside the house,
because they thought she was dead.
Later Mrs. Rhodes told me practically
the same thing. ana tnen eausnt ner-
Copperthite bfuis ised herseir IN some
way and just died.
The autopsy conducted by Coroner
Swain revealed that the woman had
died from q blood clot on the brain.
caused by a fracture OF the left tenn
In his official report Coroner Swain
Enumerated bruises all over the VIC
tirn's body, which would go to show
that she was literally beaten to
death.
Hannes ane ,'EW ~ 9. Pickett. W. P. Ames.
J. A. Thomas. g. A. Rueker and zeb