The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1922-11-15
HERE'S MORE ABOUT
ST0RRS CASE
STARTS 0N phCC ONE

moving 10 okanoEan. where h. was
employed AZ an auto mechanic.
Al Of this time. Il was brought
out AZ the trial. storrs was making
continuous and violent declarations
% ie-as 60 Ruth She. however.
aiihatood his attempts until March
10. 1918. when she Joined him AT
okhnognn and they registered az a
hotel ~ man and wife.
Followed week Of bliss--and
Then Ruth returned 10 Seattle.
apparently 10 insure her love
against any Interruption from
her lovers win.
Her first action upon reaching Sc
attic was 10 buy a quantity OF
sirychnlne. Then she called up Mrs.
storrs and asked her to have lunch
con with her IN IN. tea room Of tho
bon Msrche TO talk things over
Mrs storFs accepted and the two
met In the department store a abort
time later. They had an entirely
amicablo conversation a. they ate
thsir iuncheons--which started With
fruit cocktails.
Ruth assured Mrs. Storr~ that
she was straight" She admit,
ted that shc iovcd storrs. but
said she wouldn't have anything
TO do with him until MR.. storrs
divorced him. She said that she
would go 10 Alaska for several
months and agre~ not TO com
munieste with Storrx u his wife
wished.
II was quite q pleasant little
ehat--but a few minutes after II
began MIR. Storr~ suddenly col.
lap>ed and WAS carried. writhing
In agony. TO the dressing room.
There she died few minutes
ister--and experts who examined
her stomach determined that
death had resulted from . huge
dose Of stryehnine, administered
In her fruit cocktail.
That was the afternoon OF March
Is. 1919. Al a. IN. tho next morn.
ing Ruth was arrested Al first she
protested her innocence to Capt. OF
Detectives Charles Tenant and
Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Jack
Carmody. Mrs. storrs had seemed
nervous. she said. she thought II
highly likely that she had committed
suicide.
She was 80 composed. her story
was NO straightforward. that at first
the authorities we're inclined to he
iieve her. But suddenly she broke
down. Yes. she had done II. She
wanted her man.
A little over month later she was
brought to trial. She pleaded not
guilty on account OF temporary in.
sanity. and the jury sustained her
plea. On May she was acquitted
because OF mental responsibility"
and committed to the women's ward
OF the state penitentiary at Waila
Walla for treatment.
There. with the exception OF one
brief excursion. she has remained
ever since.
In June, 1919. abe was taken out
OF the penitennsry to testify at
the trial Of her lover. Douglas
Storrs. Una,ole 20 impIicate him In
the murtisf. the authorities had
charged him with seduction. and
he went on trial in okanogan on
June s.
Aitho siill declaring her love
for him, Ruth took the stand
as states witness and barred
every detail Of her Illicit rela-
tions with storrs. As n result
he was convicted and given the
maximum sentence--from four
years and eleven months 30
five years In the state peniten.
tiary.
Storrs made a long fight for his
freedom. but his last appeal WIS
finally denied. and he started serv.
ing his sentence on April 10. 1871
only few feet away from the GID
who had slain his wife.
His friends have been working |
hard for a pardon ever since. and !
their efforts we're capped with sue |