Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-10-30
EE[ING Of COURT
i SHOWN FRANKLY
,sndkerchiefs Dot Room as
), Mrs. Roster Tells Pitiful
story Of Lies Flaws
pvuMAN RESTRAINT FADES
Rv PEGGY LukES

OAtherine NOsleI tVvS
IA il her own behalf TO-DAY. A..
n A courtroom stilled almost 70 tile
.0snee Of death. she pomrcG toith .ne
sssT % Of her Hawed little life to men
III women she had never known.
Shey flied the aisles ana the packet
/ I chairs and stood win toyercoats
Ss,sins on theft. arIii5 III the open
sssces Of the solemn couft. Jherc
~ men who had let work IN ,heir
sSess pile up to come TO study tue icsai
sSsses Of the cases. Ihere were women
ssssI furs who had come TO drink
Msir I'LL Of sensation.
Their motives were many tn9se VINO
- transfi1cd in the purcst quality OF
iuman pity. -.
r.,ootter was the sordid ltttle past
A. nresecution had cndeavored TO prove
sssinst ~ her and forgotten the hcartnchc
Ssnother had suffered.
= =, Wrongs Seem Enormous
shs was 10 little. so sick, so frail, and
Me wrongs that she had pictured We're
,snnarently 50 enormous. Her little
Jsek .ruf1ed sleeves hung pcignant'y rs
n faced them on the stand.
T"Cotherine Roster 10 tho stand.'
That was the signsl for her coming.
An jnmenAe hush fell over tho court
soom as her name was called.
u.ror ten. days they had watched her
Khdded In the black fur coat, seen the
sisr Of her face, read tho newspaper
ecunts Of what sbe did after each
dsy:s session.
Now they were 70 hear the sound Of
Ae voice.
II came finally,
tHWhat is your full namc:" she wns
uently asked.
'"Ca4ierine Roster" she said family.
Eaward Adamson, court ,attachc,
ieaned forward and steadied her frntl
Mttis body.
., Tells Story Brokenly
Shs did not wear her coat. 1t hung
apathetically on tho chair ut the side
n her counsel as she went to the stand.
Women's eyes travelled slowly to the
lhing Of 1t ceen for the first time. 1t
yas blue silk and there bluebirds on
h--for happiness.
In broken bits her story came or
sometimes in tho long stretch Of mono.
tone that Is sometimes used for tragedy
/ n plays. There was, though. no touch
Of the theatrical in Catherine Rosters s
voice. She speoke earnestly, simply.
Il vas as though now Of all moments in
he world she must be believed that she
loved Oscar Roster.
She had the voice Of q child. She
pwallowed often ond the corners Of her
mouth turned down always just as n
ehih's does. She had the voice of a
eAild, but 1t seemed to those who lis
tened that she wrung from her heart
story Of the fullest tragedy Of womnn-
hood.
II was q story such as will not be
beard in n courtroom for many a. day
asain. delving sometimes into the sordid
places whero men and women whisper
md vie desperately for the love of each
other and then lifting to tho quiet of
little home in the suburbs where they
~ baby in crib. where month
Mfore the crime o Christmas dinner
was earnestly prepared by the little mis-
trss Of such home.
g Women Week Frankly
There was earrestness and honest
ness in the story for tho women In the
courtroom because the things that would
asge broken their hearts seemed TO nave
broken the heart Of the frail little wom-
an on the stand, too. Long before the
actual dramatic recitation Of the crime
iitself came. they leaned forward frank
y and wept.
This was when Catherine Roster her
sef laid hcr head on the witness stand
md cried when she told them her hus-
band would not come; how she lay
alone with her baby in tho hospital
during those long evenings. It was
vhen he would not look at her pretty
cother. The conversations with Mil
dfed Reck!tt did not raise as much
rmpatbr from the auditors as did Os.
car Rosters crderf. that he would
g. with whom, he damned pleased" and
70 get tho hell out Of hero II che
,..a band played as Catherine Roster 9
Itts voice kept NJ It's cnrnest mono.