The Birmingham age-herald., 1922-06-12
Pretty Young WidolD of Festus Hughes Denies
 She Fired Fatal Shot
ncarcerated in City Prison Mrs. Hester Hughes Tells Age-Herald Newspaper Man What She Knows of Crime That Took From
 Her Man She Loved Devotedly

, what had happened. Our son, Paul. who reposed between us, was also awakened and my husband screamed as the bullet struck him. As arose 1 hurriedly I saw the man escaping from the window on the left toward the foot of the bed. My husband told me to summon Mir. Kelly, a neighhor who lives just across the street. l did | not know how badly my husband was 1 injured and while l was throwing on 1 some wraps and talked hurriedly to 1 my husband, he said for inc to make haste so Mr. Kelly could get physi- elan, but he said he didn't think he
 was dangerously wounded.
 SunimOneds Neighbours Aid After 1 sumnfoned assistance from MT. Kelly I returned home instntly and into the bedroom. When l went to my husbands side and spoke. try ing to arouse him, l discovered he 1 was insensible and delirious. Noticing the wound which cost him his life, 1 became sick, warmth seemed to come over me and for few moments I didn't know what I was about. I
 don't think my husband lived more than 10 or 15 minutes afterwards" Relating the death scene, the woman who a few moments before was ap- parently calm, became nervous when telling of the last minutes of her hus-. bands life on earth, and wept. T love him, God knows I do, and know there is a just God in heaven who
 will deliver me from these prison walls.'S
 Hears Sunday Sermon
 Re ye of good cheeri Not even a sparrow falleth to the ground but what our Heavenly Father knoweth," declared Rev. Richard NJ. Smith, who spoke at the city Jail as Is his cus- tom each Sunday. and he stood on the free side of the prison bars with scribe on his right, who before his i arrival was interviewing the bereaved widow, she turned her eyes toward
 heaven in silent prayer as the minis
 ter invoked the blessing of the AL
 mighty.
 Not a morsel of bread has passed her lips since she was incarcerated in , the prison cell, she said. Confined with her were other women. perhaps less fortunate, whose sins had found
 them out, but who did not believe in giving audience to the word from the Scripture and turned for q nap on
 theIr iron cots as the minister spoke his text and sang hymns telling of thc love of the Messiah for the fallen.
 Mrs. Hughes alone listened interest
 ingly and when the service was con- edly and when the service was con had absorbed every word.
 Says She Fears Nothing Returning again to the night of the tragedy, Mrs. Hughes was pleasant l in answering every question asked her. "I fear nothing." she said bravely. T hope 10 return to Tusca- loosa tomorrow and l have faith in
 my belief that I will be declared free. But my boy--that is what inter
 ests me more than anything right
 now. They say he can't go back with me. but I don't think there is q law that will withhold him from memo human law, at any rate"
 Returns to Tuscn1oOsn Officers of the sheriffs office at Tuscaloosa will arrive in Birmingham today to return the sorrow burdened
 woman for trial, where at her pre- i l'minary, which will take place imne- diately, she maintains hope of being 1 liberated.
 T am not contrary to returning to | Tuscaloosa" she said. 'I would never
 have left there in the beginning bad gossiping tongues not begun wagging l against me"
 Confident of returning to Birming- i ham soon, she said this was her sec- ond time here. having been here last year as her sisters guest, where she was arrested Saturday night. But l like Birmingham, and when I am 1 freed of this terrible charge, 1 shall return she promised