Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-10-27
|V0MEN WITNESSES
| GIVE TRIAL COLOR
|s..timony Of Defense Repre-
sents Warp and Woof Of
Roster Case
|,eveALs LOYALTY TO SEX
By PEGGY LUKES

..uro MUf of John X. X. Scott's defense
II Katherine Roster so far.
IDIn DIn,r;nc ou the presentation Of the Com.
!p.wealth's case. barryine the brief
nOn;% nOn;c appearancc of Mrs. Tillie
S.ast;tt only two women were used on
A. stand and they we're connected but
|;nSirectly and in n technical way with
ny Somc r of these women who are brought
!. tho stand BY the defense are dif.
%,snt I Thcy go from their places in
IN. hacked courtroom in the calmest,
n most self. possessed manner, It is true.
I'U Ili,boueh none of them has ever testi.
s.a in n courtroom before, they answer
I.ho 6rst questions with seeming com.
Ip0s'ire. ~
s'%rh They ere women supplying the com
|,lpte warp and woof Of this tragedy.
They nrc women outwardly happy.
|.,vinr out, sometimes in dry. sharp
.nswers, sometimes in long unbroken
|,srrls s of voice. the pi'edon misery that
ISss hidden in the lives Of some women.
Woman Tells of IIeartbreak
Yesterday afternoon Mr.. Minerva
yo,tbewson, who has been looked on
sSib envy and pride in this courtroom
ssSausc she Is the beloved old mother
y n famous son, Christy Nlathcwson,
soor the stand. Bravely in her pretty
sio,hes she nm wered the first questions.
Then In n minute she was using her
N,tlo white laced ledge handkerchief.
IIsr secret sorrow was told to them.
Sba had n song who broke her heart
I'm, ago, when he committed suicide.
IIer brother, the grandfather OF Gather
Inc Roster died an insane man In her
Mrs. Sue Reid, mother of Catherine
Roster, was the first witness on the
stand this morning. She wore a grace
mi darke blue dress. brown beaver
coat and smart taupe. .colored tOquc,
Snisbed off with n neat, dotted veil. She
jooks TO be woman of forty eight or
6fty years.
Sitting in the court room she looked
no different than any other Of the hum
drels Of we'll dressed women who set
with urapt faces looking on at the un .
folding of this tragedy.
As she went to the stand it was so
easy to think her woman legally in
yolyel In court, perhaps because her
maid of all work had stolen n pin of
| hers perhaps she had happened to be
present at street car accident and
was kind enough to give her name as
witness. \
A stir went through the courtroom
when it became known that this was
the mother Of Catherine Roster. The
men and women packing 1t in long aisles
and rows expected sensation.
She afforded them none at all at
| fnt.
Then it came. not in the quality of
It's giving, hut in the sheer bare story
Of the misery that can come packed in
one womans life.
A Story Of Life's Misery
Her father was insane and lived as
. hermit she said. Little boys used
10 follow him on the street. and once
be kicked Il bureau to pieces in their
home
Her first husband was man who
heat her and drank. II" made ner
|heep on the floor, she said. Once he
ehOked her till her neck was red and
then she said she herself tried to com :
|nit suicide
She has a son, she pointed out, who
haS not walked since he was three years
DID, He Is eight years old now and
lies in bed all day.
And then. finally, she told the moth :
Gs part sh" has had to play in the
life Of he" daughter, Catherine Roster.
Twice ST. broke down in the course
of it.
All the women who testified were not,
course. directly connected with the
life of Mrs. Roster. The point that
Impressed one most about the giving OF
heir testimony was that air of defen
ve loyalty that colorcd it.
Woman's Legally Manifest
Women are sometimes said not to
nake loyal friends for each other. but
hat was not found in the courtroom
IBIS morning.
A feature of the morning was the
,slimony OF her Xt-dOor nrighbor
Mrs, Dorothy VI. Clcgg. of q Kent
Dad. Sh" wore II black silk frock anG
heavy s"alSkin cont and she fingered q
arng OF pearls ncrvously as she talked
she Is young woman, pretty, witt
aondc lmlr >martly showing under tho
ages OF little black -fruitcd full hat
EAe had probably never been in =
courtroom before. 1t was easier to
PctnrC her tending 10 the happy light
parlrh dLtI"n of the quiet home in
tohehUr,,. She was nervous. too, but
@ loo kh"t part bravcly ard in IL nice
emlnlN" vo!rr did her best for the t:tlt
eW 'ooor i."lghbor who was in trouble
NrH. Beatrice Sinclair was rather {:
rNa'loI OF the morning in the way
witness. She wore lovely clothe.
Ahd wore them well.
n'r irurI; wah dark blue canto,
vp'' ana She wnr" about her neck /,
'ing OF jade bcad9, reaching nlmus
lhroWn oyer her shoulders was {
E PACK cape. n soft, black ful
o,ar abour her neck. \ large b!url
rvrt nat was crushed down on wav!
ane %r"rn Of her beads, and jad,
XVII sllk 'inng to the cape. was III,
mS oit of co'or which served as re-
"l 10 h"r black clothing.
Nhc spok" distinctly, in n well
iu'n''u oSi,n'i''u yo!r", never faltcring, no
i tsna'nS. giving forth an unmistakabl
=" 'Hllur" and assurance.
~ Srok" we'll for the profession o
t"TSnleh Teh g"wns' when In the courst
r, mst testimony no woman was Il bi
sspilS'a /" learn that this one OF THEN
w"""H eHEdgrd in that occupation.
bec,on m"n''n held thric breath when Il
MI IJ"ne M known that she had know,
a "' "d MorR"d under Oscar Roster befor,
"''ti'd little Catherine Chappell.