The Washington times., 1922-04-22
.K|L[EDBECAUSE
He KISSED Me-:
WIDOW ASSERTS
California Woman Declares
Act Justified in Defense
Of Honor.

Flinging the pistol on the table be-
.ore the pallid woman. the Chief OF
'olice thundered:
Now, tell us why you killed him?"
And the woman, Jesuitsa d Agos-
tint. erect, scornful. replied without
l tremor Of fear, without a trace OF
regret:
II killed him because he kissed
me-"
The calmness with which she Of
fered this amazing justification for
a killing staggered the Oakland police
official. Only few hours before.
Arnold Postel. a wealthy married
merchant OF Alameda, was found
dead with a little round hole in his
forehead and the back blown out OF
his head"--and the weapon had been
traced to this handsome Spanish
widow.
Had Slain Husband.
They recognized her on sight as
the woman who had three years ago
slain her husband, with the same
pistol. That killing, she had eN.
planned Just as quietly, was commit
ted in defense of her children-itnd
she had not even been brought to
trial.
But this Alameda homicide was no
family affair. The honor of the
State and the city was bound up In
IL and II was made clear to her that
she would be tried and that any.
thing she might say in advance OF
her appearance In court would be
used against her. But she said she
l,I oh
to the ordeal by interrogation. Then
came the opening question ana inc
astonishing answer.
When the chief recovered com
posure he repeated inCredulously:
"Hc kissed you? How often did he
kiss your"
Mrs. d'Agostini answered simply
HE kissed me once-so l killed
him"
No intensity OF speech, no emo
tionaIism Of manner marked her
statement. II was as though she
were merely stating the logical. in
eyitable result of a commonplace
act. He had kissed her once, 20 rhe
had killed him! What else was there
to do? What could anyone do other
wise?
At the request OF the police the
young widow wrote a confession,
complete in details and replete with
her philosophy. Mr.. Postel had been
bothering her a great deal with his
attentions, she said. She did not
like that, because he had the sweet
est wife in the world" and she her
self was not interested in the man.
He had tried to persuade her not
80 ~ af funeral
OF her father, but that was only be
cause he was afraid she would not
come back That kiss Of death was
intended, she said. to be a prelude
TO a greater wrong. for she krew
what men meant when their eye'
cleaned as Posters had that day
and she did not intend TO submit
to II.
When his lips sullied hers, she
killed him, because that was thu
time to do It exactly: not too soon
| for she had been by that act violated
in honor; had she been able to ftgh
him off, she would not have ki!lec
him. for there would have been M
real cause; she had not shot him to'
late eIther-for he had died whil'
his lips were still warm and hor'i
cold from that kiss. And as for th'
rest. Jesulta d'Agostini wrote In he
confessions:
II have my grave all paid for, ant
II people will put me in II soon
will be very thankful to them. VIII,
would care TO have anything to d.
with a woman who has killed i've
men? I don't want to live in thi
world, but I am not afraid to live II
the next. have no future here
only hereafter.
But I am glad that killed Arnol'
Postel. He was a pest. and he kisse,
me. He annoyed me always with hi
talk OF marrying me, and he with tn
sweetest wife any one would car
to have"
The woman's husband was banl
cashier, rated as a lover Of womel
and drink. She killed him during !
struggle in their home in the pres
cnCe Of their children.