New-York tribune., 1922-12-22
Free Mrs. Hirsh
In Shooting of
Her Husband
Couple Embrace in Court
After Jury Acquiis Wom-
an Of Charge Growing
Out of Party Last June
They Admit Drinking
Wife Says She Remembers
Very Little After Dancing
Until She Was in Jail

Mrs. Hazel IIirsh, charged with as
sault following the shooting Of Oscar
Hirsh, her husband, al the home OF
Reino Davis IN Freeport. L. l.. last
June, was acquitted yesterday BY a jury
in The Nassau County Court al Mineola
The iury was out an hour and eighteen
minutes.
When the verdict was announced the
accused woman. pretty. petite and
blond, dropped her head on her arms
outstretehed on the counsel table al
which she sat, and broke into tears,
There we're tears in the eyes Of hex
husband, too, who sal beside her Tie
put his arms around his wife and com
fortsd her. She recovered and clasp.
ing her hands behind his neck kissed
him again and again. A few moments
later County Judge Smith discharged
Mrs. Hirsh from custody.
There was a reunion In the corridors
Of the courthouse. Mrs. Hirsh, break
ing alternately into smiles and tears,
embraced her husband, her attorney
George Levy, and her friend, Mrs. Leo
Garlic.
'Yery Happy" She Says
81 am very happy" Mrs Hirsh said
10 reporters. "and ! am going to show
BY my future life that appreciate and
deserve this verdict"
"Ths finest Christmas present ] ever
had. was her husbands comment.
The feature testimony Of the after
noon was Supplied by Mrs. Hirsh her
self, who said frankly that az the time
Of her husbands shooting she wsl
80 drunk that she did not know what
had happened. Hlrsh also admitted
drunkenness. He said he was very
very drunk"
II danced 90 badly that l left th'
floor" Mrs. Hirsh said, describing th'
proceedings az Refine Davis's laWT
party. Jefferson Bender, one OF M
guests. testified that Mrs. Hirsh wai
80 far gone" that he Cancelled a dance
with her because he knew che was II
no condition TO dance.
Mrs. Hirsh said that she could re
member very little after she had qui
dancing until she found herself IN lai
az Mineola. Her memory as 20 th'
actual shooting, she said, was vague
She reniemb bered that she had seer
her husband sitting on bench, viii
a revolver in his hand, and that he hs'
muttered something about shooting
himself
Her Memory Not Clear
81 remember rushing toward him,
Mrs. Hirsh said. "There was an eX
plosion. After that do not remember
anything clearly. / can recall being IL
my own home, with some one putting
cold cloths on my head, and remem
Der being in an automobile on the way
20 the jail"
Other witnesses corroborated these
statements and those Of her husband a.
10 their condition. Mrs. Diana listtar
said that they were a loving couple
more so than the average. She added
that on the occasion OF the lawn party
Mrs. Hirsh was drinking great deal
"highballs, cocktails, anything any on'
offered her"
Almost every one at the party, sh'
said, was drunk. She had remained
sober herself because she did no
drink much. Mrs Hirsh had taken so
or eight highballs. she said.
Hirsh testified that he had drums
himself into melAneholia and was con
templating suicide when the shooting
occurred.
Refine Davis Is a sister Of Marion
Davies. the film star. Miss Davies SA'
not a guest az the party. Their iatner
City Magistrate Bernard Douras' wa
present and was a witness AZ The trial.