The Washington herald., 1922-01-27
Jury Out 5 Hours and a
Half in Case of Widow
OF Slain Persian.
DECLARES SHE
SHOT AT HERSELF
Brief Trial Ends at Mid
night in Triumph for
The Defense.

Mrs. Lydia G. Molayi. 20 years
old, charged with second degree
murder in connection with the
shooting and killing Of her hus-
band, Abdul G. Molayi. a Persian
antique dealer. April IL last. at their
rooms, 1914 Rhode Island avenue
northwest, was set free last night
at midnight by Chief Justice Nc
Coy. in Criminal Court No. /. after
the jury had brought in a verdict
Of not guilty.
The jury. which retired at 5:l5.
informed the deputy marshals at
the door at l0:45 that they had
agreed upon a verdict. and Chief
Justice Mccoy was summoned.
As the foreman of the jury said
Not guilty" Mrs. Molavi gave a
weak little groan and keeled over
on the table. being revived by her
attorney. T. Morris wampler, and
her friends.
Trial Lasts Only Two Days.
The case required but two days
to try. Mrs. Molavi was the FIRST
white woman to be tried on a MUIR
der charge in the local courts for
twenty years.
Until the prosecution, represented
by Assistant District Attorneys En-
erson and Presmont. introduced a
passionate love letter, alleged to
have been written by the woman TO
a prisoner at the jail, after she
had been released on bond. no one
who had watched the TRIAL closely
had any doubt about the outcome.
The letter proved to be bomb
shell to those who were sure of an
acquittal, but from the verdict II
is evident that TIE jury did not
give the epistle much consideration.
No murder case in recent years has
been as hard fought both by the
prosecution and defense lawyers as
has this one, even though the trial
was short.
p-~.eruft.u Haudy~npped.
s.,, h.ndIcanned
. 80 nre,tz, woman
Th.ro were NO eve
AT VIZ ,L shoo,inr The de-
"I,neses .,Sn., W h., yyemnler was
hrIef and 10 the point. The wom-
prie, ,a,oS that after she
hnS had ouarreled he
ano ~ t,o. - ,bo silent treat
"a ,rable 70 stand il any
,n So testifed. she went to
S, drower in the room and
-, ont tho automatic pistol.
while her husband lay on the bed,
with his pajamss on ana news
paper over his face IL was t'
she held the pistol. as she tnousnt'
toward herself and told hih sne
was going TO kill herseh' pui'ins
the trigger. Ar.
Instead of shooting hersei, '"'
bullet struck hiih IN III. hord
The prosecution put up
fight against the defense OIL accioen
tai shooting. Emerson rePea'es ~
called the jury's attehuon 'ne
fac that if Mrs. MolaEi hau ue p q"
nervous as she claimed 10 haNe o ,,,n
when pointing ana iIhs ~.
trigger OF the weapon. she e.. -
have walked the oistance y. -
feet from the bureau "h :
was Kept to her husoahu s
without having tired the suh
she got as close 10 MN as she
tually did.
Mrs. Molavi was pictured 10 .e
jury as a woman: VINO naNIhs -
ten tired OF her husosnu
ness. sought TO get rio oi MN an"
then excuse her acl .. tne
the accloen'at
weapon.
scored by Prosecution
Her testimony that she was grief
stricken over his death. and her re-
heated statements that she had al
ways been faithful &c him were
rcundly scored by the prosecution.
To offset this testimony M. Elmer
sen introduced the letter already
referred TO.
The letter Is conceded by those
who read 1t, TO be masterpiece OF
expression. The wnole thlhg Is
passionate out-pourine OF a worn
ans heart 10 another man Inc
prosecution hau H0peu' ps 'e i
/ . I.,N hn n