Evening star., 1922-01-25
MOLAW MURDER
TRIAL IS BEGUN
Government Aims to Show In
dicted Woman Slew Hus-
band Following Quarrel.

Testimony was commenced today
before Chief Justice Mccoy and a
jury in Criminal Division 1 at the
trial of Lydia Kanode Moiavi. twen-
ty-four years old, indicted for murder
in the second degree in connection
with the death of her husband, Abdul
Fl. Molavi, Persian antique dealer.
prove that. the, killing followed a
quarrel between the husband and
wife and inquired of the coroner
scratches on the faces of Molavi at
the time the autopsy was performed.
The prosecution sought to antici-
pate defepse Of suicide by asking
Coroner hewitt IL the wound de-
scribed by him as causing death could
have been self-inficted Attorney T.
Morris Wampler. for the defense, OBJ
jected to the testimony and the
court refused to permit the answer,
remarking that it was question for
the jury.
Later, when DR. Barnhart had told
of his conversation with Mrs. Molavi
when called to the house shortly after
the shooting. in which she stated
that her husband had shot himself
while she was packing her vaiise
preparatory to returning to her
mother after his refusal to become
reconciled to her, Attorney Wampler
sought to have the testimony ex-
Guided.
Overruled by Court.
The lawyer claimed that an excul-
patory statement. was no part of the
proSecution's case in chief. but the
chief justice overruled him and al
lowed the answer to stay in the
record because it contained state
ment of the quarrel.
Mrs. aIolavi closely followed the
Assistant United States Attorney
Emerson in opening the case for the
prosecution made probably the brief
est statement ever heard in a homi-
eide case in the District courts. He
refrained from going into the details
of the evidence and told the jurors
that If the testimony bore out the
allegations of the Indictment he
would expect a verdict of guilty.
Counsel for the defense reserved it's
opening statement. .-
DR.. Barnhart's Testimony.
After doctors had told about the
result Of the autopsy and explained
the position and nature Of the wounds
let fired on the occasion of the trag-
edy at the room Of the couple. at
1914 Rhode Island avenue. April II
last. the government called DR.. Grant
S. Barnhart of 1893 Rhode Island ave-
nue., who was the first person to find
was directed to the third floor and on
the landing found Mrs. Molavi crouch
ing to the floor and weeping hysteri-
calIy After he had examined the
body and finding the man dead and
had locked the room to await the
nvsrix af witness
stated he administered sedatives to
Mrs sMoiavi and while preparing the
medicine asked her about the occur
when he first. met the defendant on
the landing, he said. she was wailing:
ooh, Abdul, Abdul, how could you do
it% In heraexplanation. she told him,
witness said, she had some difference
with her husband over Il trivial. mat
ter and he had refused to speak to
her arter the Quarrel, despite her Ell
forts at a reconciliation. She then
announced to- her husband her de-
terminationsto return to her mother
and; was packing her yalise for this
purpose when she smelled smoke and
looking UP saw her husband lying on
the floor. DR.. Barnhart SAID he found
a pistol under the outserteched hand
Of the deceased when he examined the
body.
Members Of the Jury.
The Jurors who are to decide the
guilt or innocence of the young
widow are Milton Bairstow. lanes D.
Bii0h, Charles H. Brooke, Frank b.
Grove. jr.; 1. B. Dodson; J. w. Lohr, e.
]. McGoldrick, w. C. Miller, Alexan-
der Potter, Moses Reynolds. John ".
williams. and Rudolph Bakersmith.
Assistant United States Attorney
Presmont is aiding in the prosecution.
Detective Sergeant Fred Cornwall
was the next witness for the gov
ernment. He told Of confession al
legged to have been made by Mrs.
Molavi while. in custody ip jail be-
fore she had given bail. The de-
tective said the young woman had
admitted the, shooting giving as an
explanation that she could not stand