Evening star., 1922-01-26
.PROSECUT|ON:USES
! | RACY toVE.l|ETTER
Declares Mrs. Moiavi, Ac-
/. cused as Slayer, Wrote
| EpistIe to Man in Jail.

The introduction by the prosecution
today of a love letter written by Mrs.
Lydia Kanode Molavi, twenty-four-
year.old widow, who Is on trial
before Chief Justice Mccoy and
Jury in Criminal Division. i on
charge of murder in the second
degree, to John Howry, a prisoner
now at Atlanta, whom she met In the
jais came as a great surprise to the
defense.
from River Springs. Md, where Mrs
MoIayi was visiting a relative shortly
after her release on bail ana ABOUT
. ten weeks after the shooting Whicn
resulted in the death of her husoano.
Abdul IL. Molavi, Persian antQue
Cealer.
Howry while in Jail awaiting sen
tence on a charge OF false pretenses
was employed as druggist ana .tooh
the medicine to female patients:
cause of the sensational and, lntlnate
phra aseology of the epistle Chief JUS
tic MCCOY would not allow the letter
to be read in court. there psins
number of women in the auolencs'
The. manuscript. the writing OF Wnicn
was, admitted by the accused !ou.ss
woman, was handed to the july ssd
directions that 1t should be per 1se1
by each of the members the chiei
Justice took a short recess Wnlie ,ne ,,,
Jurors were reading the iettef, ~nl
covered several sheets and was ciose-
ly written. =
Recalls Defendant.
When the court rtconveneo A,.os
ney, WampIer. who safd nc AZ uo.
aware of the existence of the letter.
recalled the defendant and attempted
to show by her that Howry had oeen
kind to her at the jail and that she
had become infatuated with him.
Capt Emerson objected and tne
court refused to recelNe the ans" "erss IT'S
Mr.. Wanpler then sought to have the
witness tell that she had read many
Persian and French love stories ana
had even written letter to her ueaa
husband while in Jail, using the plank
margin around an adver;isemsntt mem
Justice ruled this letter out unless
counsel would say that he was claim
ing insanity as defense.
Mr.. Wampler then asked Mrs: Mo-
lavi hoy size came towrite the Ietter
to Howry, and when the court. on on
lection form the government, declined
to permit her to answer. the accused
burst into tears and appeared ABOUT
to COLLAPSE. She was assisted from the
Stand b. her sister, and the court
crier, who went to her aid. AFTER
wait of five minutes she regalned ner
composure. hut did not again take the
stand.
Mrs. Molavi testified late yesterday
afternoon and declared that the
shooting of her husband was an accl-
dent and that she had no Intention
of hArming him. She was vlslDty al
fected in the narration of the de-
tails of the tragedy, and on one DC
casion burst into tears and for some
time was unable to proceed. Sne
told of how she had Quarreled win
her husband and that he had refdsed
to become reconciled with her ana
had not spoken to her for hours, al
though she had rendered him GER
tain attentions like offering him tea
and adjusting lamp to aid his read
ing, tlndfly she determined 10 leiSn
leaving him, in the hope that this wooio
break down the wall of silence.
while she was packing her VaHse'
ahe came across his pistol in bureau
drawer and the thought occurred 70
her shat IL she threatened to commit
suicide he would surely speak to her
and prevent her.
AS she was raising the revolver 10
her shead to make more realistic her
acting, she said she smelled smoke
and saw her. husband fall onto the
i floor, She never heard the report OF
the pistol and had no idea of explod-
ing it, she averred.~ She said she had
never shot pistol before In her life
On cross-examinat ton by Assistant
United States Attorney Emerson the
defendant declared her love and anec-
ton, for her husband and denied that
he had ever accused her of intimacy
with other men.