San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1923-02-01
MRS. stowe To
TAKE STAND IN
. MURDER TRIAL
Witnesses Thursday Morn
ing Tell Of Cruelty Of
Murdered Man.
USED A BLACKSNAKE
Introduce Fourteen Wit
nesses Thursday Who Tell
Of Family Trouble.

Mrs. Pearl Stowe, on trial for MUIR
der of her husband. George Stowe, dairy
man, will take the stand in her own de-
Tense Thursday afternoon, it was an
nounced Thursday noon when court
adjourned. Fourteen witnesses were
placed on the stand by the defense
Thursday morning, their testimony
dealing with cruelty of Stowe toward
his family.
Practically every witness introduced
testified that Stowe had a bad rcputa
ton in his community in regard to tenn
per and ill-treatment of his family.
]. II. Bcllieu, dairyman. brother Of
the defendant, living fourteen miles out
on the Frio City road, testified he saw
bruise on Mrs. Stoves neck once
where Stowe had hit her and that be
told his brother iH-law never TO let him
see him do anything like that. He said
upon examination by William Sch!essin-
ger, defense counsel, that il George
Stowe made threat he would prob
| ably carry il out.
L. H. Terrell, TBS Probandt street,
testified that George Stowe came to his
house one night with a shotgun in his
hand and asked II Mrs. Stove was
there. He testified to seeing Stowe beat
his son Hugh with a buggy whip. Mrs.
Terrell also testified to seeing the son
beaten.
Hear Him Block Away.
W. a. Wells, who lived neat door to
the family for year, testified that
Stowe woke him up ABBOTT ) o'clock
every morning when he would talk loud
10 his boys in the COW lot. Tie said
that Stowe used to whip his boys with
a COW whip. Mrs. r. Il. Tea of Poteet
said that they lived within block of
the family and that she had heard Stowe
cursing his boys a block away.
w. c. Wells of COL South street told
mercifully until he almost give out
four or five times.
"If you don't do what ] want you to
do. I'll beat you to death" Wells testi-
fled the father said once while whip
ping Hugh. He said once SOMEBODY sent
for a humane officer while Stowe was
beating his boys. Leonard Harris,
brother-in.law of George Stowe. testi-
fled that the Stowe boys came 10 IN
he was years. He said that be had
never heard Stowe say a civil or kind
word to his wife and that he used pro-
fame language when addressing her.
Much of his testimony was objected to
by the state who were sustained.
Looking for Trouble.
He told of seeing wcitS ON Hugh
Stoves back as big ms his finger after
bis father had whipped him with black
snake.
Police Captain r. c. Trcvino testi-
fled that the Stowe boys came to him
the day before the tragedy and asked
for police protection saying that their
mother wanted to leave the place and
that they were afraid there would be
trouble.
Tony Mahavier was called as a wit
ness and testified upon cross-examina
ton that the boys worked as hard as
any other boys he had ever seen hut
that it didn't suit Stowe. Levi Stove.
second cousin of the deceased. testified
that the family came TO him the day be
fore the killing and asked for prntec.
ton. Stowe is driver of the police
emergency car.
The state rested its case at 10
U ClbGh w fuutShdss lNlibN lllS NNilGAhclVh
of the testimony of William Riebe. I'M
dertaker, who described the wounds in
Stoves body. A motion filed by
Leonard Brown. counsel for the defense.
for an instructed verdict was over
ruled by the court and after a fifteen
minute recess the defense placed its
first witness on the stand.
Dead Mans Brother Testifies.
Sam Stowe. brother of the dead man.
was the principal witness for the state
at the afternoon session of court. He
described the visit of Mrs. Stowe to the
Stowe home on the afternoon preceding
the killing and the conversation regard
ing the division of the property. On
cross-eXaminatiOn Stowe admitted that
George Stowe had jumped to his feet.
with an open knife in his hand, dur
ing the conversation and that he had
grabbed him. He identified a pocket
knife as the one Stowe had in his
hand. He denied that the dead man
had cursed his wife but admitted that
after the incident his brother remarked
to Mrs. Stowe: I've got pocket knife
in nv hand; now go and make an af-
fidavit against me-" Witness also de-
MED that the dead man had attempted
to stick the knife. in Henry, his son.
Witness denied that Stowe had cursed
his wife as she left the room, saying
that what Stowe did say was come