Evening star., 1923-08-13

me and said, Let us pray to our God.s
Then she tucked her head under my
arm, as she loved to do, and prayed
long and fervently; when she had fin
ished she held me tight and sobbed:
"Oh, I would give anything if l could
take back some awful things l have
attempted to do
What's that?' I demanded
Never mind she said, stroking my
face, if you love me you will never
question me about this again."
! "'All right ] replied, If that is the
me you will never try anything like
that again She never answered"
Under the direct examination of
Mr.. Weinberg, Mr.. Kepner testified
same one he had on the day he found
| his wife dead. He admitted he had
changed to another suit the night OF
Mrs. kepner's death. He said he had
| to stand by the door of his room
while he changed because the body
! of his wife lay on its cooling board
| in the same chamber and he felt very
nervous as a result OF the day mar
rowing ordeal.
J Gifts to Waitress.
Referring to his friendship with
{ Miss Ricketts,, Kepner said it was the
| girl, not he. who made the first ad-
vances, although he later admitted
| that he had begged her several times
! to take a ride with him before she
f, finally consented. Asked the largest
! amount of money he ever gave her
| at one time, kepner said it was
| ''about $50" Enumerating the gifts
other than money. he named a wrist
! and added silk hose when Mr.. Vein
! berg reminded him of them.
| II first went to the place where
Miss Ricketts works" he said. when
some friends told me 1T was a cheap
place to get a light lunch. For sew
eral months 1 did not know there
was such a person in the store as
Miss Ricketts,. Then one day she
came to my table and spoke to me.
Five months had elapsed before 1
She sat and said: What do you do
evenings" She replied: Nothing in
particular" and said. What do you
say to an automobile ride some
| evening" She shook her head and 1t
| was a month later that l again asked
her but she put me off. Finally she
did go and during the last four or
! Ave monthe we took rides more fire.
ouently. sometimes once week.
sometimes twice and occasionally
three or four times. Often she wv Mould
make sandwiches and would fill up
my thermos bottle with near-beer
| and we would stop for little lunch
| Took Liquor Along.
| Later Mr.. Kepner. his whole man.
ner suddenly quieter. told Of taking
whisky and wine along. but added.
i under the examination of his coun-
sell that he was in the habit OF
| keeping liquor in his car because
! his mother-in-law had asked him not
| to bring any into the house. Both
/ he and his wife, before her death,
were accustomed to drink. he said.
| referring to Miss Eleanor Houck,
his maiden sister-i law, Kepner said
soon after his wife's death she had
accused him and sworn she would
abreak him." declaring she would get
the very clubs and fraternities. of
! which he was member. to help
her in the process.
! "She told me-" the witness testi-
| fed. that l was no good and rotten
Denies Touching Pistol.
Carefully guided by his counsel.
Mr.. Kepner told of keeping the death
nistoi on the mantelpiece of his bed
room, always wrapped in a piece of
! cloth. He said 1t was fully loaded,
! "and ready to shoot" The witness
said he carried It on his last trip to
\ Harrisburg and brought 1t back again
in the condition-re TO snoos. t..
It in your hands?" asked Mr.. Wein-
mo, SIR" replied the nearly ex-
Never even touched it7" suddenly
I thundered Judge Edward c. Peter,
\ one of the trial Judges.
mo, SIR" replied Kepner in a weak
voice, and promptly sat down. appar-
entity too weak to stand longer. He
had been on the stand for three and
4 half hours. and the court adjourned
uH.ii l:sV . CLOCK tor lunch.