The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1923-02-20
WIFE
THREATENED
BY TYP|ST
Lawyer Testifies Mrs. Richard
son Said She Would Kill
Him Before Tragedy.
CONTINUED from First Page.)

Continued from First Page)
ing the statement. 1t was finally
agreed that an effort should be made
to have Strang brought to court If
It was practicable to do so.
Herbert e. Richardson, jr., di-
vorced husband of Mrs. Richardson,
admitted, when recalled today to the
stand by the defense, that the medal
received by him for bravery on the
field Of action in France was similar
to those received by every other
member Of the unit to which he was
attached, the purpose of the defense
being to show that the citation was
nothing out of the ordinary.
The defense plans to put Pollard
himself on the stand this afternoon,
and If possible to rest it's case be-
fore the close Of the day.
Pollard Is Confident.
That Pollard would be equal to
the ordeal was not doubted by
those who have observed his stoical
demeanor and composure since he
first appeared in court.
Despite the fact that all the
sorClid details of his life with his
former typist have been laid bare
by the Commonwealth in it's efforts
to establish that he had a motive to
get rid Of her in order that he
might be free and unhampered in
showering his attentions on a new
affinity, Mrs. Bertha Louise Beck,
pretty and coquettish choir singer
of South Richmond, Pollard re-
turned to his private quarters in
the city Jail last evening after ad-
journment Of court with confident
air and appeared in more bouyant
spirits than usual when he took his
accustomed seat in court today be-
side his two attorneys, Harry M.
Smith and the latter's son, Hiram
M. Smith.
Ready to Face Accusers.
He had apparently spent a rest
full night and displayed no evidence
Of uneasiness over the prospect of
taking the stand and undergoing a
grueling examination at the hands
of the prosecuting attorneys, Dave
e. Satterfield and Richard Evelyn
Bird, after his story of the fatal
shooting Of Mrs. Richardson, on the
lawn in front of his apartment at
2518 Grove avenue the night of
December II, had been unfolded to
the jury.
In facing the ordeal, he no doubt
recalled that the Commonwealth had
been unable to produce a single wit
ness who could swear that he DELHI
erately shot his alleged victim, as
the indictment charging first de-
gree murder set forth, and that it's
hope of conviction was evidently
based on circumstantial evidence
alone.
1t was his intention to rehearse
the story Of the tragedy in detail,
relating how he met Mrs. Richard
son at his front door in response to
a ring of the bell, and how she was
accidentally shot in an ensuing scuf-
file while she was making a frantic
endeaVor to recover possession of
the SiX-shOoter which he had
wrenched from her hand when she
first flashed it.
Defense To Ask AcquittaL
There was considerable specula-
ton today as to whether the jury
might possibly find him guilty of
second degree murder or nanslaugh-
ter in the event that 1t was unable
TO agree on q first degree verdict,
which calls for the death penalty
or a penal term ranging from tWen-
ty years to life imprisonment.
It was understood that the de-
Tense would ask for an instruction
acquittal If the jury is not
convinced that he purposely fired
the shot that pierced the heart or
his alleged victim and resulted In