The Omaha morning bee. [volume] (Omaha [Neb.]) 1922-1927, 1924-03-22
Grim Battle
of Conviict's
Wife Ends
IYear.Old Baby Cries in Vain
for Dead Mother, Stunned
by Relatives and
Society.
Unclaimed in Morgue

She was only a convict's wife.
Stunned by the world, driven from
the parental roof, she sought to pro-
vide home for herself and her To-
months-old baby until her husbands S
debt to society had been paid and he
again could rejoin her.
Seeking to escape the shame which
mention Of her name called to mind
in her homeland, she sought Colum-
bus, Neb., as haven. There she
labored to provide money with which
to establish her own little home.
After work was done, 1t was to her
baby that she hurried. Tender hands
cuddled it and gentle talk lulled it
to sleep. Then, those loving hands,
roughened by hard work. would pick
UP the fine and lacy cloth which she
had deprived herself to buy and
painstakingly sew it Into garments
for the little body. 1t was for her
baby, and confidence, strengthened by
letters from the Missouri state prison,
that bore her up in the grim battle
with life.
Then Death.
And then, death came.
Suffering with poison which was
soon to snuff out her life, Mrs. Eliza
beth Justin. only IS. sobbed out her
life story to the attending nurse. She
was only a charity patient, but when
her story became known the hearts
OF the girl nurses were touched and
all that humans could do was per-
formed In her behalf.
As she lay dying . man who
claimed to be her father called at the
Of her room. A look and nod and he
passed on. Not g. word Of cheer or
forgiveness was granted the dying
g!rl-wife and mother.
Police officers, hardened by the
tragedies of life, were unanimous in
statements that # was suicide. Then
the girls story was told on her death
he'd. She emphatically denied that
she had taken the poison with suicidal
intent.
Mystery Investigated.
Her story is believed Touched by
the hasd lot that life dealt her. po-
lice are investigating and an inquest
and postmortem examination will be
made. The mystery of how the poison
was administered is the chief topic
on the minds of police.s
The story of the girls life. as un-
folded after her death, reads like a
y~~drama.
Living in Agra. Kan. she was an
unsophisticated, small town girl.
Then, he came into her life. w.
A. Ji,stin, ex-convict. familiar with
the ways of world, paid ardent court
and won the heart of the girl. Plans
for their marriage were made.
Parental objections were met and,
under threat of being barred forever
from home, she married the man.
1t was with forged checks that he
obtained money to have the cere-
mony performed. Som his nemesis.
the police, were on his trail and he
was sent to the state prison at JEFF
ferson City. Mo.
No Hero Appears.
No hero appears to bring about a
happy ending to this drama Of real
lie.
The body Of the girl. gray In dealt,
like the prison pallor OF her hus.
band, lies unclaimed In the Columbus
morgue.
The husband, suffering for his past
deeds, was able to send only the fol.
lowing telegram: mo funds. Bury
there decently as possible. Will pay
you when released"
A. M. Cowdry, Agra. Kan, the
father, has failed to reply to ines.
sages asking what disposal to make
of -he body.
And. In the Pacific hotel at Colum.
bus. baby is waiting I'm vain for
mother 1t will never see. The lips
from which endearing words were
wont to flow are sealed forever. The
tender hands which were wont to