Evening star., 1927-05-08
MRS. SNYDER PUTS
FAITH IN IMMUNITY
Sex's Traditional Freedom
From Execution Keeps
Up Widows Hopes.
By the Associated Press,

By the Associated Fress.
NEW YORK. May IA man and
n woman, whose every gesture and
word have been "first-page stuff" for
many days twiddled their thumbs in
the seclusion Of their separate cells
In Long Island City's Jail today.
The man and woman are Henry
Judd Gray and Mrs. Ruth Brown
Snyder, both charged with the mur.
der Of Mrs. Snyders husband, Albert
Snyder. magazine art editor.
Mrs. Snyder, Jail attaches reported.
was confident that the jury, which is
expected to take the case Monday,
will not send her to the electric chair.
The blonde Widows confidence in the
traditional immunity of her sex from
capital punishment gave her fortitude
that was described by her guards as
"remarka BILE"
Gray Resigned to Death.
But Judd Gray. her little corset
salesman paramour, drew an equally
remarkable fortitude from resignation
10 death. his jailers said. I'm not
afraid OF the chair" they quoted him.
at is a source of contentment to me
to find myself unafraid, for probably
shall be sentenced to die. But I still
think / have a chance to escape the
chair"
bOLn iidu TSIlhiIGu III tf6LI EeliS
since they left the Queens County Su-
preme Court Friday afternoon, when
the taking of testimony was COM
pleted. During their testimony Mrs.
Snyder accused Gray of killing her
husband for his insurance and of fol-
lowing out his threat to make her
shoulder part of the crime. She ad-
mitted that she had left unlocked two
doors of the Snyder home, through
one of which Gray entered with the
paraphernalia of death in brief case.
Despite her protests, she testified.
Gray brutally killed her husband and
then made her submit to being bound
and gagged. as if by burglars.
Even when police questioned her,
Mrs. Snyder said, she was still SO fear
full of the little corset salesman that
she told of a robbery by two tall,
dark foreigners with long mustaches"
and gave Gray's name only after many
hours of grilling. Twice before the
trial she gave differing accounts of the
crime, and at the trial she gave a
third discordant story.
Insurance Feature Cited.
The State alleged she killed to get
Albert Snyder's $96, 900, for which she
had insured him without his knowl-
edge.
Gray. arrested in Syracuse about
"a hours after the crime was com.
mitted, gave a different account of the
killing of Albert Snyder. AS soon as
he learned that Mrs. Snyder had made
q statement attributing the murder
to him, he made a confession, in
which he said that Mrs. Snyder plan.
ned the crime. and that he was
dragged into the scheme by the dom.
inance of her mind over his. He
called this her magnetism"
He stuck to his first story through
the trial. He gave a dramatic recital
of the actual killing, admitting that
he struck the first blow with the
sashweight used to render Snyder un-
conscious. Many spectators wept as
he unfolded his tale of the killing. .
Gray BIames Hatred.
He pictured Mrs. Snyder vindic-
tive woman plotting her husbands
death through hatred of him. At no
time in his testimony did he reveal
that he knew Mrs. Snyder wanted her
husbands insurance. His mind Grip.
pied by drink and excesses, he had
agreed to do the Job" to help her rid
herself of a disgusting tyrant. He
emphasized his desire to tell only the
truth.
The session Monday will begin with
the summations, after which Judge
Townsend Scudder will charge the
jury.
The State will ask first-degree con.
victions, which make it mandatory
that the death sentence be pro-
nounced. A number Of verdicts are
possible.