The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1927-04-19
ST I 5
LOVE on TRIAL

tContlnued from First Page.l
for the safety of the life Of 50.
ciety.'
win Ruth Snyder follow her
lover. with the same courageous
plea?
VIII they both say In one voice:
burn us both to death for giving
free rein to the most powerful OF
emotions, and 30 powerful In Us
that 1t has been burning up our
very lives. strap as together in
the electric chair and let the
electric current shoot through our
bodies simultaneously so that we
may burn together in death as
our love burned us in life"
II Ruth Snyder and Judd Gray
cringe and c0wer In the face of
death and connfve with the prose.
cution to kill the one so thar the
other may live; IL one attempts TO
have his life at the death Of the
other, then it win be the triumph
OF death over love. and mans
greatest illusion that love Il
stronger than death will be shat
tered tragicaIiy. The Snyder-Gray
tragedy will be as much our trag-
edy as theirs.
The door Is swung open. Gray
enters the courtroom. He Is dressed
in gray; the only color in his attire
is the blue and green stripes in his.
tie He IL well-groomed and walks
with q dignity, respectahilitF and
compusure that Is astounding.
BE is the last man would have.
picked for q great lover. He looked
too well-fed and too unromantic, ex.
cept for the natural marcel Of his
hair. give him my sympathy for
that marcel.
About eight steps behind him is
Ruth Snyder. She is all In black,
as IL in mourning black silk
dress. black turban, black silk
stockings and black pumps; her gait
Is erect and proud.
Now the big tragic moment. we
expected them to fall into each
others embrace. To kiss passion.
ately. To weep over their tragic
plight. To cling to each other so
that the whole police force couldn't
pry them asunder.
Bottom Drops Out Of Life
How often must Gray nave said
to her he would gladly die for her!5
And how often must she have said
something similar to him!
What actually happened:
Not word did they have for each
other. Not even an unkind word.
just q quick glance OF scorn.
To me, in that instant, the bottom
dropped out Of life.
How could two people who for
years lay in the lap Of the most
wonderful of. emotions known to
man so behave to each other 1T
such a crucial moment?
Is it possible that it can trans.
mute US into such beasts OF cruelty
and hatred?
What is the use of living and
loving?
Ruth Snyder quickly crossed to
the head of the counsel's table and
sat down without batting an eve
lash. and Judd Gray, to the foot
of 1t in the same manner, sitting
with his back to his lady love for
whom for years he lied and cheated
and finally murdered, never at.
tempting to show her any recogni.
ton or cognizance of her.
And why? Just for q lame at.
tempt to save his skin.
No, Judd Gray. you are not the
great lover in looks or in deeds.
You are a sad disappointment to-
your sex and a great discourage.
ment to the opposite one.
For years Ruth Snyder has given
you the honey of her life. Why
don't YOU once take a little bitter
medicine for her life?
Sinister Air Of Betrayal
These two whitehead lovers who
destroyed human life so that thew
might always live at white heat are
in the same room, at the same
table. but q thousand miles apart,
and at zero point, each schemine
sinisterly how to betray the other
to the executioner.
Their love has triumphed over
another mans death, but their love
is not so eager to triuph over their
own death. And so the Snyder
Gray tragedy Is the triumph OF
death over love; and insofar as Ii Is
that, 1t is tragedy of all mankind,
I'VE have seen the thing that
galvanizes all Of human life and
nature, the thing that composes.
divine music, paints beautiful pic-8
lures. writes sublime tragedies, ere.
ates life and even destroys it, de-
graded by the fear of death.
II to Ruth Snyder her lover is
jackal, trying to hide behind her
petticoats, then his sweetheart is a
Jezebel, trying to hide behind a
sympathetic jury.
We hope that the prosecutor does
not bend his energy SO much To
convicting them for the m. der of
Albert Snyder as to freeing love
from the charge with which tie
crime of those abortive- lovers stig.
Matte it.
They slew Snyder. Don't let them
now slay love, mans greatest and