Evening star., 1927-05-08

the crime it engaged Dr. A. Nitwit whose
learning in psychology extended to his ability
to write what no other man could understand
but who attracted wide interest by repetition
of the word sex" every fourth sentence, and
by his declaring that mother love actuated
this awful thing" The paper also engaged, at
great expense it was alleged, noted spiritual
ist, whose first article written around the
suppositon that Betty DumbelI was in reality
the rencarnation of LuCreZia BOrgia Cath
crime de Medci, or both and. therefore, was
innocent and should be relieved at from
further responsibility in connection with the
crime. This proved such popular article that
the editors prepared bitter editorial, denounc-
ing the district attorney for his failure to bring
to book ether Lucrezia or Catherine. "or, if our
detective force is not impotent, both of these
creatures"
Miss Toots Tootsie. famous moving pic.
ture actress and renowned exponent of wom-
ems rights, hired TO write the trial from
the woman's point of view. and this she did by
propounding a series of interrogatories such as
Does Betty Dumbells deed indicate the
trend of women's minds today?"-"Should
woman, because she is woman. be denied
the right to say her husband?''-"Will arsenic
bring freedom to oppressed SEX"
** X
But it was the masteful way in which Susie
Slush described the main events of the trial
that capped the climax. She wrote:
Betty Dumbel pretty, blonde, wstful, one
curly head of her tiny tot the other hand
trustingly, lovingly, clutching the feeble hand
OF her aged mother took the stand today in
her own defense Maybe it will be for her
life that she spoke eloquently today. Who
knows? This brave little woman, smiling wan
ly through her beautiful but misty orbs could
only see, in that crowded, stuffy courtroom
the kindly face of the judge, looking down
upon her a father upon a wayward child
and the kindly faces of the II good, kind men
and true, more than of whom reached hur-
rledIy for his handkerchief to check the tears
that coursed in unashamed torrents down rivu.
lets IN their rough but honest, kindly, faces
And more than heartbroken sob rang out
Ike pistol shot upon the silence that was the
courtroom. Mother love. Is there anything SO
beautiful? That will be her defense And
rightly Love of home! Love Of child.
Love OF husband, lovemate! Do not these count
for something? They will be her defense Who
KNOWS? What must have been her thoughts
that fateful evening, when she was torn be-
twixt love of her own love nest and the sugar.
coated voice of Archie Faunteroy arch fiend
drifting through the air. announcing This is
Station XYZ'?"
The Daily Scream was read by thousands
including the judge and the jury, and with all
the smoke and the explosions of flashlights
with the confusion attendant upon posing for
the moving picture photographers and trying
10 please the reporters and counsel for the de.
fense, the judge and the jury were not unite
able to get the drift of just what Betty Dumbell
was charged with having done So they exon.
Grated her of all blame and sentenced Archie
Fauntelroy to life in prison.
Betty Dumbel afterward became a famous
competitor in beauty contests, eventually work
ing her way up to Miss America"
Archie was pardoned few years later on
the strength of signed statement bv Susie
Slush, who quit the newspaper business to be.
come press agent. She engineered the par
don as publicity stunt for new moving pic.
ture entitled Flaming Radio"