The Washington times., 1930-10-01
Verdict Causes Sensation
In Big Murder Trial
cHAPTER 81

Of C0thie, while she SAT, Silent
and waiting, on the witness
stand. Then two others focused
their &C q m eras. She never
flinched. But Ma screamed in q
little, frightened voice, Mercy
when the flash-po powder exploded.
From her height on the wit
ness stand Cathie looked down
compassionately on Ma. She
thought: 1T Is going to be hard
on her, when they say I'M
guilty"
Mr.. Allan was asking ques-
tionS now. He was trying deS-
perately to get her wandering
attention, TO force her to tell
her story dramatically and well
Cathie knew that. She felt q
little sorry for Mr.. Allan. 1t
was going to be hard on him.
too, losing the case.
Nice that they had decIGed
Gordon better not appear In
court today. It would have hurt
him so to see her on the stand,
and he'd have to hurt enough
later. Nice that he could save
himself for that. You can
only stand 50 much. That was
what was the matter with hes.
Shed stood all she could. She
couldn't stand any more. That
was why she was failing poor
Mr.. Allan now. She ought to
try to emake her story sound
more plausible, but it was too
old, she had told It too many
times. It no longer sounded
real, even to herself.
DutifuI wife
''And why did you go to your
husbands room, after you had
decided that the shot was only
q tire blowing out, after you
had gone to bed. and tried to
Sleep?" he was asking.
The answer to that one was
that she was worried about her
huSband-it would show her q
dutiful wife. She opened her
mouth to begin the little, pre-
pared speech but what
was the use? Besides it wasn't
quite true
She said, Because I was
frightened"
"You were frightened for
your husbands health?"
Mr.. Allan was prompting her,
but she couldn't help 1t. mo, I
was frightened--of the dark
Of the house, everythingl"
That made quite a little SEN
Sation. People looking at her.
Fancy. a grown woman being
frightened Of the dark. Wen,
let them look, they'd already
thought worse Of her than
She told again Of going into
the room in the moonlight, and
finding her husband dead. She
thought while she was telling
it, "ThiS sounds like q lie, but
it's the truth. Chester'S lie
sounded more convincing than
my. truth. It's all very mixed
up. :. one shouldn't blame the
judge, and the jury"
4 Lingerie Shown
After the district attorney
began flinging questions she did
not. have time to think. She
flung her answers back. fast;
excited by his fast questions.
They didn't always fit, and they
sounded futile and foolish, even
to her. Well, she didn't care
now she'd given up
Only once did the district
attorney make her care +.
That was when he showed her
the blood stained nightdresS
and negligee that she had
taken off in Marguerite'S room,
and Marguerite had hidden
away.
"These garments are stained
with your husbands blood?"
Eyes"
"They are your garments,
you identify them as your
own?"
'..Yes-they are mine. I've
already explained why ] took
them off" But she Shrank
back she didn't want to
look at them and one
woman in the jury nudged her
neighborS You Eee?"
Knees Weak
''Yoursl You do not deny
them. You do not deny that
they are stained with your
husbands blood?"
mo, that's true, only l."
''That will be all, thank you"
Som ebody helped Cathie from
the witness stand. "I'm all
right" she said. She wasn't
the least bit nervous. Her knees
wouldn't hold her up, that was
ALL. Tiaey bent. If Mr.. Allan and
the rolicewoman hadn't held
her up she would have gone
down. 9.
aIsn't it queer" she told the
policewoman. whose name was
Mrs. Brophy, and looked like
Lillian HennesSy, only older and
not quite so. :. so soft. II
never had rheumatism before.
It must be damp in JAIL"
The woman smiled, Mon
sense, my dear. It's just nerves" !"
I'm not the least bit ner.
vous," Cathie repeated. indig.
nantly. She said to her mother,
"It is rheumatism.
"FSush, darlin'. You're all
wrought UP. Dent worry, dar-
lins... hush !. the Judge. -
Cathie looked up. The clos
inc arguments uaPa ovAr Mr.