The Washington times., 1930-09-18

''Wife Admits
Hiding Gown
In Attic Box
Maid, Held as Material
Witness, Disappears From
Farnsworth Home
Sensational disclosures in the
murder of Alfred A. Farms
worth millionaire engineer,
were made by police today after
"a hours Of searching the Farms
worth home, and the grilling Of
Mrs. Catherine Farnsworth who
is being held on a murder war
rant sworn to by Chester Farms
worth, son Of the slain man.
'"The police announce that
they have discovered blood
stained garments hidden in the
attic Of the Farnsworth home,
and that the pretty young widow
admitted they are her own.
"At the same time it was re-
vealed that the maid, Marguerite
Spinney, who as first claimed
she was with Mrs. FarnSwOrth
when she discovered the body OF
her husband, has disappeared.
The Spinney woman was being
held as a material witness, but
eluded a Gordon of police which
guarded the house during the
night.
Hidden in Attic
police officials attach little
Importance to her disappear
ance and believe that she win
turn up some time today.
"The blood-stained garments,
a silk and lace trimmed night
gown and negligee were found
in a locked trunk in q dark
attic corner Of the Farnsworth
home. They were hidden under
old newspapers and caSt-off gar
ments.
Police declare than an un-
successful effort had been made
to remove the blood stains.
Confronted with the newly
discovered evidence Mrs. Farms
worth broke down and wept.
It was many minutes before
she was able to speak, and then
tearfully admitted that the gar
mentS were her own.
Mrs. FarnSworth, in q state
ment to Captain of Detectives
Cromwell Snider, admitted that
she was wearing the expensive
nightgown and negligee when
she came upon the body Of her
murdered husband in the dark
ened bedroom of the family
home.
Cropping in the darkness,
Mrs. FarnsWorth declared, she
touched the body and STneared
the blood on her garments.
Advice Of Maid
Questioned by the police as
to her motive in attempting
to remove the stains and hide
the garments, the young
widow stated that she became
wildly excited upon finding her
husbands body and acted upon
the advice of the escaped maid,
Mrs. Spinney, to whom she
went for aid Immediately after
discovering the tragedy.
Trial Of Mrs. FarnSworth
will begin on May 8 with
Judge Wendell East on the
bench"
"The newspaper people are
waiting to see you,s Fanny
Evans, the matror, said.
Hadn't you better comb your
hair and wash your face,
dearie?"
Cathie looked at her duly.
Come now. don't you want
to get all fixed up nice?"
They'll want pictures, you
Know.
mo. Please tell them to go
away, Mrs. Evans"
Nov listen. You're a new
one, and you don't know about
these things. I'm an old
timer, here, and / know. These
people have to write something,
and they will whether you see
them or not. If you are nice
to them, they'll, be nicer to
you. More sympathetic do
you see?"
Beauty Fades
Silence from Cathie.
''Con1e now, there's a good
grill"
Cathie stood up. You'd
never have known her. -Four
days of confinement in the city
jail, four days and nights of
pitiless questioning and only
broken, fitful sleep had washed
most of her beauty away. She
looked like a flower that has
been left too long in the rain.
Her skin had an. unhealthy,
transparent pallor, her blue
eyes were heavy and red and
her hair had lost its golden
Shimmering luster. It was pale
and dead-looking and tangled.
She still wore the black silk
dress she had put on that
tragic morning. It was muSSed
and bedraggled. She had not
taken advantage of the kindly
matron's offer to send for
more clothes. What does it
matter how you look when
you're in jail and nobody but
policemen and lawyers can see
you? What does anything
Y1oaffnI. vylaaY1 vOII,ra aFIiSopueadC q