The Republican., 1931-07-02
AIIECANY COUNTY JURY TRYING MRS. ROSA ZELDA FOR
KILLING HUSBAND FINDS VERDICT OF MANSLAUGHTER


on in the liquor, with the intention of
ending her own life, and that Zelda
obtained the bottle without her knowl-
edge and drank the deadly potion be-
fore she could warn him.
Former States Attorney Ernest
Ray Jones opened the closing argu-
ment for the prosecution. He was
followed by Albert A. Doub, Jr., one
of the accused woman's attorneys,
after which States Attorney William
A. Hustler, Allegany county, urged
the conviction of Mrs. Zelda. A. T.
Matthews and William R. Offutt fol.
lowed with a summing up of the de-
fense, asking for an acquittal. States
Attorney Walter w. Dawson closed
for the prosecution.
Defense Motion Overruled
At the close of testimony yesterday
morning, W. R. Offutt, senior counsel
for Mrs. Zelda, argued the motion to
strike out that part of the testimony
of "Aunt Jane" McRobie, in which she
quoted Zelda as making death-bed
accusation against Mrs. Zelda and
Mrs. Carrie Harvey, jointly indicted
with Felda's wife. The aged woman
said Zelda exclaimed "Carrie and Ro-
sa did this. They poisoned me-" De-
fense counsel said this was f1imsy
testimony and was not borne out or
supported by any other testimony in
the case. The motion was overruled
by the court.
Mrs. Carrie Harvey, who was gran
ted separate trial when arraigned
Tuesday, testified yesterday morning
that she lived short distance from
the Zelda home, near Wilson's station,
and had known Mrs. Zelda since girl
hood. She said she knew Mrs. Zelda
was drug addict because of her act
ions when she did not have any
dope, and that Rosa was hysterical
and screamed and cried then.
Admits Supplying Liquor
Mrs. Harvey, who is the wife of
western Bill Harvey, admitted that
she supplied the liquor in which Mrs.
Zelda put the poison. She said she
lied about the quantity when she was
first questioned, declaring at that
time that she sent over a half pint,
as she feared prosecution under the
Garrett county liquor laws. She ad-
mitted yesterday that she sent pint
and half of liquor to the Zelda
home.
She said "Aunt Jane" McRobie had
complained to her of the living con-
ditions at the Zelda home, where the
aged woman lived in a room on the
second floor. Mrs. Harvey denied that
she knew anything about poison being
bought by Mrs. Zelda, or that she
knew it had been put in the liquor.
She said she went to the Zelda home
and found Mike Zelda very ill, but
believed he had indigestion. Mrs. Har-
vey also denied putting the liquor in
Felda's coat pocket.
Gives Jealousy as Motive
The State, in cross-examination of
the witnesses, sought to prove jeal-
ousy as possible motive, attempting
to bring out that Mrs. Zelda suspec-
ted her husband was intimate with
girl in the neighborhood. Sheriff w.
H. Haenftling was called in rebuttal
by the State and testified that Mrs.
Zelda had made such complaints to
him of her suspicious. Defense coun-
sci made frequent objections to this
line of questioning.
Mrs. Anna Hayes, young married
daughter of Mrs. Zelda, said she OBJ
tained the liquor from Mrs. Harvey.
She said she was away part of the
afternoon of February Z, and came
back shortly before her father died.
Mrs. Hayes said her mother was a
drug addict.
Frank Zelda, son of the accused
woman, corroborated his sisters testi-
mony that his mother used drugs. He
said he knew nothing about the pois-
oned liquor. He said he was married
and had been living away from home,
while employed as a miner, but had
returned to the Zelda farm prior to
the death of his father.