Evening star., 1931-05-20
MRS. N|RDL|NGER
FOUND NOT GUILTY
Jury Out but Ten Minutes as
Prize Beauty Wins Free.
dom as Slayer.

BY the Associated Press.
NICE, France, May 20,-Charlotte
Nash Nixon-Nirdlinser was acquitted
today Of a charge OF manslaughter in
the shooting Of her husband, Fred @.
Nixon -Nirdlinger Philadelphia thea
tr1cal msgnate. in their villa here last
March.
The former st. Louis beauty queen
won on a plea Of self-defense.
It was brief but dramatic trial
from the time 1t started this morning
until the jury returned with its verdict,
The sitting court room was packed
and when the proceedings resumed
after the luncheon recess 1000 men
and women, many Of them Americans,
stormed the court room. Police re-
serves required 20 minutes to clear the
corridors.
Sobs Her Story.
Mrs. Nirdlinger, sobbing out her story
in hating French, told of bitter quar-
rels in which her jealous husband ac-
cused her Of having love affairs with
other men. She denied all his accusa-
items.
Then on the night of March II. she
said, he strode into her bed rom and
resumed a quarrel, which had begun
that morning. He seized her by the
throat and she reached under her pill
low for the revolver she kept there be-
cause she was afraid OF what her hus-
band might do to her.
why did you keep that gun there?"
the Judge demanded.
1T was a bad habit" she said. but
was afraid Of my husband. He was
jealous and vialent. He had revolver,
too"
But he kept his gun locked in a
trunk" said the Judge.
Mrs. Nirdlinger burst into tears and
sat with bowed head when she resumed
her seat beside her lawyers while other
witnesses were called.
Mother CoIIap pses at Table.
Her mother. who had come from St.
Louis to testify and take care of her two
small grandchildren, had considerable
difficulty with the interpreters, and
finally the court accepted her sworn
statement filed previously. The mother,
too, was in tears, and during summa-
ton by the defense she collapsed at the
counsel table, and was assisted out OF
the room.
The defense called other character
witnesses. including A. T. Jacobs, an
Enghshman, who said he had known
Mrs. Nirdlinger through meeting her at
beach parties. He said her character
was excellent.
Mrs. Winifred Copley May, wife of
the director of Tokalon Limited Of Lon
don, also testified for the defendant
Jeanne Birly. Mr. Nirdlinger's secre-
tary, and Charles G. Loeb, who was
Nirdlinger's lawyer, were other wit
nesses.
Jury Out 10 Minutes.
The jury deliberatsd only 10 minutes.
The summation for the prosecution
reviewed both sides of the case so i'm
partially that sometimes 1t was almost
difhcult to discern from his words
whether he was arguing for the defense
or the prosecution.
The defense summation emphasized
In the self-defense plea.
she is too beautiful to be bad" Mrs.
Nirdlinger'S lawyer told the jury
He did not take long and the judges
charge was brief.
When the jury filed in and announced
its verdict the spectators, most of them
friends Of the defendant. cheered Mrs
Nash was overcome with emotion.
Sc, S-al thousand persons crowded
the square in front of the court house,
hoping to see Mrs. Nirdlinger, but she
was whisked of to the prison for the
legal formalities Of restoring her lib
erty.