Evening star., 1932-04-25
Murder Trial Defendant Is
Admonished by Judge
J. M. Proctor.
MEMORY ON LETTER
is "HAZY," HE TESTIFIES
Admits Having Weakness for
Women" and Having Taken Out
Insurance on Third Wife.

Harry C. Wimbley argued so stren-
uously with Assistant United States
! Attorney William H. Collins today,
while under cross-examination in his
trial on charge of numbering his wife,
that Justice James M. Proctor had to
admonish him several times.
Questioned by Collins as to whether
it was his handwriting in a letter to his
wife which was introduced in evidence
and on the application for insurance on
his wife, Wimbley angrily shouted at
the prosecutor:
You're not trying to put anything
over on me, are you?"
Justice Proctor interrupted to warn
Wimbley that he and not Collins was
under examination and to conflne him
self to answering Collins questions.
Mind "Hazy" on Letter.
Throughout the cross-examination
during the morning session, Wimbley
asked Collins almost as many questions
as Collins asked him. With respect
to the letter, postmarked June 20
which wimbley wrote from Oklaho-
ma. the defendant said his hind was
"hazy" as to why relatives name
anu dCuI coS dllO AlOt AAo O"A wa
on the envelope.
"Maybe the envelopes were switched
I don't know. I wrote many letters
to my wife" he said in answer to a
question by Collins as to whether the
letter was just as he had written IT,
There's been some funny things
pulled in this trial, Mr.. Collins" Wlmo-
IT grant you some funny things have
been pulled in this trial. Mr.. Wimbley,
the prosecutor retorted sarcastically.
Collins drew an admission from VIM
blew that he had answered mo" to the
question on the insurance application
as to whether his wife suffered from
epilepsy.
weakness for Women"
Wimbley, who admitted on the stand
he had a weakness for women" also
admitted taking out an insurance policy
on his third wife, Miss Ida May Graves,
whom he married under the name OF
Dickerson, when she left here last Sep
tenber to go to her home in missouri.
And even though you didn't have
any affection for her." Collins asked,
YOU would have collected that insur-
ance if anything had happened
wouldn't you?"
II don't see that there would have
ven anything wrong in that" Wimbley
replied.
He again denied under cross-exam-
ination that he had taken $4,000 OF
accident insurance on his wife, Mrs.
Elizabeth Trayior Wimbley, for the pur-
pose of numbering her. He admitted
his wife had about $2100" when he
married her in September, 1880.
AS nf fort did have
SO, 1000 of her money!" Collins asked.
mo, I did not. The money I had
belonged to my wife and me together,
the witness said.
when I married her she had two
81 900 bonds and small amount of
cash"
And 1t was this money which you
used to buy the first of three cars you
purchased"
"One of the 81 900 bonds we cashed
when We bought our first automobile ,
Wimbley added under questioning that
he later bought two other cars. the
last of which was burned in Oklahoma
and for which he collected $l,050 in
surance.
Denies Hearing Confession.
He reiterated his denial of having
heard the confession Of John M. Crow
der, co-defendant, read to him. In the
confession. which was read in court
last week, Crowder stated Wimbley
plotted the killing of his wife to col
lect the $4,000 insurance.
Il remembered nothing" Wimbley
explained September % until on the
way to the inquest at the morgue
When I recovered my memory I had a
knot over the left ear as big as an
egg I wouldn't say whether somebody
hit me or l fell out of the chair"
Wimbley also reiterated his opinion
that his wife died as a result of an
epileptic fit.
The fact she made no effort to help
herself led me to believe she had fiji
when she drowned" he told the jury.