Evening star., 1934-01-15
FA[SEHOODS laid
TO DR.. WYNEK0OP
State, Asking Death Penalty,
Stresses Insurance Motive
in Staying.
By the Associated Press.

Dy the Associated Press.
CHICAGO. January 15.-Assistant
States Attorney Charles 8. Dousherty
today gave q dramatic recital of the
circumstances surrounding the operat-
and asked . jury to send her 62-year-
old mother -in-law. DR.. Alice L. Wyne-
koop, to the electric chair.
Dougherty presented q chronological
account Of the biExAre murder mystery
from the time police were called To the
family home at 0:55 pm last Novem.
Der 81, and were led BY DR.. Wynekoop
to the basement surgical room where
lay the victims body.
He said the defendant was calm when
police arrived, that the evidence denied
any theory of suicide or murder by a
robber or prowler, that the evidence
pointed 10 The elderly physician. and
to her alone.
Evidence Reviewed
Every scrap of evidence in the Wyne-
koop mansion-Rhetas outer garments
laying at her feet, her body clothed In
silk chemise, folded down to the waist,
towel soaked with q liquid that ap-
peared to be chloroform, q blanket
carefully tucked about the body. was
reviewed by the prosecutor.
He dealt at length with q bullet
wound through Rheta's heart and with
scientific evidence that chloroform had
been administered.
The evidence would show. Dougherty
said, that there was bullet hole in
Rhetas back q few inches from the
midline. and there was Q blood clot in
the bullet hole Further. he said. It
would show al garments worn by Rheta
were saturated with blood, a. were the
sheets above and underneath the body.
When the undertaken arrived to re-
move the body, the jury was told, the
body was cold and rigor nhortb had
set In.
Describes Ceurtship.
After recounting the circumstances Of
Earle's (the defendants SOM courtship
Of Rheta And their marriage In 1929,
the prosecutor said that from the mar
riage until June, 1898, the entire ex-
pense Of keeping up the household. Of
which Earle and Rheta were part, was
borne by Dr. Wynekoop and her hus-
band. since deceased.
In June, 1888, said Dougherty. there
was a rift between Elrle and Rheta, a
fact which he said was known by the
defendant. In June Earle obtained a
job as a guard at A Century Of Progress.
Prom June to November II, the day
Of the Staying" said the prosecutor.
Earle was at home little. During that
time there was no relationship be-
tween Earle and Rheta a husband and
wife. although Earle sometimes spent
a night at his mothers home, where
Rheta also lived"
The insurance motive was introduced
next.
THE State will show the defendant
was maintaining a home for which the
entire expense fell upon her." said
Dougherty. The State will show that
DR.. Wynekoop was the owner Of the
mortgage payments due upon that prop
erty. and that the defendant had de-
clared herself unable to pay them.
Inquired About Cost.
I'VE will show that, despite their
financial plight, the defendant asked an
agent Of the Metropolitan Life In
surance Co. to call and asked the agent
the cost Of $4,000 double indemnity
policy on the life Of q young woman"
We will show the defendant sought
this policy. although she was unable to
meet the premiums due on policies of
$4,000 each which she carried on her.
self and Earle
Dougherty told of half q dozen at
tempts by DR.. Alice to obtain a $40 900
double indemnity policy on Rheta's life
He said applications were made to sew.
eral companies.
In only one instance" he said, was
Rheta present when the defendant ne
gotiated with insurance agents. In each
case. DR.. Alice and the agent would
draw up the application; then the de-
fendant would take it to Rheta in an.
other room and have her sign It,"
Charges Falsehood.
DR.. Alice made application for the
policy even after she had found 1t i'm
possible to pay premiums on policies
on other members Of the family, the
prosecutor said. and she explained that
discrepancy by telling falsehood about
burglary leaving her temporarily
short OF cash.
He then told of Dr. wynekoop having
Rheta examined at q laboratory in Au-
gust and said she later used q report
from that examination to induce an In
surance concern to grant . $4,000
double-indemnity policy
In making q request for speed in ac-
ton on one application, he said. DR.
Wynekoop falsely said that Rheta plan.
ned to leave Chicago for the West
Coast.