The Washington times., 1934-10-02
MOTHER TELLS
LAST TIME SHE
SAW FREDA
Daughter Donned New Dress
And Seemed Never More
Cheerful in Her Life
BY DAVID P. SENTNER


trial of Bobby Edwards as the
mother of the dead girl told Of
her daughters betrayal and the
finding of her body in Harvey's
Lake.
A simple dotted voile dress with
q blue sash described by Mrs.
George McKechnie. the first
State witnesS) was shown the
jury, with a gayly-striped sports
dress.
This was part Of Freda's trous-
Seau which she tried on for her
mothers approval the day before
she was allegedly lured on mid
night swim and struck down in
the water with blackjack.
Charged With Staying
The handsome young mining
town Don Juan is charged with
having promised to marry Freda
when she told him she was to be-
come a mother, but plotted to
murder her so he could marry
Margaret Grain, 22-year-old music
teacher Of East Aurora, N. Y.
Mrs. McKechnie, a quiet-faced,
beSpectacled woman, was dressed
in black with a bone feather in
her dark hat.
She spoke in clear, semi-husky
voice. She told Of how the Nc,
Kechnie's lived in Edwardsville, a
colliery town, near the Edwards.
Her daughter recently celebrated
her twenty-sixth birthday. She
said:
"Freda was q telephone Oper-
0tOr up until the time she died."
Romance Described
Then the mother of Freda re.
lated the details Of the romance
between her daughter and the
handsome young mine surveyor,
who had a neighborhood reputa-
ton for being a ladies man.
Through it all, Edwards faced
the witness with his hands claSped
before him, gazing steadfastly and
intensely at Mrs. McKechnie, who
added:
"Freda and Bobby went to the
same church. Freda had a boy
friend, George Thomas, but she
gave him up for Bobby.
Bobby used to visit Freda
four and five nights a week.
What did they do? oh, Bobby
would come in and just set.
''They would go for walks and
to the movies sometimes. They
were very friendly. When Bobby
went away to Mansfield, Pa,
college they correspondent"
GAVE MANY PRESENTS
''FOr Christmas, Bobby gave
her q pair Of lingerie clasps.
For Easter he gave her a red
pOcketbOOk. Freda carried it
0n-the last night she went out"
Then Mrs. McKechnie told how
the romance "just dwindled away
after Bobby met Margaret Grain,
22-year-old music teacher Of East
Aurora, N. Y.
Freda's mother testified to the
happy mood of her daughter the
day before her death. She said:
"She tried on the dotted white
dress-she called it an evening
dress. Freda walked up and
down in front Of me and turned
around. It did look pretty. She
was never more cheerful in her
LIFE"
Freda and her friend, Rosetta
Culver, bought the material for
the dresses and worked on them,
Mrs. McKechnie testified.
Seen For Last Time
She said on Sunday night July
20, Freda and Rosetta walked up
the street laughing together. Dis
trict Attorney Lewis asked:
"Was that the last time you
saw yaur daugher alive"
"YeS."
Mrs. McKechnie said that when
Freda did not come home the day
after July 80, she asked Bobby
Edwards where Freda was.
81 knew from Rosetta that
Freda had been with Bobby the
night before.
But Bobby told me he did
not know where Freda was and
appeared surprised she had not
returned.
81 said to him: Bobby, some
thing terrible has happened to
Freda.'
"He said: why, nothing has
happened to her-what could
happen to her?'
81 said to him: Z don't know,
Bobby, but that girl didn't call
me last night. She never did
that before"
Pleaded With Bobby
The mother, displaying remark
able self-control. then told Of how
she notified the police and pleaded
with Bobby to do something"
II asked him: Bobby, is there
anything wrong with Freda??'
HE said: No, Mrs. McKechnie
Freda and I were never intimate
We were good pals, that's all. Sht
was q good scout. We understood
each other. Freda knows I thinl
more of Margaret Grain than
did Of her. She knows Margare
means something to me-
II said: oh, Bobby, is that al
Freda means to you?'
"He said: She knows that.
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