Evening star., 1935-06-15
Peter Charges Blackmail.

bank
Peter Charges Blackmail.
Another argument for the defense
was delivered by Robert Peter, jr.,
who laid emphasis on Mrs. Lyddane's
position of trust i'll the community and
on the disreputable character OF the
accuSers. Peter said 1t was blackmail
and not a murder plot which had in
Volved Mrs. Lyddane.
The court recessed at noon for an
hour before the arguments were con-
cluded.
Cites Errors i'm Note.
State Senator Stedman Prescott.
chief defense counsel. also attacked
the credibility OF CARMEL, and in no
uncertain terms.
This racketeer and double -croSSer."
Prescott said, lis the States chief ac-
cuser against the young woman before
you. He is the man to whom the
State promises immunity-he and the
ex-convict. Harry Elmer Thomas, an
admitted double-croSSer.'
Implying Carnell wrote the "Googy"
note. Prescott pointed out that the
bartender spelled might as mite" in
his written statement to police and
this same spelling OF the word spepars
in the "Googy" note
Prescott also called attention TO
grammatical mistakes and tipping er-
rors in the note. He asked if it was
logical to suppose 1t was written by
Mrs. Lyddane, an expert stenographer
OF years of experience.
The day and night session yesterday
was the most sensational of the trial,
with Mrs. Beall taking the stand to
tell how she chased Mrs. Lyddane
from her front yard three years ago
on the night before her youngest
child was born.
She was followed to the stand by
the comely defendant, who for almost
three hours answered running fire
of questions about her relations with
Beall and Lyddane, and with the
hoodlums who say she plotted with
them to commit murder.
Lyddane Takes Stand.
The final witness before the defense
rested late last night was Lyddane,
the stocky, good-natured husband OF
the defendant, who has refused
throughout the entire sensational case
to believe his wife plotted to have him
assaSsinated..
Smiling, soft-spoken and nattily at
tired in gray suit and light tie, Lyd-
dane assumed the stand in the closing
hours of the night session which lasted
until 20 minutes before midnight.
Although he knew his wife had been
running around with another man"
Lyddane did his best to clear her
name.
While Lyddane talked, his wife sat
calmly listening in the defendants
seat before him, surrounded by her
attorneys, her father and sister.
The husband told of going to parties
with his wife several times week. and
of going for lunch or bottle Of beer
to the Lincoln Way Inn, where CARMEL
was employed as bartender.
The witness explained an apparent
discrepancy in his testimony given at
the preliminary hearing. At that
time, Lyddane said he had not lived
as man and wife" with Mrs. Lyddane
for more than year. He testified
last night he was now living with Mrs.
Lyddane as man and wife. He said
he meant he had not lived with her
for that long after her relations with
Bean were revealed in Mrs. Bealrs
divorce suit naming Mrs. Lyddane
correspondent.
Wise's Suit Withdrawn.
MRS. Reall withdrew the suit several
days later after her husband trans
ferred to her $4,000 worth Of prop
erty.
Drawn out by Prescott, Lyddane said
he observed nothing suspicious in
the behavior of his wife last March
when, the State charges, Mrs. Lyddane
was desperately trying to bring the
double murder plot to final conclusion.
Lyddane's appearance before
packed court room climaxed a sue
ceSsion. OF sensational developments
which began with Mrs. Bealfs ap-
pearance on the stand.
Later, for nearly three hours, the
slim, blond 31-year-old defendant re-
lated to the jury her story OF her ac-
tiyities during the latter part OF
March.
Calls Accusers "Cheap."
Mrs. Lyddane described herself as
the victim of "cheap blackmailers,
who had learned of her relations with
Beall and were using the knowledge TO
obtain money from her.
She freely admitted she had naet