The Detroit tribune. (Detroit, Mich.) 1935-1966, 1942-04-18
Wife On Trial
For Murder OF
Kissed Husband
Witness Says
She Only Tried To
Console Him"

Emplailf ltlldl OF sexual It4d-
tions with the lafe Dr. Cloyd Byrd.
prominent west side surgeon and
physician. was made Wednesday
by Mise Nellie Stoeon. pretty white
Grace hospltal nuiee. during the
trial OF Mrs, Evelyn Byrd
Mrs Evelyn Byrd. striking 5S-
year-old brunett. went on trial
Tuesday before jury Of y women
in the court room Of Recorders
judge Thomas NJ Cotier on first
doerce murder charge She shot
and killed her husband last June IS.
Asked by Aesietant Prosecutor
Wallace Temple II she had been
intimate With Or Byrd. Miss SiogoH
shonted: Il should say not. and II
any one says 50 they've been misin-
formed H. IS colored and am
white
The question was Asked by Tenn
pie after Arornev Charles A. Rox-
borough. counsel Tor Mrs. Byrd.
had brought ont that Mrs Byrd
caught Dr. Byrd kissing Miss Sto-
ror while The family was at Para
disc Lake near Cassopolis. while
cross examining the witness,
Miss Siogon went 20 live with the
Byrd, b 1881 when she was u
wears OF age Mrs Byrd according
10 Miss S'oeoff's testimony. agreed
to pay her two dollars a week in
addition 90 feeding her and buying
clothes
The wincc said she finished
Chadsey llish school In February.
1923 and immediately after gradu-
alton enrolled 10 the nursing school
az Grace hospital
Miss Stogon eaid she had been
dancing with Dr. Byrd IN The dance
hall AZ Paradise Lake prior 10 the
kissing episode They had taken a
walk and Dr Byrd who had been
drinking was Sobbns and she was
trying % console him" when Mrs.
Byrd came upon them kissing
There va~ p fehi and hair-ruil-
inc affair q shor, time after this.
Miss St0g0f testified She said
Mrs Byrd had tried 10 pull her
hair our and was only prevented
by Dr. Byrd who separated the
two women Miss Sioeoff said she
then drove 10 South Bend Ind.
with Dr. Byrd and his parents. Mr..
and Mrs Chester Byrd leaving
Mrs Byrd IN Cassopolis
They spent the night in South
Bend az The home OF Dr Byrd's
,....,..t. ,.ntu.~fvo o., f,--n,-ifn
Labor Day When Mrs Byrd re-
fused 10 let them have the Byrd's
adopted son Paul Miss Stogotf
and Or BYRD returned 70 Detroit.
Miss Stoeon said she left the
Byrd home shortly after the hght
az Paradise Lake. bur returned in
November. on the insistence OF Or.
and Mrs Byrd. She remained in
tho BYRD home until February.
1910. when another quarrel caus-
ed her 10 leave
The witness testified thar Mrs.
Byrd intercepted a note pr. Byrd
had written TO her in the Byrd
home at thar time
Miss Sfosoff. 22-ycar-old daugh-
- OF Russian parents who was
born in Canada, said that she had
seen Or. Byrd after she had left
hie home She also said that he had
seen her az the hospital and told
her that Is would be better IS she
remained away from the house.
Her testimony was interrupted
once by Mrs Byrd who shouted:
TEL the truth now" The defen-
dant wac warned by Judge Cotter
against future outbursts.
Mrs Byrd was on the stand
Thursday. She told how she mar
ricd Dr. Byrd then a student in the
literary college AZ Ann Arbor. in
1924. and how she worked and
,helped him through college.
She told how she had cooked in
tea shop, waited table in a st.
Louis restaurant. and also IN the
Hoover BALL Bearing company in
Ann Arbor In addition. she said
she had worked with her husband
during summer munfh~-so he could
get established in his business
Earlier Witnesses had testified
that DR.. Byrd had fed from his
Office at T441 w Warren on the
night Of June 2S. staggered into
the grocery store directly beneath
his Office. and fell 20 the floor. A
few seconds later Mrs Byrd came
into the store. stood over bis pros
trate body and pulled the trigger