Evening star., 1943-11-19
Threatening Letters
Read 10 Jury Here in
Henry Staying Case

Government charges were written
by Jefiries Henry, SO, former White
House and Metropolitan policeman
to his estranged wife, Lola Jane, a
few days before Mrs. Henry was
fatally shot in a restaurant in the
HOO block of Thirteenth street NV
last April, were read to a jury in
District Court before Justice Mat
thew F. MCGUIRE yesterday.
The trial of Henry, accused of
Staying his wife, was continued to
10 am. Monday.
The letters were read to the Jury
after Mrs. Louise Davidson, sister
of the dead woman, testified she
recovered the torn fragments from
a wastepaper basket in her apart
ment. They were brought to the
Office of Assistant United States
Attorney Cecil R. Heflin, where, the
Government asserts, they were as
sembled and pasted together with
Scotch tape. Mrs. Henry was stay
ing with Mrs. Davidson at the time
of the tragedy.
Tells of Death Threat.
Earlier in the proceedings, Baker
c. Lyerly, brother-in-law of the
slain woman, told the jury that
Henry had appeared at the Lyer-
lys' apartment in New Orleans on
April "a, three days before the
shooting, and had said the first
time he saw Mrs. Henry, "he was
going to shoot her down like dog
and not give her a chance" Mr.
Lyerly testified Henry asked for his
wife when he arrived at the apart
ment, but was told Mrs. Henry had
left for Washington earlier that day
to attend the funeral of another
sister.
When Henry was leaving the
apartment, Mr.. Lyerly said, he pro-
duced a gun and said, "You see,
Baker, I'm not here for any pleas
ure."
Mrs. Nancy Lyerly, another sister
of the Staying victim. followed her
husband to the stand and told of
having ordered Henry out of the
apartment when he arrived on April
"a.
Wrote to Sister Here.
When he refused to leave, she said.
she went to a neighbor's and re-
mained until Henry had gone. She
said she had a conversation with
her husband and that night wrote
a letter to Mrs. Henry in Washing
ton. The contents of the letter were
not revealed.
Precinct Detective Artgur E. FIRE.
dette, attached to No. station, pre-
viously told the jury he was the first
police officer to arrive on the scene
of the shooting and found Mrs.
Henry lying on the floor of the
lunchroom, her head under a booth,
and her husband lying on his back
with his head resting on his wife's
body. He said he did not know at
first that Henry was suffering from
a gunshot wound in the chest which,
the Government alleges, was self
inflicted.
Questioned Before Arrest.
Detective Fredette said he ques-
toned the defendant while he was
still lying on the floor and before
placing him under arrest and that
they exchanged the following ques-
tionS and answers:
What happened?"
II shot her"
"Who?"
"My wife"
us this your wife?"
"Yes."
what was it about?"
Il heard she was running around
with a buck private in the Army
and I was sergeant myself.
That's why I shot her"
j. A. Smith, associated with the
National Red Cross field office in
Alexandria, testified that Henry had
been employed as an auditor in the
Alexandria Office for several months
before the tragedy. He said he
left the office only a few days be-
fore the shooting. A copy of a
letter addressed to Henry purport-
edly from Red Cross official trans
ferring him to New Orleans prepara-
tory to being given military train
Ing was submitted in evidence by
the Government.
Henry is being defended by At
torney Bernard Flaherty. Mr..
Heflin is being assisted by Assist
ant United States Attorney Grace