Evening star., 1955-11-22
Defense Rests
AS Goricki Trial
|Nears Windup
Murder Case Due
To Go to Jurors
This Afternoon
BY RICHARD RODGERS

lArllngtOQS pOrk-ctlOp H1uEuet
trial. Mrs. Elizabeth Goricki's
Ifate is scheduled to go to the
Jury this afternoon.
Her final four witnesses testi-
lfed only 40 minutes. Most Of
the questioning dealt with her
reputation, which all four agreed
was good.
The prosecution was sched-
Iuled to examine one more wit
mess Of its own today before the
summation.
Defendant on Stand
Most of yesterdays testimony
lin Arlington Circuit Court was
from the defendant. Six other
defense witnesses followed In
rapid succession.
The 42-year-old defendant Is
charged with Staying her hus-
band, Marine 1t. Edward Goricki,
40. in their North Arlington home
lon May 20. The killing clinlaxed
la rough and tumble brawl. which
lerupted from their argument
over how to cook pork chops.
Mrs. Goricki related a story
yesterday Of an idyllic union,
broken at intervals by saw
age kicks and blows from her
husband.
"He didn't know what he was
doing" she testified tearfully.
Happy Between Times
And in between the bruising
suggests 1--WE were the happiest
people in Arlington" she said,
| Her lawyer, T. Brooke Howard
asked If she meant to kill 1t,
Goricki on the evening when,
according to her testimony. the
husband kicked her, slapped her
and hit her with his fists and
knocked her down their cellar
steps.
"Oh Lord. mol" she cried.
Were you in love with your
husband?"
with all my heart"
The defendant told how she
and her husband were working
on house repairs May ~. Her
sister and brother-in-iaw came
over for dinner. and were help
ling prepare 1t while 1t. Goricki
struggled with q rewriting prob
lem in the attic Of the house.
she said.
Denies Being Drunk
Mrs. Goricki said the four
some had some drinks. She de-
MED she was under the influence
lof alcohol and said her husband
gave no signs Of IL either
Earlier medical testimony was
that their blood tests showed
both Gorickis were drunk at the
time Of the shooting.
The entree was smoked pork
chops. drier than regular chops
"You don't fry them" Mrs
lGoricki explained to the all-rnale
Jury. "You boil them and ther
brown them in butter"
! She said she finished the boil
ing, poured OF the water and
was ready to brown them when
iLt. Goricki entered the kitchen.
Edward came into the kitch-
len and screamed that they
wouldn't be At to eat and ]
wasn't doing them right" she
testified. He returned shortly
land kicked her of her feet, she
went on. Then he hit her some
more, she said. She retreated
Iuntil she reached the open door,
way to the cellar. and he dealt
Iher q blow that knocked her
down the steps. she said.
| Earlier testimony showed the
visitors left at this point.
Further Mauled
He dragged her up the steps,
mauled her around and then
|let her fall to the floor. Mrs.
lGoricki testified. He came back
to her in q moment, fred a single
.25-caliber shot from her own
pistol to show her 1t operated,
then tried to force it into her
hands, she said.
Mrs. Gorich testified 1t. Cor
licki kept trying to make her
take the gun. But she denied
ever having her finger on the
trigger or ever having full pos
session Of the gun during the
struggle. Police witnesses testi-
Ified earlier she told them she
fired the gun.
The gun fired the second time
while she struggled to get out
Iof her husbands grasp. she said.
/ She bought the gun In l947 OF
Il948 for target practice on hei
brothers Frederick (Md.l farm
she said.
But she denied using 1t or ever
seeing 1t since the night 1t
Goricki returned home from g
lthree-month overseas hitch In
1884. She said she had beer
keeping 1t around for protection
while he was absent.
| Upon his return, he told her
1--WE won't need this any more.
lshe said.