Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1959-10-25
Defense Asks
Hearing in
Widows Death
BY RICHARD O'LONE
Star stan Writer


an indictment charging him
with numbering wealthy Mrs.
Pearl Putney of Washington.
Mr.. Smith also is sure he will
come out. ahead in the legal
skirmish with MotherWell's at
torney, which is expected to
precede the grand jury pre-
sentiment in Downieville.
The lawyer, John T. Reyes Of
Washington, has said he will
insist on a full-dress prelimi-
nary hearing before Judge
Alden johnson in Sierraville.
Mr.. Reyes insists that Mr..
Smith had agreed to such a
hearing.
Costs a Consideration
Mr.. Smith says that no such
agreement was made, and that
Judge Johnson will quickly
grant his motion to send the
case Immediately to the grand
jury.
A prime consideration in the
sparsely populated county is
the expense of an important
murder case. Mr.. Smith finally
decided that a grand jury hear
ing would be the quickest and
least expensive procedure.
The jury which will hear the
case against the fortyish,
smooth-talking Motherwell is
composed of ranchers, miners,
housewives and businessmen
from throughout the county.
It's foreman is Louis Genasci,
a rancher.
II Witnesses Lined Up
They will meet in Downie-
ville's fairly new two-story
concrete courthouse, in a court
room seating about go persons.
Seventeen witnesses, drawn
from every part of the country,
will tell what they know about
the death of 72-year-old Mrs.
Putney, who was last seen alive
leaving a Marysville (Califo
motel with Motherwell on Au-
gust Is. 1858.
Among them will be Mrs.
Mona Maryanski, proprietor Of
the Town House Motel in
Marysville, where Motherweu
and Mrs. Putney registered the
might Of August Ia as 'Dr. and
Mrs. Motherwell."
A handwriting expert from
the California Department OF
Justice will verify that Mother
we'll signed the register.
Half Brother To Testify
Also due to testify will be
Castro M. Dabrohua of Chicago,
and Mrs. Dabrohua. Mr.. Dabro-
hua, Mrs. Putney'S half-brother.
started Washington police look
ing for Mrs. Putney in the fall
of 1858, after she sold her CO.
operative apartment here and
left for a cross-country trip
with Motherwell.
Mrs. Alma Freeman, who
found Mrs. Putney's weather.
beaten skull in the Sierra foot
hills near Downieville last Aug
ust 16, will testify, along with
DR.. v. v Belle of Washington,
Mrs. Putney's dentist for 80
years, who identified the re-
mains.
Sierra County Undersheriff
James F. Hill will testify how
he found some of Mrs. Putney's
hair and fingernails at the spot
where her skull and other parts
of her skeleton were discovered.
California Special Agent Ken
Horton, who investigated the
case and brought Motherwell
back to California after his
arrest in Atlanta, Ca, August
Is, will take the stand.
$4,000 Still Missing
There will be testimony re-
garding the estimated $4,000
in cash and securities Mrs.
Putney had with her on the
trip. A Nation wide search for
the money and bonds has been
fruitless.
From these and other wit
nesses, MIR. Smith is certain he
can convince a grand jury to
indict Motherwell and hold
him for trial in Superior Court.
Mr.. Reyes, who represented
Motherwell when a Frederick
(Md0 grand jury acquitted
him last February of killing his
infant daughter, has spent the
last few days in touring the
spots involved in the murder
case.
He was doing a little in
vestigating," said his associate,
Samuel Klein. HE wanted to
see what he could pick up for
himself"
Invited to Testify
Motherwell's story is that
he left Mrs. Putney in Las
Vegas, New, in mid-August.
and planned to me3t her there
several months later.
But it is doubtful that
Motherwell. a masterful inn
personator who seldom tells the
same story twice. will get a
chance to tell the grand jury
anything.
He cannot be compelled to
testify" Mr.. Smith said. How
ever we have invited him to
II think we will most likely
decline the invitation" Mr..
Klein said.