Evening star., 1960-01-12
Witness SAYS
Finch
Told Of Threat

(AP) Two months before she
was slain. Mrs. Barbara Jean
Finch told him that her doctor
husband struck her with a gun
and threatened her life, her
attorney said today.
Joseph T. Furno. to whom
Mrs. Finch came seeking a di-
vorce, testified at her hus-
bands murder trial:
"On May 16 she called and
advised me that DR.. Finch had
assaulted her, had hit her with |
a gun, had threatened her life,
and she wanted to proceed i'm
mediately with a divorce. and
wanted a restraining order
against the doctor in connec-
ton with the divorce"
DR.. r. Bernard Finch, 43,
wealthy surgeon, and his
pretty mistress, Carole Tregoff, !
%. are charged with murder
ing the doctors socialite wife
at the Finch estate in suburban
West Covina the night of last
July l8.
Defense Objects
Mr.. Forno's testimony was
admitted over stout defense
objections. The court ruled the
testimony admissible to show
Mrs. Finch's state of mind at
the time she died.
Mr.. Forno identified photo.-
graphs taken after the alleged
assault. He said he had had
Investigators working on the
case for some months and had
not been quite ready to file
suit at the time Mrs. Finch
telephoned him to tell him of
the incident.
The divorce suit against the
doctor was filed May 20. L
Mr.. Forno followed to the
stand a West Covina police
captain, William M. Ryan. who
yesterday described the white
cocktail dress the victim wore
when she was shot to death.
Capt. Ryan said:
There is a hole in the dress.
And there was a round wound
in the victims back. 1t ap-
peared to be a bullet impact
wound. And a round hole in
the dress corresponded in posi-
ton"
Capt. Ryan testified to the
search his officers made of the
Finch home and the hills sur
rounding it in suburban West
Covina. He said his officers
were seeking two things: a
pistol--and DR.. Finch.
Pistol Never Found
The pistol was never found
DR.. Finch was arrested the
next day in Las Vegas. New,
at the apartment Of his
mistress, Carole Tregoff.
Miss Tregoff, a Titian-haired
former model, also is on trial,
charged with murder and
conspiracy.
The maid in the Finch home
testified that the doctor, his
voice angry and loud. was in
the garage of the residence
the night Mrs. Finch was killed.
The maid said Mrs. Finch was
unconscious on the garage floor
and the doctor was brandish-
ing a pistol.
Capt. Ryan identified for the
siX-man, siX-woman jury many
Of the more than 80 items the
State is introducing into evi-
dence in the case.
Among the exhibits were the
shoes Mrs. Finch was wearing |
the night she died of a bullet
wound. One was found near |
the body. on a neighbor's lawn.
and another near the Finch
driveway, Capt. Ryan said.
Had Invalid Permit
Capt. Ryan testified that Dr. !
Finch had in his possession,
when he was taken into custody |
in Las Vegas. an old and in
valid permit to carry a So
caliber pistol.
The State contends that the
doctor and Miss Tregoff, %.
who was once his receptionist, |
plotted the murder of Mrs.
Finch so they could marry !
without sharing community |
property with her.
Mrs. Finch fled suit for
divorce from the physician two
months before she died, esti-
mating community property at
$750,000.