Evening star., 1960-03-09
State 10 Fire
Many Queries
Al Mot1erwe|E
BY RICHARD OLONE
star sta1 Writer

~ IIVIIIVI WVlI
BY RICHARD OLONE
Star stan Writer
BONNEVILLE, Calf, Mar. 0.
Larry Lord Motherwell faced
crosS-exarnination today.
Before noon, he is expected
TO finish his account Of his re-
lationship with Mrs. Pearl Put
ney, the elderly Washington
widow he Is accused Of mur-
dering.
Then. it will be the States
turn, and Special Prosecutor
Lynn d. Compton has Q long
list Of questions ready to fire
at him.
The defendant, speaking In q
low monotone, spent nearly
three hours on the stand yes
terday, recalling his past. He
was pale, but In control Of him.
self.
Smiles on Stand
Much of the time, he looked
jurors in the face as he talked,
and often smiled broadly as he
recalled some humorous event. |
In his testimony, he pictured |
72-year-old Mrs. Putney as q
hard-drinking woman whol
shocked him by making ro-
mantle advances as they drove
across country from Washing
ton together.
The trip was her idea, he |
said, and she paid him hand
somely for acting as her ad-
wiser and chauffeur.
He considered her q "Vic-
torian aunt" he said, and
therefore was a little surprised
when she suggested they share
the same motel room as they
headed for Florida, where
Motherwell was to inspect some
property for her.
Later, in New Orleans, she
returned to the motel one night
slightly tipsy." Topped down
on the bed, kissed him, and
said. Here's my man." Mother
well said.
Gave Her Lecture
Il was taken aback by the |
incident" he said. The next |
morning, he lectured her about
drinking, and she apologized,
Motherwell testified.
But it happened again in |
Marysville, he said. That is |
the California town where Mrs. |
Putney Vas last seen alive on
August II, 1858.
That night, Motherwell said, |
Mrs. Putney again returned
feeling quite good from
drink" and made several sug-
gestive statements.
Motherwell said he an
nounced right then that they
were leaving the motel and
ending their journey together
as quick as he could get her
back to Las Vegas, New.
Il warned her in New Or
leans that If it ever occurred
again, I would call the whole
thing Of" Motherwell said.
Associate Defense Attorney
Robert Fugazi asked If during
their disputes over her ad-
vances, he had ever struck Mrs.
Putney.
"Oh heavens no" Mother
well replied. looking shocked.
Back in Las Vegas, he con-
tinued, Mrs Putney said she
would continue the journey
with some other trends, but
wanted Motherwen to do q few
chores for her.
One was to send a telegram,
which she composed as they
talked on the mezzanine Of the
Fremont Hotel. 1t was ad-
dressed to her half-brother
Castro M. Dabrohua of Chi
cago, and said she planned to
get married.
II stopped abruptly when Il
got to the part of her being
married" Motherwell testified.
THE night before, she wanted
me, and now she was going to
marry someone else"
Mrs. Putney wanted the wire
sent from some other city so
she would have time to get
married before Mr.. Dabrohua
could interfere, the defendant
said.
Story Of Envelope
She also gave him an en-
velope which she wanted him
to mail from Florida, Mother
well said. She had taken the
envelope from a cloth bag in
which she carried some $4,000
in securities. which are still
missing.
Motherwell did not explain
what was in the envelope. or
whether he had ever mailed it.
Another last-minute present
was a small black suitcase
containing "iunk jewelry," he
said.
She said there was nothing
Of value in 1t and I could give
1t to Josephine" he related.
Josephine is Motherwell's pres
ent wife.
The State claims Motherwell
later gave the bag to an airline
stewardess in Miami, and pre-
sented to another girl friend
other items from the jewelry
collection.
After leaving Mrs. Putney in
tears in front Of the Fremont
Hotel. Motherwell said, he drove
to Reno-sleeping a few hours
on the side of the road-bought