Salt Lake Telegram | 1928-11-20 | Page 9 | Girl Testifies in Murder Trial

r r GIRl TESTIFIES IN I MURDER TRIAl I I TWIN FALLS Ida Nov 20 AP Waletta Bow Bowen en 14 to today today to- to day told from the witness stand her story of the fatal tatal shooting of her mother Mrs Lois May Ilay Bowen September 24 Ward Otis Tharp 51 Twin Falls dairyman is on trial for the tho slaying Controlling her emotions with an obvious effort the girl charged with the shooting Her Ier story began with what she described as asan asan asan an attack with clubs upon herself and five other children of the neighborhood neighborhood neigh neigh- on their way to I school by Tharp and his two sons She said Sharp shot her mother when Mrs Bow Bowen en halted him in front of or her home to demand an explanation for forthe forthe forthe the alleged attack upon the chil chil- dren When mother asked Tharp to stop the girl testified he stopped his truck and reached over on the seat and picked up something It was a a. gun Sun He lIe got out of the truck and shot first over the over the radiator at daddy and missed him Then he camp came around the front of the truck and shot mother three times She had turned and was going back toward the fence when he shot her She said Oh stop when Tharp shot her the first time And then she was dead I I knelt beside her lice and kissed her My baby sister was asleep in the house houie but my younger sister was looking out but th the window She came out and kissed mother too and thought she was waS' asleep S Miss Bowen was the first witness Called to the stand by the prosecution prosecution tion Lion after alter selection of or the Jury was completed shortly before noon Two alternate jurors were impaneled making 14 men in the Jury box hox Defense counsel made strenuous objection to the presence of two men near the witness stand These men It was learned were Dr George Williams superintendent of ot the state insane asylum at Blackfoot Blackfoot Blackfoot Black- Black foot and Dr D. D Orr Poynter of Nampa former superintendent of the Blackfoot institution They had beep been ee requested to assist J the e n. n Judge Hugh HughA A A. Baxter laxter lax Bax ter tel presiding at the trial overruled the defense objection and allowed the two men to remain