Show t CHILDREN DEFEND DEFENDi iJ i ACCUSED MOTHER 1 Pathetic Scene in Maine Court When Woman is Placed on Trial for Murder FEARED MAN SHE LOVED I v. v Charged tl With lIh Shooting him Him She Denies It antI and Own Oun Account J of Killing Hilling Augusta Me April 25 The 5 The trial tria of Mrs Alice F. F Copper In Indicted for forthe forthe the mur murder er of Charles D. D Northy jr jl with whom she Is said to have been madly Infatuated an and was waR to homicidal frenzy when she he learned of his engagement to a year old girl In iii nearing Its end Contrary to the usual procedure observed e in criminal L trials In this state tho defendant was ns h placed on the witness stand stan yesterday yester yester- da day ilay to testify in her own behalf t The Tile most pathetic part of the trial fc to was when her son Lore 14 1 years tars old F r and her daughter Velma a haired pretty child of ot 11 took tool the stand to defend their mother She V. V had been calm up UI to that time hut but was visibly affected b by the recital The I hoy boy told what he knew of or the blueberry blueberry blue blue- herr berry picking parties In which his 1 I mother muther took part in company an with North Northy and anti which the till pro prosecution has put forward as aJ proof of the fondness fondness fond fond- nt ness s of thi two to b be together l le e ewas was as keen keln as al h he was vas courageous and anti realized n tull fully the Importance of oC his testimony When little Velma was called Mrs Coopers Cooper's lips p quivered quiver quiver- ed ed d. d an and she covered her eyes yes with her handkerchief Th The child was quick to toI tor tor 3 r see I ee e ht her r mothers mother's agitation and th the big tears rolled down her cheeks i tS S Slit Slit- B to Cry t Velma was d when the tho clerk of or the court eO comman commanded e her tp hold up UI her hand and swear to tell the truth She did hl not tand understand the nature of an oath and it took five or six aix minutes to restore her composure composure com com- Ire I-Ire so she could coul speak Mr oIl Heath questioned her kindly about her school and her home S but hut the moment he asked about the I. I trips with her hel mother and Charlie ChallIe Northy North she began besan to cr cry S The Tho object in callin calling the two children was to weaken the inference contained contain contain- ed In the te testimony of ot Mrs Irs John G G. Drake Drako a witness for the state who testified that she had seen Mrs Cooper Coop Coop- er an and Northy 1 lying ln side he by side for two hours houis In a hammock S Were cre Not 1 ln n. Both Lore nn and his sister testified th thai they had been pa playing clo close e b by bythe bythe t the he hammock In which their lr mother was seated with North Northy They denied denied de de- de- de nied that either was in a position Lawyer er Heaths Heath's intent was to show that a wife and anti mother would S S not talk or act In an affectionate manner manner man- man r ner with a man m not lIot her husband Inthe in inthe inthe the pf presence e of or her children Velma 5 sobbed piteouslY nil the time lime she he was SS under tinder examination but despite her herS S S n she sho clung to her hel story re repeating repeating re- re It at nt the request of Mr Ir Heath after aHel she had become calmer Attorney Attorney Attorney At At- torney General Hamlin did not nOl cross cross- S examine the children and a as soon as asS S they the were released they ran quickly from the courtroom As AM soon oon us the they were gone one Mrs Irs rt Coopers Cooper's sobs ceased and she straight straight- 55 up in her chair On the witness stand yesterday yesterdayS Mrs Cooper said that on the Sunday Sunda S evening e before the shooting she he talked talked talked talk talk- I ed with North Northy at church and made madean an engagement with him to ca call at ather athur S. S her hur house on ott the following Tuesday S I Later lter sh she said she hc feared that he might Instead call on Satur Saturday a night when h n her husband would be away S from home Accordingly on Monday S 5 she came to Au Augusta usta and bought the revolver Returning home she made madea madeS S a pocket In her dress and placed the tiLe revolver Cr in it Then II lie He 1 Then she gave her version erslon of or tho the tra tragedy ed in these words Charlie and ami I were sitting in the c room dining room talking about nothing in r particular when h he put his arm aroun around me I was then facing him t i He lie kh kissed e me anti and I pushed him awa away s We Ye walked around the tho room together h lie Iii having otis one arm aroun around me inc H He lie lieS S dropped his arm an and noticing the re reoler revolver revolver re- re volver ol in m my pocket t took It awa away from me I turned around and got sot hold on his wrist and struggled to get po posses possession est es- es S Ion sion of the tho revolver and It exploded t There was a ringing noise In my nt right 5 ear and I thought that I myself had hind been een I shot hot I ran from the house and andl f c l did not see Northy orth again As AH I was going through the door I heard hear a second see sec ec- ec ond end shot I then went ent went vent toward the blacksmith shop but do not re remember remember re- re member what I said or did for tor a long period I I never purchased that revolver er With the intention of killing Charlie Northy anti and I do not know how he hemet hemet hemet met his death I Hull Her Hel to Elope Klope S Mrs Coop Cooper r declared that North Northy orth S had once asked h her r to elope and she came to fear him She sal said she told her husband of Northy's proposal and that her purpose In asking him huh to call the lie night of oC the tho tragedy was to lo make it clear to liin that he mu must t never neverS r S call again in the absence of her hus hUH band an I On examination cross Mrs Mis Cooper stated that her husband worked nl nights In iii his blacksmith shop and Northy while boarding at her home Int passed his 5 5 evenings c In iii the sitting room with her Last summer he came to her house houe on onan onan onan an average of ot four times a week Sh She I S said that in this period she and Northy North I were ivere not alone more than four foUl or live I times Site She had bet been n walking alone with him but three times and anti on none noneS of oC these occasions were vere th tile they armina in arm S a arm rl |