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Show CT- uu 2 j Woman in Cooke Case g Who Has Pursued H a Man 4 5 J Cincinnati, June 1G. Edgar S. xil I Cooke, accused of embezzling $24,- jj ij 000 from the Big Four railway, took M tn stand In his own behalf today to j gj ij refute the accusations hurled at him J by Charles L. Warriner, defaulting mm treasurer of the road, and Mrs. yfc Jeanetto- Stewart Ford. The begin- lfe ning of the defense marked the sec-5wBu sec-5wBu stage in the 'sensational trial. !JhR Previous to the appearance of mbi Cooke, another woman had come for- M 2 ward In the case and In the tosti- f tnony she appeared as one who had '2'$ devoted her life to but one thought revenge. ! 3 Mrs. Mattic McDermott, of Morrow, I l Ohio, was the next witness. She J Q boasted that, through her efforts, blf Jj Frank M. Couden of Warren county, ifi 3 lost his position as cashier In the of-Efll of-Efll 1 fice of the collector of general cu3-a cu3-a I torns In Cincinnati. Couden, it is i 1 claimed, first Imformed the Dig Four 3 & management of the Warrrned short-iH short-iH age, having gained the information ifijl from a stenographer in the govern-Tlf govern-Tlf IT'eat 'ce who was a close friend of 'Id Mrs. Ford. Couden, years ago, shot jf: and killed Mrs. McDormott's son. He was tried and acquitted on grounds f of self-defense, but since then she j :l has never lost an opportunity to J avenge herself on Couden. S J- Asked the motive for her testimony X w today In Cooke's behalf, she said f Cooke had told her: I "If you help me, I'll help you with yk !j Couden." ii Mrs. McDermott swore that she vis- f, ited Mrs Ford at the hospital last Hi Friday and that the woipan who, on TE' Wednesday declared that Cooke had Mj given her ?22.000, "taken from the V. '. Big Four," told tier visitor that "as fl far as the honesty of Mr. Cooke was j. concerned she couldn't swear that I " Cooke had ever stolen a dollor." H Frank Higgins, of the auditing dc- jj jiartment of the Big Four, was the H last state witness today. lie gave 1 I n summary of his investigations re-H re-H garding the Warriner shortage. He H ; placed It at $643,000. a refutation of m ' the statement of Attorney Baker that i "men higher up" had abstracted $2.- j. 000,000 from the rond. i The defense opened with half a I dozen character witnesses from I Cooke's old home in a Cincinnati sub-W sub-W I urb. Then came Mrs. McDermott and bg f then Cooke himself. I -oo |