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W in iuicimi iiiojiy ui uuireaders. By way of introduction, although this was not brought out directly in the trial, the home of Mrs. Erma Skinner, victim of Bailey's! rifle, was a resort in the northern part of Centralia where men and women who knew the route” were accustomed to go to buy beer and , moonshine at all hours of the day or night. When Bailey returned to Mrs. Skinner's home where he boarded and roomed at 3 o'clock the morning that he killed her he had in his car several bottles of moonshine. He had been to Rochester to a’“ dance, but whether his trip was for the purpose of selling liquor was not disclosed. On the other hand It is possible that he or his companion. Steve Gronka, who proved a most valuable witness for the state, obtained this liquor for sale at Mrs. Skinner’s home.Bailey must have been somewhat drunk when he arrived at the Skiar ner home but there was no evidence to show that he was in a besotted condition. Gronka testified that when he and Bailey entered the ✓kitchen Mrs. Skinner chided Bailey for coming home drunk. Private information from a Chehalis man who saw Bailey at the Rochester dance is that the latter was drunk enough to be obnoxious. The probability is that Bailey was drunk and that it was because of this fact that he became^ bitterly angered at Mrs. Skinner when she called him on his arrival home. -No doubt this rage caused nitn to get his rifle and commit the crime for which a jury says he must hang.entered the dining room.Ferrell and Connor, who faced di- j rectly toward him, swore that Bailey ■. raised his rifle to his shoulder, aimed ( at Mrs. Skinner and fired. Bren- [ aman, who was facing the kitchen ! door, said that as this shot was fired : he saw Mrs. Skinner's skirts swing ; around the door into the kitchen. Ferrell and Connor swore also that j immediately following the first shot ; Bailey shifted his position slightly and fired again, aiming a few feet further to the right than he did the first time. Bailey was just to the rear of Brenaman and the latter did not see Bailey as he fired, but he did see Mrs. Skinner make her mad flight to escape from her former husband. Theory of the state was that this second shot was Intended by Bailey tQ hit Mrs. Skinner as she headed toward the outside kitchen door. The prosecution also contended that the first of these shots struck her.Bailey rushed across the room and into the kitchen. Ferfell, Connor and Brenaman closing in behind him. It was agreed'by all that at this stage of the tragedy as Bailey’s rifle was taken from him, he did help to support Mrs. Skinner, who had been struck by one bullet, and helped her back to his bedroom, carrying the woman part way. Ferrell threw the gun outside into the front yard. Mrs. Bailey had been struck in the back between the eighth and ninth ribs, according to the testimony of Doc-(Continued on page 16.)
Newspaper Details
Chehalis Bee Nugget
Chehalis, Washington, US
Fri, Mar 18, 1927
Page 1
Full Page
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UT, USA 18 Oct 2016
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