Mrs. Murret.

would he would have on one of these little sailor suits, and he really looked cute, and he would holler, "Hi," to everybody, and people in town would stop me and say, "What an adorable child he is," and so forth, and he was always so friendly, and, of course, I did the best I could with him. The children at home liked him. John Edward and Robert are the same age as my fourth and fifth children, so--in other words, I had five children in 7 years, making them all around the same age, from 7 to 19 months apart, so, of course, everybody was of school age, grammar school. I had to get my own five children ready for school, and I didn't have any help on that and it kept me pretty busy, and that's why I guess it was that Lee started slipping out of the house in his nightclothes and going down the block and sitting down in somebody's kitchen. He could slip out like nobody's business. You could have everything locked in the house, and he would still get out. We lived in a basement house, and we had gates up and everything, but he would still get out.

Mr. Jenner.

What do you mean by a basement house?

Mrs. Murret.

Oh, that's one that's raised off the ground. The house has a few steps going up to the door, and it has a basement underneath, which a lot of people make into living quarters, underneath.

Mr. Jenner.

All right. He was 3 years old when he was living with you at your house, and at that time she had gone back to work; is that right?

Mrs. Murret.

She had gone back to work; yes, sir.

Mr. Jenner.

What sort of work did she do?

Mrs. Murret.

She was a saleswoman. I think she worked in quite a few of the stores in town.

Mr. Jenner.

Here in New Orleans?

Mrs. Murret.

Yes.

Mr. Jenner.

I assume her earnings were small?

Mrs. Murret.

What's that?

Mr. Jenner.

I assume her earnings were small?

Mrs. Murret.

Oh, yes; they don't pay too much.

Mr. Jenner.

What did she do with John Edward and Robert at this time?

Mrs. Murret.

Well, at that time John Edward and Robert were placed in a home across the river some place. I wouldn't know the name of the home. I visited with her one time, and she didn't like it too much, and so she took them because they weren't keeping their clothes clean and so forth. The children didn't look the way she wanted them to, and she put them in the Bethlehem home. That's a Lutheran home.

Mr. Jenner.

Is the Bethlehem home for Lutheran orphans?

Mrs. Murret.

No; it's not exactly an orphanage. It's for children who have one parent.

Mr. Jenner.

I think we will take a recess now for lunch, and we can be back here at 2 o'clock.
(Whereupon the proceeding was recessed.)

Testimony of Mrs. Lillian Murret Resumed

Mr. Jenner.

The proceeding reconvened at 2 p.m.

Mr. Jenner.

As I understand it now, Mrs. Murret, Marguerite maintained the house for approximately 2 or 3 years and reared the boy there and did not work, and at the end of that period of .time, she went to work, and she lodged Lee with you and your husband and your children; is that right?

Mrs. Murret.

Yes.

Mr. Jenner.

And that extended over a period of how long? How long did you have him?

Mrs. Murret.

Oh, I think it was pretty near the time that she married Mr. Ekdahl. I think she married him about that time.

Mr. Jenner.

That was 1948; is that right?

Mrs. Murret.

It might have been. Now, it might have been a little before she married Ekdahl. I really can't remember that. I really didn't know Mr. Ekdahl. I met him one time. Now, I am trying to orient myself.