The Key West Citizen

Wife Of Marine Captain To Be Charged Today

PENSACOLA (P)—Detective Sgt. Raymond Harper said he expected to charge the 32-year-old former wife of a Marine captain with first degree murder today in the death of her 6-year-old son.

Harper said Mrs. Gladys Cain poisoned John Michael Cain Jr. with barbital, then attempted to asphyxiate her 1-month-old baby with a bathroom gas heater.

Mrs. Cain spent Monday night under police guard in a hospital recovering from large amounts of whisky and drugs.

Eva Lou Williams, 25-year-old night supervisor of nurses at Baptist Hospital, was credited with saving the life of the baby.

Harper said Mrs. Cain awakened Miss Williams, who lived in the same apartment building, Monday afternoon and told her: "I think there is still a pulse beat. Do you want to do anything about it?"

The nurse said she rushed into the Cain apartment and found Johnny lying dead in the bathtub, with the baby on the floor. She turned off the unlighted gas heater, opened a window, and spanked the baby until he cried and began to breathe.

Harper said baby food was found in a wine glass with "white tablets crumbled in it." An empty bottle for barbital tablets was nearby.

Dr. Gretchen Squires gave a tentative report that the boy had died of barbital poisoning.

An older daughter of Mrs. Cain was away at school when the tragedy occurred.