On this date locally in 1941: Jury acquits ‘tickling bride’

MASON CITY (AP) — The “tickling bride” case was brought to a close last night when a district court jury acquitted Jennie Becker Brunner, 23, of a charge of slaying her husband.

The jury deliberated five hours.

She had been in the county jail here since the morning of Sept. 30 when, she testified in her own defense, she had tickled her husband, Sam, when they awoke at their farm home and he had pulled a gun from under the pillow.

She related: “He had the gun cocked and was pointing it at me but somehow I got it away from him. Then everything went black and about that time the gun started going off.”

They had been married seven months at the time of the shooting.

— Charles City Press, Dec. 9, 1941

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