Fremont journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County [Ohio]) 1853-1866, 1853-05-28
Miss Wheeler,s Trial,

Abbey, Esq, OF Cleveland, and VIM. H. Tuck
er, Esq. of Sandusky, appeared as associate
counsel for the defence The latter made a
very able opening speech. He seemed to re-
ly principally upon his ability to prove that
Miss Wheelp ives laboring under strong
mental excitement amounting to partial de.
rangement Of mind, at the time she killed
Lace. The case will be decided this week.
II seems she was induced to withdraw from
dancing school which she attended, the
winter previous to her intimacy with the de.
ceased. by false and slanderous reports pref.
judicial to her character. She was poor, proud
aud high spirited. The affair seemed to
overwhelm her with mortfcaton-she grew
heart-sick and melancholy temper be-
came more or less capricous, and she went
day and night AT this time she became ac-
Iquainted with Mr.. Lace, who pretended friend
ship and talked of marriage. The following
is from the opening counsel Of the defence:
With regard to her treatment at the dane
ling school, Lace assumed an active part in
her behalf: said the talk about her was all
nonsense: these persons tried to iniure her
aud that he would see her through. He spoke
to various parties in her behalf, and he thus
interested himself This coming to the ears
of Miss w., only tended to strengthen the
good feeling which she had previously enter
tanned towards him. Up to that time the
character of Miss Wheeler had been entirely
virtuous and beyond the fear of rcproach.-
She had been strictly industrious, entirely at
tentlve to her business, for she was
very poor. compelled to work hard, late and
early, with view to earn her livelihood; that
in this unhappy, dsordered state of mind, with
these assurances of Lace, and with this con-
duct in her behalf, in some way, and never
knew case where any body could explain
the way, John Lace became her scducer.-
Soon afterwards, in the month of April last,
a year ago, Ann Wheeler found herself in a
most unhappy situation, in state of pregnan-
cy. Finding herself in that condition, she
wrote several letters and sent them to Mr..
Lace, soliciting an interview. Her socita-
tons were disregarded. He avoided her-I
He would not go to see her and she could
not meet him in the street to talk with him.
Whenever she appeared, he would turn off.
Indeed she could but rarely catch his eye,
and when she did, he would look scornfully
at her, or would make a pretext to stop and
talk to some one, almost as he did on the
morning he was murdered, coming up the
street he made pretext to stop and talk with
De Wolf.
Finding herself thus pregnant, and thus
neglected, she consulted physician, and re-
sorted through bis agency, to artificial means
TO procure an abortion; she subjugated her
self to the disgrace and humil;alng sin Of that
last resort to free herself from guilt and in
fanny. Abou: the time of adopting this course,
which was in the early pa, Of May, probably
the 10th or earlier, she wrote lengthy letter
addressed to Lace, informing him of her stu
alton, Of the frequent solicitations she had
previously made in writing for him to call up
on her and Of his neglect, and telling him
that she wished to be rid of her burden, that
she had been delicate about speaking to him
tof it before, but that she had waited almost
too long, that it was as much his interest as
hers to get rid oft, and the contrary wold be
as much disgrace to him as her, and begging
him to furnish her with the means which
would be necessary to procure that object, to
procure the abortion which would rid herself
of her condition and at the same time rid him
of the consequences to himself, and telling
him that unless he did so she would 90 thro'
with it, and he must take the consequences,
and his ears would be salued with the name
of father.
This call was entirely unheeded, no atten
ton whatever was paid TO it on the part of
Lace, he neither called upou her, or furnish
ed her with the means she sought, and the
object was accomplished entirely by herself.
After John Lace received the letter he went
round in public places in this city-being
loafer as he was exhibiting the letter, read :
ing it in the groggeres and bar
rooms and streets of this city. In the saloon
known as Belden's, one OF the first in the city,
he showed that letter. speaking of its contents
and telling who it was from. And that on
another occasion he showed it, and read il to
Mr.. Woodwork in the presence of a
r young gentleman and two ladies' and Mr..
Woodwork was not able to keep him from
reading it even in their presence; he showed
it Immediately after getting it out Of the Post
Office, in kcllogg's Saloon, Kellogg read the
I letter, it was handed to him by Lace. On
another occasion he exhibited il in The Green
I1lOOu vi luc Wuefc nt WAS employ
: ed as a sort Of usher; he there deliberately
read the letter, and upon reading it he made
comments upon it, and upon the character OF
her from whom he had received it; he spoke
of it in this way, "that it was one of his pous
licks;" "that it was not the first one he had
: come upon the women Of this city, and that
he would come it upon every one of them il
he had little jewelry," and suggested to his
boon companions to whom he was reading it,
! that if they wanted something, and you know
what | mean, they could 60 down to the base
ment there and get it. The conduct of Lace
e came to the knowledge of Miss Wheeler; it
was communicated to her by friend. She
wanted her letters and wanted to stop his
mouth. He had inflicted upon her the great.
est injury that could be inflicted upon a wo-
, man Of virtue, Of pride and sensitiveness-
but even if he had kept still, perhaps she
might have submitted Not satisfied with
that injury, he had inflicted upon her another,