Los Angeles daily herald., 1889-04-27
An interesting Case on Trial
Before Judge Wade.
FRANCES DYKES SAD STORY
How She Broke an Engagem ent Fol
Geo. F. Van Every, and the
Result Told by Her.

10000 for breach of promise. Miss
Dykes story, as told by herself on the
witness stand, is to the effect that in 1884,
when she was about % years of age, she
was residing with a lady named Mrs.
Mcintyre at Springfield, Missouri. Her
sister had gone to Goldsbororgh to get
married, and she followed the next day.
She stopped with her sister at the hotel
that night, but did notsee her sister mar
ried, for the reason that she could not
delay her return to Springfield. Her
sister and her intended husband accom-
panied her short distance on the train,
and then left at small station and were
married. She did not stop over, but
went on, and shortly afterward
she noticed Van Every sitting in the
ssat across the aisle. Then she noticed
him cross the car and take seat behind
her. He opened the conversation by ad-
dressing her. He asked her where she
was going, and she replied, "home." /"
The conversation was continued until
they reached Springfield. She said that
he talked to her in a very gentlemanly
manner, and that when they reached
Springfield it was about night. He
asked permission to escort her home,
and she gave her assent. She went
that night to the residence of Mrs.
Howes, (which was near the depot.
When they reached the door, Van Every
asked her if he might call on her, and
she replied that she knew no reason why
he should not, but did not suppose he
would, for she thought he was q drum.
mer. He knocked at the door for her,
and said good night, and left her. She
did not expect to ever see him again land
was surprised when not long after
HE CALLED
On her at Mrs. McIntyre's. He called
on her there several times, and when
she went ut to her parents residence,
some six miles out of town, he called
on her there. He asked her to go out
driving with him, but she refused, as
she was engaged to be married to man
named Johns, who had farm near by,
and che did not think it right. She did
not love Johns, but she had become en-
gagged to him. This made no difference
to Van Every, and he continued his
visits. Miss Dykes fell in love with him,
and he urged her to break her engage
ment with Johns. This she hesitated
about doing, but she finally yielded to
Van Every's wishts in the matter, and
broke her engagement. Then Van Every
asked her to marry him, and she prom
ised him that she would, but no time was
set. She returned to Mrs. McIntyre's,
and he continued his visits.
One evening he called and said he had
come to take her to her mother who was
i'll. He had buggy and she put on her
shawl and hat and accompanied him.
After they had driven for some time che
noticed that the road was strange to her,
and she told him that he had taken the
wrong road. He said he guessed not,
that he had been over the road several
times and had lately noticed that trees
had been cut, changing its appearance.
They drove on a considerable distance
az d then he said he thought that he
must have
MADE MISTAKE
and have taken the wrong road. They
,nsidered what was best to do,
and he concluded to drive back to Spring
field, which he did, and they reached
there about IL o'clock at night. The
question as to whether Miss Dykes
should go to friends house or the hotel
then arose, and he suggested that il
would seem strange to her friend if she
turned up at that time of night. He
told her he would get her a room at the
hotel, and then he would drive to hel
mothers. She consented to stop at the
hotel, and he started to take her there
On the way he asked her to stop at hil
office while he saw about some business
matters. She went in with him, and ht
gave her a seat. They talked for Ions
time, and then when he was ready tc
start it was after midnight. He sale
that the hotel was closed, and she die
not know what to do. After some tall
he said that she could sleep il
his bed at the Office and ht
would go elsewhere. He said tha
there was key to the door, and that she
would be perfectly safe. She did no
fancy this arrangement much, but fel
that it was the best that could be done
under the circumstances, and finally
consented to it. He then said "GooG
night" and apparently left. After ht
had gone she
LOOKED FOR THE KEY,
But could find none. She undressed anC
went to bed, and shortly afterward Var
Every walked into the room and said
81 came to see how you were getting
along" Miss Dykes asked and begged
him to go out, but he walked up to the
bed and talked to her, urging her to con
sent to his wishes, and finally, in spite
of her objections, stayed with her unit
morning. He urged that it would make
no difference, as they were to be mar
ried in two months. She returned
home, and in the course of time found
that she was likely to become mother
She begged him to keep his promise and
marry her, but he put her of
with one excuse or another un.
til her condition began to be
observable to others. Then he told her
that if she would go with him to Kansas
City he would marry her there. She
accompanied him there, and still he de-
delayed the marriage until che became
desperate. One day she sent for him to
come to her room, and when entered she
locked the door and asked him if he was
going to marry her. He replied that he
was not. She then took bottle of
chIoroform and attempted to drink its
contents. She had swallowed small
quantity of the poison when Van Every
slezed her arm and took the bottle away.
She became sick from the
EFFECTS OF THE POISON,
And he walked her up and down for a
long lime. He then promised to marry
her after he got back from trip he was
going to take on business, and asked her