The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1892-07-23
FREDA'S ATTEMPT TO ELOPE
Volkmar Tells How He Prevented Miss
Ward Running Off with Alice Mitchell.
The infatuated Girl Had Her Window Open
and Proposed to Leave the Rouse in
Dime.Novel- Elopement Style.

MEMPHIS, Tenn, July 22-There is no
abatement to-day, notwithstanding the
intense heat. in the attendance upon and
interest manifested In the Alice Mitchell
case. 1t was $50 O'Clock when court con-
vened.
The first witness called was MISS Addie
Mitchell. She seemed to feel her sisters
position very keenly and to realize the
humiliation attendant upon 1t. Her testi-
mony was In the main purely cumulative
of that offered previously as to Alice's dis
position, pen0hanr for boyish sports, head
aches. nose-bleed and her demeanor at the
timo of and since the tragedy. The cigar
box frequently referred to. which con-
tanned Alice's letters and love tokens, was
introduced and identified by witness She
knew of the intimacy between Alice and
Freda Ward and had read the letter from
Mrs. Volkmar (Freda's sister, to her mother,
breaking off the two girls friendship. The
remainder of her testimony was merely
oorroborative of that previously siven by
members of the Mitchell family.
James johnson, brother of Lille. tes titled
that he had known Alice for two years.
and. as far as he could judge, she had al
ways displayed most decided aversion TO
the society of gentleman.
brother-in-law of the victim, was next
called for by the defense, and proved the
most sensational Of the day. He said that
mp to the time of his moving to Golddust,
Ark, he had never suspected anything
and considered it only the friendship usual
between girls. Coming TO the day of the
proposed eloDeEent which was planned
for and was to be consummated while Alice
and Lille johnson were visiting the
Misses Ward last summer. he said that
Fre0as actions denoted something unusual
she insisting upon sleeping In a different
room from that usually occupied by her.
and on leaving the window open. He kept
watch outside, expecting q man to show
up. just before the boat whistled. he en-
tered tho room suddenly. He heard Freda
push her valise under the bed. She was
dressed, but as he entered the room, she
jumped into bed, pulled the sheet over her,
as though she was undressed. and pro-
fessed indignation at the intrusion. Wit
ness was pretty mad. He called his
wife, and demanded of Freda what
this all meant. Then she confessed that she
was going to run off with Alice. They
were to marry. and Alice was to work for
her to support her. Witness. at the time
he intercepted the Letters. was not aware
of any lnfatuation between the girls. He
intercepted them because he had come to
the conclusion that Alice wss not q tit COM
panion for her. On the discovery Of the
plan of eiopement. he promised Freda that
night that he would never mention the
matter to her again. He was ashamed OF
it and OF her for wanting to leave D good
homo, and said that if she would not refer
to the matter he would keep IL secret.
Aftcr this episode witness advised his wife
that she request tho visitors to return to
their homes as he did not consider them
fit associates for his sister-in-law. Witness
saw nothing to lead him to believe Alice
mentally unsocnd.
After the examination of Miss 10 Ward,
sister of Ffeda in whose testimony there
were no new Developments court adjourned
at /. p. NJ until tomorrow.