The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1894-01-12
BOOTH BELL, VILLAIN
Correspondence That Sh ows Him
to Be a Hardened ScOundrel.
Pathetic Letters from His Deserted Wife
Indignant Epistle from One of His
Nictims-0ther Missiyes.

promoter Of raw theatrical talent, is
SHOWN TO be a gentleman Of decidedly
versatile prOclivities. AS an immense
bundle OF his correspondence in the pos
session Of the detectives would indicate,
the pseudo actor and manager, in addition
10 an inherent faculty for wholesale swind-
ling, possessed peculiar power over the
feminine heart. Apparently his mission
was to rob and ruin. A glance at the
hang-dog face Of the prisoner through the
bars of his cell at the jail is not calcu-
lated TO bear out the lurid utterances Of
various women who appeared to have cried
for the smiles and the Whispers of the
Kentuckian. Bells correspondence is al
most entirely dated at Louisville. In the
city detective office is a bulky bundle Of
letters and documents addressed TO himself
at various Indiana towns. There are let
tiers from wife who pours out her very
soul Other epistles are penned by love-
sick maidens, and others bear the sigma
lures of deceived and deceiving married
women. While the numerous letters dis
close something of Bells operations for a
year past, his true character is exposed in
series Of manuscripts found carefully
tied with blue ribbon. and which represent
blue prints of the most obscene and dis
gushing sort. These pictures were wrapped
up with the correspondence of many Of
his victims.
Mingled with this collection of vicious
art and strange tales of passion are a num-
Der OF mysterious sentences written on
scraps Of paper and a sheet Of printed re-
ligious songs, which Bell doubtless used in
his spiritualistic seances. That he was OPP
Grating this class Of entertainment as a
side show is evidenced by a letter dated
at Frankfort, Ind, Dec. 3, and written In
the delicate hand of a woman, who signs
Carrie NJ" Carrie has this TO say:
Dear Brother Schmidt-Mr. Bell has been
faYOrably mentioned in the Light of Truth,
and my band is taking a great deal of in
terest in him. We all know your good heart
too we'll to urge you, but think his board
work will be a great attraction for your
society They are such young members,
and deserve all the aid we as spiritualists
can give them" one corner of the envelope
fnciosing this epistIe bore the address of
"Dr. Abbott" The letter was evidently q
testimonial to the talents of Bell and his
pressed with the board" work of Bell and
recommended Ii as one Of his specialties.
In this direct line the proprietor of the iiii-
testify in behalf of Bells superior
board act Another letter, dated at I'll lou
Eran1sfort is from nm the pen of a, woman.
1t reads as follows:
Dear Darling-Russell did not read any
of my letters and 1 think you wrote, that
so You would not have to send me all you
promised me- Well if you want to break
off l can't hold you. You know / can't
come to you Thursday because L have no
shoes or hat That $500 would have fur
nished up a troupe and have given me
some things 1 need, but you gave the money
to that woman. She told me so.
Dearest, what are you doing If you are not
Edwin, did not show Russell that letter,
l must close now, darling, and remain your
GOWN LEONA."
It would seem that the writer either
occupied the relation Of wife TO Bell or was
closely connected with his affairs. The fol-
lowing from Louisville on Jan. 3. was ad-
indianapolis. The letter was in the hand
of a woman, and was written on letter;
heads showing that Miss Bell sey I,.Sa
jointly In THE Actor" The writer added
no signature to her remarks, which We're
chiefly the indignant utterances of woman
Scorned.
Il have been down to see your mother
and legal wife" the writer began, land
know all. You need not write another word
l defy you. i have the law on my side,
and one word from you to papa, I'll have
you behind the prison bars where you will
not have a chance to rob decent girls of
their honorable name. as you have tried to
rob me. But, thank God, am as proud OF
you Your legal wife is sick; one child is
dead and buried, and your poor old mother
supporting them by her hard-earned money.
You have never been on the stage, never
had 81 coo; in fact, you tried to deceive
from beginning TO end. You would like 10
coax me to you, promising honorable mar
riage, when in fact you have no idea OF
ever making me your legal wife. Your
mother says for you TO come home, but
you had better not come to Louisville. as
warrants are out for your arrest. You had
better support your legal wife. instead of
branding her a - If you ever dare write
one word to papa, or ever say word
better take care, for the penitentiary Is
large enough to hold you, you scoundrel,
whose only thought is of running my name
and character1 Don't ever dare to speak
TO me or L will kill you. / hate you, villain,
liar that you are. Send money home to your
wife and children. The money you got from
send a curse on you, you low-bred dog
Your soul ought to burn everlastingly in
the fires Of HI for the way you have done
me. Coward that you are you had no pity
for me; you did not think of my honor.
Some day you will suffer as / do now. If
there is a God above. hope He will never
robbed my old father out or his hard
earned money, and wish you had been
hung before had chance to meet you"
This terrible arraignment of Bell goes on
until the writer exhaustS her maledictions
Then she closes, with the warning that she
will yet elbow his brains out" Inside the
envelope was a slip of paper bearing the
address, Miss Belle Seyller, No. 1907 Pres
ton street. Louisville. KY"
Booth
ed ia mystery, although through the batch
of correspondence there Is found an occa-
sional letter from his real Wife This
woman writes Bell from Louisville, on
Christmas day, and appeals to him as the
father of her children to come home.
at am still washing" she says. "and don't
know what will become of us" She refers
TO the girl known Belle" also to the
man Russell" The wife implores her hus
band to let Belle alone. now that he is
away from her. Then she continues in the
sad strain Of a deserted woman. 1T Is hard
to live this way. One day without bread
and the next with it. I beg for my children
to keep them from crying for bread, and
you did not care whether they lived or died.
II is hard, but will try and bear Ii brave
ly. If 1 die l hope you will think of our
dear little children if You do not think of
their mother. /" . All right, go ahead
TO you, and you wish was out of the way.
Well, darling, it will not be long till you
will be a free man again. All l ask of you
Is to be true TO your children Your loving
wife, EUI1A-
Strangely at varience with this sorrowful
lines from a very airy young woman, who
addresses Bell as INV Dear Hubby" This
efusion also comes from Louisville a few
weeks before Christmas. The Kentucky fair
ing Bell in that city. She also relates the
details OF a 'horri1 Dream in which she
thought she was married 10 another man,
and cried her eyes out at the prospects
the information that she is about 10 APP
pear as Marguerite in Faust" and then
unfOids delightful secret. She writes: II
passed down jefferson street the other
night below Twenty-second, and stopped
before the house where you always kissed
me. did not have you TO kiss me SO |
kissed the ring Try 10 send me that blue
dress If you can spare the money. NY hair
&c n blonde darling M