The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1897-06-02

whether or not I thought she had writ
ten the GorrelI letter The handwriting
of the letter signed by Mrs. Snyder
making an appointment with me, which
I held in my hand, and the hand-writ-
ing of the GOFFeH letter looked to me to
be the same, and as had thought there
was a similarity in the handwriting
of both letters after received the let
ter from Mrs. Snyder, I said; You have
asked me for an opinion and will give
you my opinion. I believe you wrote
the letter. Then told her that 1 had
received an anonymous letter few
days before postmarked Perry, and that
I was also forced to believe from the
hand writing that she had written that.
She protested that she had not written
the letters, and I told her that it was
then very unfortunate for her that her
handwriting should be so similar. She
repeated that she did not write the
letters and I told her that if she swore
she hadn't on q stack of Bibles as high
as the Methodist church I couldn't be-
Iieve her. I didn't say I wouldn't be-
lieVe her, but said couldn't believe
her. I told her that if what she said
was true that she ought to try and vim
dicate herself, clear herself, and said
that she was welcome to bring suit
against me in the courts if she thought
she could Yindicate herself in that way
While I was talking with Mrs Snyder
the quarterly conference gathered in
the church, s it was called for o'clock
and when I went to the church it was
almost that time. When told her that
L
tire conference was gathered in the
church, and in this way my utterances
were made before the conference. I did
not go before the conference to make
the charges against Mrs. Snyder; what
I said was said before the conference
was the fault of Mrs. Snyder, because
she went to the church to see me in
stead of seeing me at Brother Braden's
and just al the time that the conference
was about to meet.
At the request of his attorney, Elder
Billingsley then proceeded to point out
the similarity in the construction of the
letters in the letters signed by Mrs.
Snyder and the obscene letters. The
letters were placed in the hands of the
jury, and Elder Billings1ey read mem
oranda he had made after examining
the different letters. The jury examin-
ed the handwriting, following the mem
CROSS EXAMINATION.
Odd you ever say that you would
take this matter to the federal authOri-
ties?
Ayes. conditionally. I said if Mrs.
Snyder made me trouble in the courts
or in the church I would turn the let
ters over to the federal authorities and
let them do what they thought best
Q.-How long have you been a minis
A.-EIeven years
Q.-What was your occupation prior
to that time?
A.-SchOOl teacher.
Q.-Doesn't the discipline of the
church make it the duty of the minis
ter, when he finds out anything of dis
credit about member, to go to that
her?
A.-The discipline doen't saw any,
thing about it. It leaves it to the judg-
ment of the minister
Odd you show these letters to any
persons who might be supposed to
know something about writing for ex-
animation?
A.-Yes sir. I shpwed the letters to
P. l. Bonebrake. He said there was a
strong resemblance. To Frank Thomp-
son, who said there was dangerous
similarity and he thought I had a
strong case. J. W. Thurston. Prof. .Fos-
ter andDr. Powell also said there was a
dangerous similarity.
THE SUIT IS DISMISSED.
At the conVening of the district court
this morning the slander suit of Mrs
Mary Snyder against Elder L. K Bill
Kingsley and Rev. George w. Braden
took an unexpected turn. 1t was about
8 O'Clock when Judge Hazen emerged
from his office in the rear of the court
room and took his seat behind the desk,
and it was about the same time that
Captain J. G. Waters walked into the
room and STROBE rather hurriedly to the
railing in front of the bench He was
not accompanied by his client and when
he reached the railing. without any pre-
Hminary remarks, he said:
I'VE want to dismiss this case your
honor, at the plaintiff's cost .tAI
right replied Judge Hazen smiling
plaintiffs cost"
That was all there was TO it. The
countenance of R. B. Welch, the attor-
ney for that portion of the Methodist
church represented by Elder Billings
ley and Mr.. Braden, took on a broad
smile, and as he turned his gaze to
Elder Billingsley his smile brOadened
and deepened and at last developed in
to a grin of satisfaction. And Elder
Billingsley, gazing at Mr. Welch's cOun-
tenance, found himself smiling alsOan
from Mr.. Welch and Elder BilIingsley
the contagiOn spread to the deacOns and
deaconesSeS, and the elders and broth
ers and sisters of the Methodist church.
who had gathered in the court room to
port of their presence, and from smiling
the aSSemblage turned to shaking
hands and in a moment a small sized
love feast was in progress
In the midst of the rejoicing CAPTAIN
Waters gently removed his presence
from the room unobserved, and Judge
Hazen slid out of his chair and through
the rear door of the court room to his
office. The jolIification in Shawnee
county's hall of justice continued for
fully half an hour
Captain Waters states that his reason
for dismissing the case was that fact
that certain evidence for which the
pIa1ntIH was not prepared was intro
duced by the defense, and that without
preparation he was unable to combat
1t. He says the case may be instituted
again.
The costs in the case amount to about
S115, and these costs Mrs Snyder will
have to pay. It is understood that she
mortgaged her farm at Perry this
morning to raise money to defrav the
expenses of her suit.