The Topeka state journal., 1899-12-02
SELLS DIVORCE.
Rupture in the Family of the
Circus Owner.
Peter Sells Will Make Very
Serious Charges.
PAPERS SOON BE FILED
Separation of the Couple Has
Taken Place.
Detectives Watched the Home
and Secured Evidence.
Sells Interests in Topeka Have
Been Transferred.
PAPERS SOON BE FILED

The following appeared in the Gin
cinnati Enquirer of November 2S, under
a Columbus, O., date line:'
Peter Sells. the well known circus
owner, has separated from his wife un-
der most startling circumstances. The
accusations he makes against Mrs.
Sells will stir the social world to its
depths. The palatiaI home of the Sells
at Dennison and Buttles avenues, is
desOlate, Mr.. Sells having left it, TAX
ing with him their accomplished
daughter, Miss Florence, aged 20 years.
They have taken a temporary residence
with Lewis Sells, the indignant hus-
bands brother. Mrs. Sells is left alone
at the homestead.
Attorney J. E. Safer. acting for Mr..
Sells, has prepared a petition for di-
vOrce, which, it was stated, will be filed
in the courts tomorrow. The charge
upon which it is based is that of in
fidelity, and a well known Columbus
bOniface will, it is said, be among those
named as correspondents.
During his many years of travel as
one of the principal prOprietOrs of Sells
Bros and Forepaugh's shows, Mr.SellS
has necessarily been absent from his
family much of the time. During all of
every season he has gone with the
show, leaving Mrs. Sells and their
daughter. who is only child, at
home. The information is that a week
before the show closed it's last season,
but ten days ago, Mr. Sells received
positive information that his wife was
unfaithful to him. Detectives were en-
plOyed to shadow her and her supposed
intimateS, with the result that her in
discretiOns are alleged to have been
proved by overwhelming evidence.
Mr.. Sells returned to the city when
the season had closed, and at first did
not make known to his wife the knOwl-
edge he possessed. He desired to ar
range some of his affairs for the sepa-
ration before he should confront her
with the truth This having been done,
he left her and took the steps for a di-
VOrce.
The advice upon which the petition
was based are of a character that will
astOund the many social friends of Mrs.
Sells, who has borne an untarnished
reputation. 1t is alleged that the mag
nificent home provided by the fond hus-
band has been the scene of midnight
orgies for years that would bring the
blush of shame to even the most blase
of dissipatiOn's devotees. Not only are
such violations of the Sells home alIeg-
ed to have been going on in the alb
Sence of the husband during the last
season, but it is charged that they have
been a common thing for years.
The refined and cultured daughter is
said to have feared a tragedy in the
event that she made known the facts
to her father, and she has suffered in
silence her mothers alleged WrOngdO-
ing for the sake of preventing what she
tually, however, she could bear the af-
fair no longer, and it is said to have
been she who first apprised the hus-
band of the alleged faithleSSneSS of
wife and mother.
The reports of the detectives who
shadOWed the accused parties are said
to be astonishing. The details of them,
however, will not be made public until
the petition for divorce is filed. The al
legged liaisOn with the well known bon
iface is said to have continued until
within very few evenings before Mr..
Sells returned home from his seasons
tour. A feature of the evidence against
him, strange enough, will be a bicycle.
He is alleged to have gone to see Mrs.
Sells on his wheel, and, leaving it out
side the door. it was taken into custO-
dy by one of the detectives to use as
circumstantial evidence.
The wheel is now locked up in the
Chittenden hotel building in the vicin-
ity of one of the leading detective
agencies. It is said several other prom
inent business men will be involved.
There is prOably no better known nor
more popular citizen in Columbus than
Peter Sells Public spirited, charitable
and of genial disposition, his friends
are legion. So carefully has the wife
guarded the alleged skeleton in the
closet that never until now has there
been the slightest suspicion in the public
mind against her fair name. Mr.. Sells
is nearly Frustrated and declines to
talk. However, he has authorized one
of his confidential business representa-
tives to make public the salient facts
| leading to the separation and divorce
suit.
Peter Sells and his family own a
large amount of valuable property in
Topeka, and the divorce suit which
! Mr.. Sells has just filed against his wife
! is probably the cause of the filing of
two transfers during the past week
which involve a portion of this proper
| ty.
A week ago Mrs Mary A Sells, the
defendant in the divorce suit. was the
owner of three valuable pieces of To-
| peka property They are lots A, 46 and
J As on lower Kansas avenue, in the vi
| cinity of the AriOn hall: lot 212 Kansas
| avenue, on which stands the building
! occupied on the first floor by the Kim
| ball Piano company: and six lots on the
| southwest corner of Sixth avenue and
/ Monroe street. where ". l. Miller s
| lumber yard stands.
| The property occupied by the Kim
! ball Piano company forms half of the
| Sells building. It is a three story build
/ ing and the other half stands on the
1 next lot north and is occupied on the
| ground floor by Furman's shoe store.
/ It is one of the most valuable buildings
/ of the kind in Topeka. The other lot is
/ owned by another member of the Sells
/ family
Last Monday a warranty deed to all
| this property signed by both Mrs Sells
| and her husband, as required by the
| Kansas statutes where the property Of
| either husband or wife is transferred,
| was filed with the register Of deeds OF
/ Shawnee county and duly entered. The
| deed conveyed the property to L. F.
| Safer Of Columbus, Ohio. and the price