The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1899-06-20

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Palmer. While a bookkeeper for the COM
| pany F'ordyce G. Bradley married Mrs.
Benedicts sister, Lucia Watkins, and
when she died he married again and later
named their daughter Lucia after his first
wife.
Palmer died in 1877 and left fortune va
riously estimated from $4,000 to $780, 600.
and since that time Bradley has practically
had the management of it. One side
claims that he increased Il to over $500 600.
while the other side asserts that II ne did
1t was with view to the future of his
daughter. About this time Frank Palmer
was in Yale college, and it IS admitted
that he was about as wild as a young man
could be and remain in the institution
While there he married a woman of bad
reputation, and it was she. the prosecution
Gains, that filched from him much of the
money he had received from his fathers
estate In 1883 he is said to have complete
ly reformed and to have Joined his mother
in Paris. She became a patient of Brown
Sequard, and there she met DR.. DuPuy.
Frankt Palmer claims that this man ex-
erted powerful influence over his mother;
that she was completely under his control;
that he secured 5000 in cash from he ST.
900 in notes and an extended trip to Cali
fornia for himself and wife. He alleges
that DuPuy turned his mother against
him and made her believe that he was a
drunkard and a spendthrift. While she
lived. it is said, she would never remain
long away from the vicinity of DR.. DuPuy.
The doctor asserts that he treated Mrs.
Benedict free of charge, and that she was
nothing more than a friend who had an in
terest in him because she saw for him a
bright future
Testimony viii be offered by the prosecu-
ton to show that from 1892 on Mrs Bene-
dict was a victim of the alcohol and NOR
phine habits: that her mind was complete
ly shattered by the use of these drugs,
and, that while in this state she conceived
the idea that her, son and his wife were
going to poison her. The defense points to
her letters and asks could an insane wo-
man have written them? In December,
1898, while at Nice with his mother, Frank
Palmer met Mrs. George II. Fletcher, OF
New Orleans, to whom she became greatly
attached. She urged frank to pay court 10
her, and when they were married in New
York in April. 1894 a divorce having been
obtained from the first wife. Mrs. Benedict
rejoiced at the union. Why she later show
ed such vindictiveness against this woman
in her will the jury vii, have to determine
In the fall of 1894. II is claimed, Mrs.
Benedict conceived the idea that Frank
and his wife intended to poison her and
she refused to see them. looking always to
DR.. DuPuy for aid at 81 visit Her con-
dition, says the son, was concealed from
him, and his letters to her were inter-
copied andsh e died without his knowledge
OF her condition. AS evidence OF her condi-
ton Of mind 1t is stated that Mrs. Bene-
dict gave a picture of Frank and his father
to Lucia Bradley with instruction that It
should be given her son when he reached
GO. provided he was fit custodian of it.
During all these years, Frank Palmer
claims, he was dutlfu, and attentive to his
mother, and there was not cloud between
them until her mind broke down. II 50,
asks the other side, why did Frank In 1893
write to his mother in this way: please,
mother, give me one more chance and I
will redeem myself in the eyes of the
world. If 1 fail you this time may God fail
me-" Why, too, did the mother write Mr..
Bradley that her boy was drunk on his
wedding trip and that she had no further
faith in him? Was it insane delusion? If
so, Frank Palmer is a pitiful victim of cir
cumstances. in the shaping OF which he
had no part.