The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1900-11-24
ADMITTED WRONG
Mrs. Sells Says She Wouldn't
Have Blamed Husband.
Would Be Justified in Blowing
Her Brains Out.
MRS. 2. SELLS MAID
She Adds Her Testimony to
That of others.
Tells of Her Mistress Question
able Actions.

Another Sells servant helps pile up the
evidence against Mrs. Peter Sells in the
divorce trial at Columbus. She was
Eliza Donahue. Mrs Sells maid.
Miss Donahue took care of the Sells
residence in all it's parts except the
kitchen. She spent her nights visiting
Margaret KerWin, the hOuSekeeper Tor
Neighbor W. H. Fish. Mostly the two
girls sat on the veranda on pleasant
nights and watched the Sells house
Eliza was not required to answer the
door bell after nights except when Pc
ter was at home.
She had seen Lyons call at the Sells
residence frequently Sometimes he came
in the afternoon Just because he was
passing and hadn't seen the family for
ages" At night he entered either the
front door or the side door, according to
circumstances. Sometimes she admitted
him, sometimes Mrs. Sells did, and some
times he apparently walked right in.
When he made this bluff at seeing
the family on the afternoon visits he
would call upstairs to Mrs. Sells, or she
would ''holler'' downstairs to him. He
called her Mamie" and she called him
Harry" Although he hadn't seen the
family for ages he had probably visited
Mrs. Sells the night before. On enter
ing the house at night Harry would
kind of slide up against that curve, re-
ferrinS to the porte-cochere, walking
very sneaky." He made no stop at the
door, He usually timed himself to ar
rive about o'clock.
Once Harry had a narrow escape. He
came to the side door when Pete" and
Florence were on the Veranda. He
opened the side door, but some one gave
him the office and he slid out into the
darkness. Eliza told in some detail of
the cunning manner in which Lyons in
the attempt to conceal his doings, sue
ceeded in attracting the attention Of the
entire neighborhood.
Once Eliza saw Harry in the library
talking to Mrs. Sells Harry was in
STOPPING position, and Mrs. Sells was
leaning forward talking to him.
''They jumped back when they saw
me, ana / was so scared that I walked
right on through the house and went
into the park
Eliza told of occasions when in her
belief Mrs Sells Snluggled LYONS up-
stairs into her bedroom Then Mrs
Sells would declare herself sick or sleepy
and go to bed. Whenever Eliza decided
to turn in she found Mrs. Sells awake,
and the lady would come out in the hall
and talk to her. Her mistress frequently
annoyed" Eliza by compelling her to
obey orders, and the domestic naively
room and. refusing to answer her
mistress voice.
Eliza sometimes found cigarette stubs
in the crate. Mrs. Sells once told her
mounted perfume bottle. Two silk
night shirts were pressed by Eliza, which
Mrs. Sells said she had made for Harry
Lyons and for which he paid. once she
saw Harry bring package of some
kind on one of his nocturnal visits. She
never made it her business to look
into Mrs. Sells closet, but she knew that
whisky, wine and gin were stored there
in bottles.
Mrs Sells once borrowed Miss Dona-
hue'S Sacque. She said she wanted to
go to the insane asylum to visit a friend
She excused her action by saying that
1iza's Sacque was warmer than her
own Liza said that at the time Mrs
Sells had very beautiful cape and a
sealskin sacque. LiZa'S sacque cost but
$3.50, and did not fit her mistress at all
neatly.
Miss Donahue saw another man, short
heavy set, wearing a small mustache,
call at the house. She could not identi-
fly him.
About the last week in September.
1892 Liza heard some man pass through
the house. going into the cellar. When
he came back Liza looked out at him
and saw the short, stout man, supposed
to be Bott, carrying a couple of bottles
of beer The next morning Mrs. Sells
said that Miss Florence got the beer
the night before.
In the year 1899 Peter asked Mrs
Sells to go with him to West Baden. She
didn't want to go. but suddenly made
up her mind to go. On returning she
told of meeting Judge Gale there.
Mrs. Sells frequently talked with the
girl about BILLY" Bott. Mrs. S. said
Bott was such a swell dresser. Lyons
was also favorite subject of con-
versation. He was a good fellow and a
friend of the family Once Mrs. Sells
told of Lyons breaking his engagement
to marry a girl in Pittsburg.
Mrs. Sells told of invitations from
Peter to go on vacation trips. but she
didn't want to go.
''She so annoyed me that finally said
to her, Well, Mrs. Sells, If I liked my
husband I'd go anywhere he asked me-
and she never spoke of it again"
When Peter and Florence were away
Lyons visited her regularly. Through
the winter Mrs. Sells always went
downtown. Sometimes Miss Florence
went downtown on these afternoons but
Mrs. Sells never accompanied her. Since
Miss Florence came to an age of young
ladyhood Lyons never accompanied her
anywhere, although he had taken her to
matinees as a child
Mrs Sells said to her after Sells left
her:
Elizabeth, do you know that Mr.. Sells