The Big Stone Gap post. [volume] (Big Stone Gap, Wise County, Va.) 1892-1928, 1900-11-28
PETER SELLS STORY.
law Bis wife Only Three Times II, fore he
Married Her-Psraded without
His Consent

Columbus, o., Nov. 25.-The Sells
divorce suit was resumed Monday
morning before Judge Evans, with
more interest being manifested by the
'pectators than ut any previous stage
Of the sensational case. This was due
10 the expectancy that Peter Sells.
the plaintiff, would take the stand
and detail how the revelation OF his
~ife's alleged infdelity came upon
him.
When Mrs. Sells. accompanied by
her brother. entered the courtreom
It was found that special privileged
spectators, who had been admitted
within the enclosure, had pre-
empted the chairs occupied by Che
defendant and her brother and
mother.
Mrs. Sells was forced 10 stand until
Court Crier Spencer could hustle
around and secure a chair for her.
j. F. Hatcher. hollow-ware manu-
facturer. testified he had participated
in Peter Sells penny-ant.. dime-hmit
poker games, and ex-Chief Justice
Joseph =. Bradbury. OF the Ohio. SUI
preme court. was among those he met
In those games. Mrs. Sells brought
In the lunch of sandwiches and beer
at these games. This was Mt the man.
sion.
Mary Steck and Clara O'Brien. tele-
phone operators. were subpenacd as
Witnesses for the plaintiff. and then
Peter Sells himself took the stand.
He said he was s. years old last
April. and was born on n farm south
OF columbus. He gave the genealogy
of the Sells family. saying he had 10
brothers and sisters. Sells then gave
the story of his early life. He hogan
as n ncwsbOy in Cleveland, then was
an office boy and later circulation
manager for the Cleveland Leader.
He was conductor in 1861 on the
first street car line in Cleveland. Next
he worked for Rockefeller In the oil
regions Of Pennsylvania. From here
he went to burlington. Ia.. and later
10 Chicago, where he sold strawber- |
ries in the markets. Next he went |
in the auction business in Chicago. |
and later transferred his business 10
columbus. With his brothers, ne
started the Sells circus in 1872.
In 1875 he met Mary A. Luker. his
present wife. in Medina, Knox county.
Mo-, where her father kept n hotel.
lie acknowledged being smitten on
frst sight, and wrote TO Miss Luker
lftcr leaving Medina. This correspond
'nce ended in their marriage in Jan
nary. 1873. He only saw Miss Lukcr
hree times before the wrdding day.
There was no license. Miss Lukcr in
'orming Sells that il was not neces-
AIRY in Missouri.
There is dispute as TO the date
# the marriage. Peter claiming Il
vas January 81. 1873, and Mrs. Sells
that it was January 81.
hey came to Columbus to reside i'm
nediately after their marriage. Sells
aid his wife wanted TO travel with
he show. but ne objected, because.
s advance agent, he could not be
nth the show.
Nothing was said about her riding ,
horse in the circus. Two weeks =
fter the show started he returned q
0 the show At East Liberty and was /
TO see his wife i'm n scarlet +
ostume riding in the parade. He y
roteSted, and she promised to ride n
o more. and he never knew OF her 9
ding after this one occasion. =
Mrs. Sells claims in her answer that II
le was compelled 10 ride by her hus- Z
md. From ten days after the East 7
liberty episode Sells said his wife G
ever Travelled with the show. except .
hen he was with her on occasional n
mes.