The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1900-12-06
TAKES ALL BACK.
SsBlue Eyed Harry Redeems
Himself in Sells Case.
Defends the Character of Mrs.
Peter Sells.
w. /. MILLER'S LETTER
1t Was Written to Peter Sells
at Columbus.
w. /. MILLER'S LETTER
Introduced in Evidence Without
Being Read.

Columbus, O., Dec 6.-The recalling
of blue-eyed Harry Lyons, and his de-
nials of any improper relations with
Mrs Sells was the sensational incident
in the Sells divorce case Tuesday,
Harry Lyons went on the stand and
redeemed himself. When he SO meekly
acknowledged his authorship Of the
'.angel queen" and millions of kisses
letters at his first appearance on the
stand the public was turned against the
''blue-eyed boy" But when recalled he
spoke out in no uncertain tones. He
said that never in his life had his rela-
tions with Mrs Sells been anything
more than those of a friend; that never
had he seen anything improper IN her
conduct, and so far as he knew sne
was as pure as any wife in the land
He denied the evidence or Jim Wat
son, the hotel porter, in toto, and said
that Jim had never carried any letters
from him to Mrs Sells Never had she
presented him with any night shirts or
underwear and he always purchased his
own neckties and did not depend upon
Mrs. Sells for them. Harry brought out
his little diary and went over the dates
OF his visits to the Sells home, and said
that on dates when the plaintiffs 5 wit
neSSeS had said that he was with MIS-
Sells he was in another part Of the town.
While Lyons was on the stand he kept
his eyes cast down and spoke in such a
low tone that it was impossible to hear
much he said. He did not appear to be
at ease and the case seemed to have
affected him deeply. Mrs. Sells watched
him very closely while he was testfying
and when he would enter his denlals to
the allegations made by the witnesses
for the plaintiff she would smile and
whisper 10 her attorneys
He denied that he had Watson en-
ployed to keep watch on Peter and re-
port when ne had left the house. Wat
son had testified that he saw Lyons en-
bracing Mrs. Sells in her room at the
Park hotel, but Lyons said jim was
mistaken He said he was never with
Mrs. Sells in her room at the hotel with
the door locked According TO- HarrSz4
Porter watson was badlySon in his tes-
tiuOny. Harry said he had never had
any improper relations with Mrs. Sells
at the Park hotel He was never in the
room Of Mrs Sells while she was in her
night dress. He denied being at the
Sells house on December 2, 1897, or April
2 1898 dates established by Mr.. Fish
Neither was he there on July 13, 1896.
or August 20, 1887 He denied the story
told of the night of Buffalo Bills ap-
pearance in this city in 1897, and on No
Vember !. 1888, he was not at rne mouse
beginning with October, 1895, If you
can do so, state all the times you were
at the Sells residence and whom you
met there" asked Mr. Huling.
Harry referred to his diary and went
over a long list of dates when he had
been at the Sells home, played billiards
and cards with Peter, named who were
IT..
proving good cards for the defense His
visits were frequent, and all that tran
spired he had set down in his little day
book He told of taking Florence to
the theater. taking street car rides
PLAYING poker, who he met and many
other things Harry. said he did win S5
from Peter Sells on the MCCOY -Creedon
fight. Peter denied this when he was on
the stand. Harry seems to have been
a constant visitor to the Sells house, as
his dates ran three and four to the
Harry on these visits often took boxes
of candy to Florence. He had formed
this habit while the family was at the
Park hotel when Florence was little
on october Is, 1899, Lyons said he
made his last call at the Sells home He
said he was never there after midnight
and never three nights IN succession he
never occupied any compromising posi-
tions with Mrs Sells, and all his visits
to the Sells home were open and only
those of a friend
There was never anything improper
in his relations with Mrs. Sells, and
never in his life did he have unlawful
relations with Mrs. Sells. He denied
all the bicycle stories and said he was
never bicycle riding with Mrs Sells
in his life. He described the Oakland
mole, where he parted from Mrs Sells
when she left FriscOfOr Australia as told
in his letters, and told the story of their
parting He said he kissed both Mrs.
Sells and Florence gOod-by on this oc-
casion- This is the time ne speaks in
his letters of kissing the sad upturned
face OF his darling Name gOOd-by.'
Peter Sells completed his testimony
and was dismissed from the stand.
Mr. Sells said that he never had any
knowledge of short change men, shell
game men, etc, being carried on the
circus trains. and had no knowledge
that they .diVvied up This was in re-
sponse TO a question by Mr. Huling-
Under the head of privileges on the
shows reports. Mr. Sells explained that
money was received from the mutis-
cope Zone half OF the gross receipts):
lunch wagons (S35 a week., clown ad-
vertising (mentioning some merchantl,
one half to the show, and biograph
show tone half the gross receipts
Mr.. Sells said he never saw Kid Purcell
running shell game with the show Mr..
Sells only knew the gross receipts and
the gross expenditures Of the show.
Make it brief" said the judge. as
Mr.. Huling went into details. Christ
mas is coming. and we want to get
through with Mr. Sells-n
Flint MoFreu never run a shell game
with the show to Mr.. Sells knowledge.
he said Witness did not know Doc
Osborne, and had never known Of the
send game and never had known
Mike Ryan Witness said he did not
travel on the show train and did not
know who travelled on the train eat
at the cook house and had berths on
the train He knew Niger Bill P0r-
ter and knew OF Bones Allen The
names Of HI StOddard, Harry Allen,
an alleged soap Jointer:' California
Jack. Big Juad and others were men
toned Mr.. Sells said he never saw
or heard of these alleged grafters or
their alleged ''divvy'' with the show.
Mt Sells said he never had heard of
any games or booster handlers a.ld
had never heard Of Ernest Farmer. Had