Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1900-12-08
MOTHERS LOVE SHOWN
By MRS. SELLS FOR HER
DAUGHTER FLORENCE.
INTERVIEWED TO SHIELD HER FROM
THE ORDEAL OF A CROSS
EXAMINATION.
THE SUPREME SACRIFICE
FOLLOWED BY BREAKDOWN.
MRS SELLS SOBBED PITEOUSLT AS
HER DAUGHTER LEFT THE
WITNESS STAND.
DEFENSE MADE A BEGINNING.
DEPOSITION OF A WITNESS WHO
DESN'T SPEAK so WELL OF
THE SNOWMAN.
Special TO the Register.

Special to the Register.
COLUMBUS, O., Dec. 7.-Florence
Sells finished her testimony to-day.
Just as on yesterday her words told
wholly against her mother. She said
more about William Bolts presents.
She related how she had urged her
mother to keep Bot from the house,
fearing an open scandal. She told how
he sharnk from telling her father,
fearsome of a tragedy, and the break
ing up of their home.
Then the girl was turned over to the
defense for REORGANIZATION. Every
one present had noticed with what ear
nestness Mrs. Sells had listened TO the
terrible arraignment of her conduct
contained in the simple, straightfor-
ward words of her child. Everyone
too had noticed that as Florence
brought her story TO close, the moth
er was silently weeping.
But no one connected these tears
with the cross-examination about to
come. The audience was on the qui
vive for a series of artful, caustic ques-
tons which might or might not break
down the force of the girls story. But
the crowd Of onlookers had not heard
the defendant say in an aside way:
"She would not spare me, but
VIII ShseId and Protect Herr
ask her no questions.
Colonel Holmes of the defense arose
and walked to a positiql just behind
the chairs of the. girls mother and
grandmother. He said: Florence,
your mother requests me not to cross
examine her daughter, and I will ask
you but six questions"
Then that court room suddenly knew
there had been a supreme sacrifice.
The father might call his daughter to
the stand and have her tell these
things about her mother, but the
mother would not have her child pill
DRIED on the witness stand and have
her every action and movement and
thought traced out in the hope of find
ing something which would contradict
or discount the effect of her testimony
though that testimony had been
against the mother.
Appreciation of what that sacrifice
was, sent through the court room full
Of people yeritabe thrill such as fol-
lows some dramatic climax, nor was
the effect lessened by the sound of
Mrs. Sells. sobbing, for now she had
broken down completely.
Col Holmes questions were merely
as to the girls having been constantly
with her father since the separation.
and
Concerning Her Affection
for her mother. To this question
Florence answered:
I have always loved my mother as
much as a girl could that was in the
position I was"
In the morning Florence had begun
by telling how Bott had given her
mother diamond rings. One was a sol
itaire, and there were two turquoise
and diamond rings Bott had brought
her mother liquors. She had driven
her mother down town. and a ter Mrs.
Sells had got out of the carriage Flor
ence had followed her and had seen
her so into the Brunson block, where
Bolts apartments were. When she
and her mother were at West Baden
asst year, Bott was there and had been
N her mothers room in the evening.
When she and her mother were stop
ping at the Fontenac, in the Thousand
Stands, in 1898. Bott, too. was at the
Fontenac. While there Mrs. Sells and
Bott went away in a boat and did not
come back until evening.
In October 1899, Mrs. Sells got let
.er from Detective Fox and few days
later Mrs. Sells called on the detec-
tive. few days later still her moth
n took Florence TO Judge Hagerty's
office. The Judge told her mother new
or to go to that man Fox's Office again
alone for her own safety. Her mother
had told Judge Hagerty that Fox told
her he could recover
Bolts Stolen Bicycle.
Two days before the separation Flor
ence and her mother went again to
Judge Hagerty's Office. Bott was there
and said some woman had telephoned
him that he was to be connected with
some big divorce case and that he
would better transfer his property.