The Bourbon news. [volume] (Paris, Ky.) 1895-19??, 1900-11-30
SELLS ON THE STAND.
The Snowman Saw His Wife Only
Three Times Before He Mar
ried Her-IIis EARLY Life.

morning before Judge Evans, with
more interest being manifested by the
spectators than at any previous stage
of the sensational case. This was due
to the expectancy that Peter Sells,
the plaintiff, would take the stand
and detail how the revelation of his
wife's alleged infdelity came upon
him.
J. F. Hatcher, hollow-ware manu-
facturer, testified he had participated
in Peter Sells penny-ante, dime-Hmit
poker games, and ex-Chief Justice
Joseph P. Bradbury, of the Ohio Su-
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 at the man
sion.
Mary Steck and Clara O'Brien, tele-
phone operators, were subpenaed as
witnesses for the plaintiff, and then
Peter Sells himself took the witness
stand.
He said he was 55 years old last
April, and was born on 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 began
as a newsboy 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 there
he went to Burlington, Ia, and later
to Chicago, where he sold strawber-
ries. in the markets. Next he went
in the auction business in Chicago,
and later transferred his business to
Columbus. With his brothers, he
started the Sells circus in 1872.
In 1876 ne met Mary A. Luller, his
present wife, in Medina, Knox county,
Mo-, where her father kept a hotel.
He acknowledged being smitten on
first sight, and wrote to Miss Luker
after leaving Medina. This correspond
ence ended in their marriage in jan
uary, 1878. He only saw Miss LUlzer
three times before the wedding day.
There was no license, Miss Luker in
forming Sells that it was not neces-
sary in Missouri.
There is a dispute as to the date
of the marriage, Peter claiming it
was January 81, 1878, and Mrs. Sells
contending that ii was January %.
They came to Colurlbus to reside inn
mediately after their marriage. Sells
said his wife wanted to travel with
the show, but ne objected, because,
as advance agent, he could not be
with the show.
Nothing was said about her riding
a horse in the circus. Two weeks
after the show started he returned
to the show at East Liberty and was
surprised to see his wife in a scarlet
costume riding in the parade. He
protested, and she promised to ride
no more, and he never knew of her
riding after this one occasion.
Mrs. Sells claims in her answer that
she was compelled to ride by her hus-
band From ten days after the East
Liberty episode Sells said his wife
never travelled with the show, except
when he was with her on occasional
! times.
Columbus, o., Nov. 2s.-An unusual
ly- large crowd was present at the
Sells divorce case Tuesday. Mrs. Sells
was on hand early, but looked sad and
careworn. the first time since the trial
began.
Mr.. Sells had fully recovered from
the breakdown of Monday and coolly
submitted to cross-eXamination. II
brought out the relations he is. cbarg.
ed with having with Mrs. White An
! drews. He admitted that he was in
innate with her from 1869 to 1874,
and all prior to his marriage.
That he had broken off all relations
with her before his marriage, and
that he told her all about it before
! they were married. He had seen the
woman but twice since their mar
riage, and each time it was accidental.
and he told his wife about it each
time. Once was when he and his
brother bought a piece of property
and Mrs. Andrews proved to be
occupant of it.
| NOulllluluS Ills Observation-Disclosures
Sells said he had never been drunk
but twice since his marriage, and he
had never played cards or a gambling
device in a gambling house. Being a
business man closely confined to his
work, ne needed recreation, and so he
played both cards and billiards at his
own home. Incidentally he said Ly-
ons was very poor player, so poor
in fact that he did not enjoy playing
with him, either cards or billiards.
"You understand" said he, shat to
make it interesting to you, you must
have for opponent some one who is
somewhere near your match"
Outside of his business his social
friends were mostly masons. He met
them at their dinners, etc, There were
some bad masons, he said.
Name them,s ssaid Attorney HUI
4 ling.
''HVeH, you are not one of them
have in mind, because I don't know
whether you are mason or not,