Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1900-11-27
COURT WAS ADJOURNED
FOR A WEEPING RECESS.
PRINCIPALS IN THE SELLS CASE,
JUDGE, LAWYERS AND JURY,
ALL IN AEARS.
OLD sHoWMAN's LIFE STORY.
TOUCHED EVERY HEART WITH
IN SOUND OF HIS VOICE.
THE ERRING wIFE's ANGUISH
BROKE DOWN THE BARRIER OF
BRAvADO SHE HAS SO LONG
MAINTAINED.

Specldl 10 the Register.
COLUMBUS, O., November 26.-For
four hours Mary Sells sat in chancery
court to-day and listened to the testi-
mony of witness with an intensity of
attention such as probably she had new
er exercised in all her previous exis-
tence.
The witness in whose words she was
absorbed mind and soul was her hus-
band.
The story he was telling was that of
his life and as it progressed it grew
into the story of ner life. The story
Peter Sells told slowly and quietly. He
did not exclaim. He used neither adj
jectives nor GESTURES. He was neither
dramatic nor hysterical. The tale was
impressive, from its simplicity.
A bare-footed boy out of school at
10, newsboy, runaway to sea, street
car conductor, auctioneer, Snowman;
his struggle upwards he detailed. His
courtship, marriage and happy welded
life were described with voice which
could repress poignant regret.
Then the last home coming, the
shock of discovery. AS he went on
there had not been sound in the court
room. People leaned forward His
wife leaned forward too, to drink in
all that Peter was telling of his love
tragedy. He had come to the last chap
ter, the drive he took with her on the
morning of the day of the separation.
Suddenly the woman in the case
bowed her head in her hands and sob
bed. 1t was the long depressed sob of
boundless sorrow, of utter despair
and forlorness. That sob carried every
one with it. The husband on the stand
could not speak, and when he could his
voice was husky, while his eyes filled
With tears.
The attorneys turned their heads
away and coughed down their emo
ton. Just for a second a handker-
chnef went to the eyes Of Judge Eli
P. Evans. 1t was useless to proceed
so affected was that court room of
people.
Gentlemen" said the judge, "If
there is no objection we will take re-
cess for few minutes"
There was no objections. Peter
Sells went to a window and stood
there alone. Mary Sells did not raise
her head and cried on, though now
noiselessly.
The story which reached this climax
had been begun in the morning. Now
Sells is ffty-five. At thirteen he left
school in Cleveland, sold papers and
on the outbreak of the war ran away
and enlisted in the United States
navy. Not of age, his father by a
habeas corpus, stopped his career. Next
a reporter and circulation man on the
Cleveland Leader, then a teamster for
his brother and street car conductor.
He went to Pennsylvania and did ship
ping for Rockefeller & Andrews, the
predecessors of the Standard Oil Com
pany. He did aucuoneering, sold dry
goods from a wagon TO farmers, got a
course in commercial college, and in
1872 went into the show business with
his three brothers.
One night when, as advance agent, he
was travelling ahead of the show. he
was detained by storm at a little
mountain hotel in Missouri town. That
night he met Mary Luker, daughter OF
the boniface. He mad not the courage
to talk love that evening, but wrote a
letter soon asking leave to correspond.
1t was granted. Even then Mary was
a good letter writer, witness said. for
she wrote her lover five times a week.
In January, 1878, IS months after they
first met. they were married. There
was no license. Mr.. Barrett. the ofic-
iating clergyman said none was needed
in Missouri.
Mr. Sells dwelt at length on his wifes
relations to the circus, for Mrs. Sells in
her petition had charged him for fore
ing her to become circus rider and
associated with undesirable women
connected with the circus. Mr.. Sells
sale there had been no arrangement
that she was TO go with the show but
with him. He always Travelled in adj
vance. But she wanted to travel with
the circus. Peter objected but yielded
Nothing was said about her riding in
the show parade in the grand entree
He net the show at East Liberty, Ind.
was astonished to see his wife on horse
back in the parade He was more as
tonished TO see her attired in a scarlet
q stume. Her husband protested and
she quit riding. Mrs. Sells had had her
scarlet costume made for her in Co
iumbus
The witness described af length yha