The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1900-11-21
SAW MEN THERE.
Neighbor of Sells Family De-
scribes Nocturnal Visitors.
Only Came When Peter Sells
Was Absent.
HE SAW A TALL MAN.
Identified the Visitor as Harry
Lyons.
VIM. BOtt AfterWard Came and
Lyons Came No More.
HE SAW A TALL MAN

The Sells divorce case in Columbus,
Ohio, was resumed by the plaintiff call
ing w. H. Fish, one OF the builders of the
Sells mansion who lives just across the
street on Buttles avenue.
Mr. Fish said he was familiar with
the house. and had been through it
several times with Mr.. and Mrs. Sells.
He described the house in detail and
said that ButtIes avenue was about so
or 60 feet wide. Mr.. Fish said he
had a lawn at his house and sprinkled
it himself
Witness knew William Bott, and
Identified him in court. Was not ac-
quainted with Harry Lyons but Harry
was pointed out to him by Elizabeth
Donohue and Maggie Kerwin in front
OF Lazarus. Witness then described
Here Mrs. Sells leaned over and
consulted with Mr.. Huling).
On several occasions witness said
he had seen the tall man call at the
Sells house. On the night of the Shri-
ners' banquet in '97, given at the Chit
tenden, Mr.. Fish said the tall man
supposed to be Lyons) came out of
the Sells house about a. m. He cross
ed Dennison avenue toward the park
Witness had seen the man go in the side
door early in the evening-about
o'clock. That was before Mr.. Fish went
to the banquet. Lyons walked rather
fast and didn't stop to ring the bell Mr..
Fish was just leaving his residence, 60
walked in without ringing There was
a light in the hall at the time-the hall
standing out toward Buttles avenue. At
the time Lyons left at a. m. there was
a light in the hall and also in Mrs.
Sells room.
In 1898 witness attended a meeting of
the board of trade at the Chittenden
hotel This he thought was in the fall
of the same year. At that banquet,
Messrs. Kilbourne, Clahane, Booth, J.
A. Jeffries and others spoke. There was
a hann11Rf I a m
Mr. Fish walked home that morning and
saw the tall man" pointed out to him
north door of the Sells residence. The
light in the hall was down when the
man left. Mr.. Fish said he could not
hear the door close as the tall man"
left the house. Mr.. Peter Sells was not
at home on either of these nights. The
circus goes out in April and comes back
in November.
The electric light on the corner is
bright, said Mr.. Fish, some nights, that
he-the witness could read a newspa-
per on his front porch, by the light.
One Sunday Mr.. Peter Sells had been
home and left in the evening. This was
in 1898. One Sunday afternoon in '98
Mr.. Sells and Florence went to the depot
as Mr.. Sells was going away. The tall
man" called at the Sells residence inside
of an hour after Mr.. Sells hau gone. He
came from the west. Mr.. Fish said he
had known Mrs. Sells eight or ten years
Saw Mrs Sells that night. Saw her
that night at the west window of Miss
F'Iorence's ROOM She was facing west.
The tall man when he got to the alley,
looked up at the residence and then
went in the Sells residence. Mrs. Sells
met him at the door. Witness knew it
was Mrs Sells as he had seen her every
day. Mrs. Sells went down stairs as
the tall man came up. Mrs. Sells wore
light waist that night. The tall man
put his hand to his face as he approach
ed He had a handkerchief in his hand.
This was in the fall.
On the night mentioned Mr.. Fish says
that the tall man" got to the house
early in the evening but he (witness)
did not see the man leave.
Mr.. Fish was asked if Mr.. Peter Sells
was ever sick at the house. Witness SAID
this was in 1898: Witness said Mr.. Sells
had the yellow fever. This caused a sur
prise in court.
During the time Mr.. Sells had the yell
low fever the blinds in the sitting room
went down when the tall man came.
Mr.. Fish said that at various times he
(NGr. FISH had gone to Minerva park
theater, banquets, etc, and coming
home would sprinkle his yard, som etirnes
as late as 1 a. m On some of these
nights he saw the tall man" come from
the north door.
Mr. Fish, when not sprinkling, had
also noticed the tall man come out. This
was sometimes once a week He had
noticed Mrs. Sells in Miss Florence's
room at various times. She would be
facing west At those times Harry
Lyons Ghis time the witness used the
name) would be coming toward the
Sells house. He would walk lelSurely
until he got to the alley and then would
come faster
once when Mr. Fish was on his
porch, while Miss Florence was on the
street, Lyons approached and Miss
Florence seemed fdgity. Another time
Miss Florence was on Mr.. FiSh'S porch
waiting for Mr.. Mayer, when the tall
man went into the Sells residence.
At no time, said Mr. Fish, did Mr..
Lyons enter the house by the front way
while Miss Florence or her company
were on the front porch.
The evident intent of the questioning
Of Mr. Fish by Mr. Safer was to show
on Miss Florence. During Mrs Sells
trips away witness said he never saw
the ''tall man. come to the house. Mr..
Sells was always away when the man
called. Mr.. Fish said:
On the trips to the house, the tail
man. always came alone. Coming back
to the time Mr.. Sells was home in Octo-
ber 1899, and then left. Mr.. Fish says
he saw Mr. William Bott there about
s .. m. He came from the west, walked
leisurely until he reached the alley and
then went into the north door without
ence's room, facing west. She went east
ward in the room and then went to the
north room. Witness did not see either
of them again that night.
This was one of the nights Mr.. Fish
was sprinkling his lawn on the Buttles
avenue side There was a light in the
hall, Mr.. Fish said. He saw Miss Flor
ence that evening with a gentleman in
a military suit. They were walking
toward Dennison avenue about the
same time Mr.. Bott entered the house. |
Early one morning in 1889 during Oc-
tober, Mr.. Fish was eating his break
fast, when Mr.. Sells came home. Mr.
b1 hppr7 Al Sells the