The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1900-11-30
mrs. SELLS WEPT.
A Dramatic Incident In the
Celebrated Divorce
Case. va'

Columbus, Nov. 27.--Thore was q
dramatic scene at the hearing of the
celebrated Sells divorce case Monday.
1t was 80 highly dramatic that II was
necessary for the court to order q recess
of Is minutes that the principals in the
case, Mr.. and Mrs. Sells, might regain
their equilibrium, which had been dis
turbed by Mr.. Sellss recital of their
last shopping expedition, Immediately
before the separation. .e..
1t was on this occasion that Mr..
Sells gave his wife the first intimation
Of his knowledge of her alleged in,
f1delity. Mr. Sells took the witness
stand in his own behalf and told
the story Of his life. which was an in,
tensely interesting one. The first money, ,
he ever earned for himself was as az
newsboy on the streets of the city Of
Cleveland, while today he is q million,
aire Snowman. n.,-t.-
1t was when he entered upon a re-
cital of his domestic troubles that a
tremor in his voice first manifested
itself and when he attempted to relate
the story of their last shopping expedi-
ton he began to choke up and hesi-7
tate. Mrs. Sells had been keeping her.
eyes upon him constantly, and she be-
gan to sob. Mr.. SelTs's eyes then filed
with tears and 1t becoming apparent,
to the court that the witness would. be-
unable to proceed. a recess was order,
ed. and everyone felt relieved. The
scene was a pathetic one. and in such
strange contrast to the sneering, gig
Cling, kissing and other demonstrations
Of approval and disapproval Of the
daU IN
that the entire audience appeared to
go out in sympathy to the principal ac,,
tors in the case. .r,,o
Mr.. Sells had told of the various,
places visited on the occasion of this
last shopping expedition, and the pur-,
chases made. On their way home Mrs,
Sells asked him to stop at Bott Bros,
as she wanted Billy Bott to explain to
Mr.. Sells how 1t come that his (Botts)
bicycle had been stolen from in front
of the. Sells's residence. When Mrs.
Sells made this request Mr.. Sells said
he looked her squarely in the eye and
asked her why Bott had not advertised
for the wheel. To this Mrs. Sells replied
that it would look bad for the adver-
tisement to say that 1t had been stolen
from in front of the Sellss residence.
at Bolts SO that he could make the ex-
PLANTATION.
To this second request, which ap-,
pears to have greatly exasperated. Mr..
Sells, he testified that he replied: ITO
- with Billy Bott." and drove hur-
riedly to their home on, Dennison
avenue. The separation occurred
few days later. Mr.. Sells never accus-
ed his wife of the things complained
of in his sensational petition for divorce,
to her face. He quietly left her, going
to the home Of his brother, Louis Sells,
with whom. together with plaintiffs
daughter. Florence. the matter in con.
nection with the separation was talked
over In detail. 1t was at this conference
that Mr.. Sells decided to apply for
divorce, and had his brother, Louis
Sells, go and tell Mrs. Sells that he
had left h,r for good. Mr.. Sells said
that on one occasion he found a lot of
wine and beer bottles In the closet in
Mrs. Sellss room, who explained that
she had purchased some of the wine for
cooking purposes while others had been
sent to the house by his friends. Mr..
Sells denied the allegation made in Mrs.
Sells's answer that he compelled her to
accompany and take part In the show
by attiring herself in fiashy costunes
and riding in the professions. On the
contrary, he says that he was very
much surprised to find her on one oc-
casion In the procession thus attired.
He then demonstrated with her and she
never took part again In street