The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1900-11-17
SELLS DETECTIVE
Man Employed by Peter Sells on
the Witness Stand.
His Duty Was to Watch the
Sells Residence.
CAPTURED A BICYCLE.
Says It Was Ridden by Co Re-
spOndent VIM. BOtt.
Detective MahOney is Tangled
in Cross Examination.
CAPTURED A BICYCLE.

! After the sensational developments of
the last three days yesterdays trial OF
! the Sells divorce case at Columbus, o.,
seemed tame and uninteresting. The one
witness placed on the stand was John
AGahoney, the private detective employ
ed by Peter Sells to watch his wife and
her alleged lovers. DIahoney's testimo-
ny was fiat stale and improbable, and
consisted principally in relating the
manner in which the lights in the Sells
residence rose and fell at different per
! iods during the visits of BILLY Bott'
the defendant in the $4,000 damage
suit.
Mahoney was not at all a good wit
ness. His memory required constant re-
! freshing from the notes he took OF the
observations he made during his Watch,
and he at times showed a disposition TO
ego up in the air. under Cyrus Hul1ng
| close cross s-examinatiOn. He delivered
/ himself in rather a halting manner, ana
was an evident disappointment to the
| crowd of curious listeners who had
/ hoped for prurient detail from the de-
/ tective. The court adjourned at noon
until the following day.
When the doors of the court room
/ were opened the usual crowd of auditors
/ took possession Of every vacant chair
! Among them were five women, OF Whodn
/ three were colored. While Judge evans
was able yesterday to enforce his ruling
/ regarding the admission of women TO
I the court room these women lodged the
| vigilance of the officers and secured
seats Rather than excite attention Dy
/ turning them out they were permitted 10
stay in the ROOM
| Mrs. Sells. accompanied by her moth
er and brother appeared shortly after
/ court opened. The fair defendant did not
/ look as well as on the first days of the
| trial. although, wrapped IN a Jaunty Mt
/ tie seal coat, she was dressed with the
same fastidiOus taste and scrupulous at
! tention to detail. The unexpected defec-
! ton of her s.blue-eyed Harry" on We'd
nesday had rather shaken her, however.
| She showed signs of a sieepless night,
though she faced the issue of the day
/ with nabated courage.
/ Mrs. .Lulxer her aged mother, preserved
through the morning the same attitude
she has throughout the trial-of sorrow-
! tuI love for the daughter and courage
Gus attention to the details of the case.
! Stroking his heavy gray mustache, Joe
! Iuker Mrs. Sells brother, sat by the
/ side Of his mother and sister, and
! throughout NTahOney's testimony kept
/ his eyes fastened upon the witness.
Mr.. Mahoney testified that he watch
ed the Sells residence on the nights of
! October %, "a, 26, 27. November g. 6,
and g. On the night of November some
man left the house after the lights were
turned down and the detective was un-
able to identify him. All the other nights
! however, he declared that he recognized
in the nocturnal visitor Billy Bott-
The greater part of Mahoney's testi-
nony went to show that during the time
that Bott is alleged to have spent in the
house the lights in Mrs. Sells bedroom
were turned up and down at frequent
intervals After each time that the
lights in the bedroom were turned up
Mahoney testified that he saw the shad-
oW of some person on the window cur
tain. The shadOwgraph showed that the
unidentified person was going into a
room which Mahoney was informed was
the bathroom.
Mahoney brought into the court room
tecochere of the Sells residence on one
of the nights when Bott is alleged to
have visited Mrs. Sells. Its production
in the court room earned him a round of
applause, which was quickly squelched
by Court Bailiff Spencer. Attorney HUI
ling took MahOney in hand for cross
examination, and drew from him the
date upon which he entered into the
agreement with Mr.. Sells to watch his
wife's house Mahoney did not know
just when, and contradicted himself sew
eral times on unimportant matters
Coming to the evening Of November 3,
1899, Mr.. Mahoney said. he was at the
Sells residence. A memorandum of the
events of that evening was also made.
Witness said he went up there about S:25
Il Is: and took a Neil avenue car at Den
niSOn avenue. Henry Ehret with Ma
at Buttles avenue. Mr.. Bott at this
point in the evidence was taking notes
The lights in the Sells residence that
night were turned out in the northeast
corner of the house, second story. but
the light IN the upstairs nan was lighted.
As Mr. Bott came out the hail light in
the upstairs hall was turned down.
November 6, the light inspector. was
again duty. Witness reached the vi
cinity of the Sells residence at s p. m.
Witness saw Mr. Bott come out of the
Sells house about 10 As p m. Witness saw
Mr.. Bott, he said. as he came out. Mr..
Bott again took the car Ehret and Pete
Murphy were with the witness. The
question of lights that night not
stated. When asked if witness was near
the Sells house on the night Of November
8, 1899 Mr.. MahOney said he could not
state positively. Upon looking at his rec
ord, witness said he thought he was
there
Witness thought he got there about
D. Later man came out but witness
could not say it was Mr.. Bott. The street
was very dark Mr. Bott had during
this testimony, changed his seat to back
by the judges stand. where he sat with
On the night of November 8 Mr. Ma
honey again at the old stand. BY
referring to his report witness said that
house at 10:4O p The lights in the
residence were again observed by the de-
tective- The witness said that as a regu-
lar thing the nail light was turned down
when Mr. Bott came out. The lights in
the northeast corner room the second
floor of the Sells residence at times were
lighted and then turned down. One night
the light was lighted twice.
At 10 o'clock Mr.. Sells entered the court
room and took his accustomed seat back
of his attorneys.
Mr. Huling cross-questioned Mr. Ma
honey. The witness said he had sent for
Mr.. Sells about October p. 1899 and start
ed to watch the house on October g. He
quit watching the house some time
ago. The house was watched for some time
after November g. In all the house was
watched from October % to two weeks
after November 9. Four men watched:
there were six men on the case alto
srether. These We're. John Mahonev |
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