The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1900-12-07
ON The RACK.
ssBlue Eyed Harry" Lyons Hay-
ing a Serious Time.
Scorched by the Lawyers For
Peter Sells.
OUT OF HIS MIND.
sSI Was a Little or" Said the
Witness.
Referred to His Strange Action
With Mrs. Sells.
Mercilessly Piled With Questions
by Attorney Peters.
OUT OF HIS MIND

Columbus, Ohio. Dec why did the
defense recall Harry Lyons2 is the ques-
ton which has been asked hundreds OF
times. II any good was expected to ac-
crue to the cause Of Mrs. Sells from any
testimony he could give that expecta-
tion was a most false one.
Lyons was on the stand for about an
hour answering questions asked by the
attorneys for the defense. and then he
was turned over to the other side Tor
cross-examination. He was taken in
charge by Attorney George S. Peters,
and never was a witness in the Franklin
county courts put through such an or
deal as fell to the lot of Lyons He re-
allied early in the game that he was up
against it and took refuge in a loss OF
memory, but this did no good, and he
was questioned until the drops OF per-
spiration stood heavy on his brow and
he was on the verge OF breaking OoWn-
There was no compassion visible IN
the court room for the man who was on
the rack, and even Mrs Sells looked
ScOrnfully on while her quondam lover
writhed and struggled under the nercl-
less crOss-examinatlon- Goaded py the
attorneys questions, he pleaded tenn
porary insanity induced by his mad IN
fatuation for the welded wife Of an
other man, and from that time on eX-
planned all the damaging statements in
his letters to Mrs. Sells by saying that
he did not know what he was doing
when he wrote them His statement
that he did not know whether he was
most in love with the daughter or the
mother, and that daughter a child OF
15 years, was greeted with misses, ana ana
when he said that even if Florence was
a child she was a pleasing one was the
occasion Of another Outburst-
The attorney stood over him with
pointed finger, and. handing him letter
after letter he had written to the wife
of another man, asked if the expressions
therein were those of the holy love of
a brother for sister, or Of a man for
the wife Of a friend
Lyons attempted to deny the author
ship of some of the letters, but the stern
question of the attorney, You know
those words were penned by your hand,
Mr.. Lyons. and why do you deny it?'
always brought the answer, Yes,
know I did, but I was out of my mind
when I did it, Sometimes the attorney
would sink his voice to almost whis-
per and ask Lyons why he would ad-
dress such letters to the wife of a man
who had befriended him, ana then,
standing over him with shaking finger
would ask questions which would search
the very soul of the victim in the chair
Time and again Lyons would deny
statements of the attorney, only to have
them pointed out TO him in the letters
he had written to Mrs. Sells, and then
he would say that he was mistaken,
they must have occurred, but he had
forgotten all about them. Nervous, stag
gering and without friend in the court
of the days session with the certainty
of another day of agony before him
Mrs Sells during the morning kept a
close watch on her old sweetheart, and
when Attorney Peters would get him in
a tight place and he would become con-
fused she would froWn and bite her lips
At one point Mr.. Peters said: Mr..
Lyons. didn't you tell Mr. Booth and
myself that the reason your affection for
Mrs. Sells was cooled was because after
her return from Australia you learned
- l.
Bott?''
mo. sir. I did not"
Yes, YOU did; you know you did"
persisted the attorney
mo, I did not; I don't understand
such talk and another letter was given
the witness. Harry couldn't remember
when we had kissed good night in the
old sweet way with million kisses and
a long embrace" All the kisses and en-
braces had passed out of his mind. and
he said he didn't know whether he was
telling the truth or not when he wrote
that letter. He was asked about refer
euces in his letters to a long trip he and
Mrs Sells proposed taking some day"
He couldn't remember what was meant.
He didn't think it meant an eIopement.
Mr.. Lyons took the stand shortly after
court opened I have delegated Mr-Pe-
ters to ask Mr.. Lyons few little ques-
tions," said Mr.. Booth before court op-
ened.
Having given his visits to the Sells
house from the time of the moving into
T.
Lyons was asked il he went to the front
door of the Sells house on the evening
OF October 25. 1899. speak to some per- !
son and then go away He said that he I
did not Witness was then handed |
letter dated December s, 1891. from Col |
umDus and signed Lovingly, Uncle Har-
ry- Witness said that was in his hand |
writing, and it was sent to Florence
Seils Another letter dated. Columbus, /
y, January =, 1892, signed Your Own 1
Uncle Harry, and sent to Miss Florence /
fff.a1 . srr
another letter dated Columbus O.. Sen
tember B. 1891, and signed Harry c. |
Lyons was identified This letter and /
envelope was identified by Lyons. A CO. |
logne bottle with q silver base was /
shown MIN, and he said he had never /
given It 10 Mrs. Sells. Witness said he |
had given Miss Florence presents of a |
shorter bottle Of perfumery at the time
she graduated This bottle cost 81 "a /
The base was covered with a silver nj
work Possibly witness said he ha5 /
given Mrs Sells candy and had received |
small presents from both Mr. and Nrs
Sells at Christmas. These We're a tie
and cigarholder- In his calling at fha !
Sells residence. he never attempted fo /
evade Mr. Sells. The plaintiffs attorneys
objected to this question but the Judge |
held it proper
What induced you to write the letters /
you did to Mrs Sells at the time the /
show was In Australia ?'' asked Mr.. Eu
ling
The answer was: 1T is dificult for
me to say I was so infatuated with \
the woman that / was scarcely resnon-
able for what I did. At the time fhev
returned had complete control Of my