The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1902-01-17
SHE BREAKS DOWN
Nellie CorneIison Realizes
AwfuIness of Crime.
RECORD OF HER DEEDS
Mother faints at Funeral OF
Slain Child.


song was given by the few people pres
ent and the minister kneeled in prayer
and while in the midst of it Mrs. Cornell
son tainted. She apparently was dead for
fifteen minutes and those near the bedside
thought she was. The friend went away
and the body of her daughter was remov-
ed to the undertakes. Doctor Hutton
was called and with the aid Of some lad
les present, revived her and last night she
was resting easily. The bouncing baby
boy which has been born to them is also
doing nicely.
Nellie Cornelson is coming to realize
the awfulness of cutting her sisters
throat. At first she did not seem to care
much but yesterday she broke down and
wept as If her heart would break and
she is now in rather serious condition.
She is very nervous and strangers fright
en- her and she does not want to talk. She
is still in the custody of Mrs. Jackson,
but does not show any of her former dis
position. She is very quiet and Will
hardly say word to any one. This
morning DR.. Hutton will make thorough
examination of the girl and will then
give his opinion as to the cause Of her
actions, but he stated yesterday that in
his opinion as far as he was able to as
certain she was afflicted with insanity,
periodically, as stated in yesterdays
Eagle He does not think she is a moral
prevert.
Yesterday a reporter for the Eagle talk
ed with Mrs. Graham who lives in the
Hyde building about Nellie Cornelison.
The girl came there a week ago Saturday.
She told Mrs Graham that her mother
and father lived at the corner of Third
street and Cleveland avenue. and that
first her father died and then her mother.
That was about two years ago. Her name
was Iona Beai she said. After her faith
er's and mothers death she said she went
to live with a Mrs. Vaultner whose home
was three blocks west of the Mccormick
school. When she arrived at Mrs. Ora
hams she said that Mrs. Vaultner had
moved away and told her to stay in the
house until some one moved there She
said she stayed around there several
hours and asked a man with big wagon
if she could ride over town with him and
he said she could and he brought her to
near the Hyde building and she went up
to the third floor and to the rooms of Mrs.
Graham. That lady notified the police
and she also talked with a Mrs. Ellis and
they took the child and hunted around the
vicinity of Third and Cleveland, but they
could find no one Of the name Of "Beal'
that lived in that neighborhood. The girl
still stuck to her story about her name
and where she had lived. She also said
/ that she had gone to school with Mrs. FL
/ lis granddaughter The child did not
know her The police wanted to take her
over to the West Side and see if they
! could find the house where she said she
was deserted. Then the girl broke down
and cried and said she would not go back
/ as her father would beat her to death
Tuesday evening she was at he home Of
Mrs. Ellis and that lady's son had found
Mr.. Cornelison and told him where his
daughter was. He mentioned to Nellie,
: or Iona that her father was coming after
her that night. At first the child paid no
! attention TO him, but when he repeated it
she said, How can he come when he is
! dead?" Mrs. Ellis asked her if she did
/ not remember her mother putting her to
+ bed when she was a little girl and then
i kissing her good night Nellie said she
remembered her mother taking her to
/ bed. but she said her mother never kissed
I her. She told several tales of very bru-
tai treatment on the part Of her father
/ and said she always had been afraid Of
/ him.
+ soon after this conversation and while
I Nellie and Mrs. Ellis were at supper Mr..
/ Cornelison came into the room. Mrs.
/ Ellis said. yesterday, in speaking Of this
Nellie looked up at him and then drop
/ ped her eyes and did not say word. Her
father spoke to her but she did not an
swer She did not change a bit when he
1 came in He then told her that Laura
was waiting for her at home and each
! day the little sister would say Are you
! going TO bring Nellie home today? That
did not have any effect on her, then her
father asked her if she wanted TO go
home and she did not answer After sup
per Nellie and her father and my son and
myself sat IN the room there and he talk
cd to us about her He also spoke TO her
and asked her If she wanted 10 go home
but she did not answer. Then her father
told her she did not have to go if she did
not want to. He would not force her TO
20. She did not move p muscle or act
as If she was relieved or glad at those
words. She showed then that she was
not afraid OF her father rs she had told
Mrs Graham and myself. Finally her
father said for her to get on her wraps
as il was getting late and they must be
going home Nellie went into another
and there she stood and made faces at
her fathers back"
Mrs. Coruelison last winter was one OF
the most faithful attendants at the Asso-
ciated Charities sewing circle at the
court house and she made good clothes
and was wei paid. Some of the ladies
/ stated that when school was out for the
summer they wished Airs. Couch would
get their daughters places as nurse girls
I and let them work a little Mrs Couch
said she would and then Mrs Cornelison
asked her 70 get place FOR Nellie Ms
Couch stated yesterday that Mrs Cornell
son often asked her TO get a place for
/ Nellie The little girl vas often at the
court house with her mother.
one day last June che first time Nellie
/ ran away from home she came Up 70 the
court house on a bicycle and told Mrs
/ Couch she wanted G place IS nurse girl
/ Mrs Couch questioned her q little and.
yesterday she said - reporter for the
Eagle when talking about the case:
Nellie told me that her mother bad
said she could not stay at home any long
er and she must 50 u work. She said her
father had whipped hcr two OF three
Zines q day and she could not stay q;
home. she had wheel which she said 3
woman on The West Side had given her
81 .-as .-,a -Fe4 sfa rs .-..s-.r long she