The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1903-05-10
WIFE OF MCNIER'S SLAYER
ADMITS HER INDISCRETlONS.
Letters From Dead Man to Mrs. McCool Reveal Extremes to Which
Decatur Druggist Went in Ord er to Win Her-Clairyovant
Says the Woman, Persuaded Her That Happiness Could
Only Come by Yielding to Entreates - Crushed and.
Worn by Grief, but Not Historical.
PROSECUTION WILL TRY HARD TO BRING ABOUT A CONVICTION.
REPUBLIC SPECIAL

REPUBLIC SPECIAL
Decatur. ILL.,, May e.-From the tim
she left the tall after calling to see he,
husband at midnight Monday night, al
hour after he had surrendered to thu polio
for shooting VIII McNier. until Thursda,
night. the whereabouts of Mrs. Ed McCool
wife Of the slayer. were a mystery. and i
appeared as II the earth might have opened
and swallowed her.
Thursday night her whereabouts were
made known to a Republic correspondent
and later she granted an interview.
In the meantime It had been !ntimated
that the woman probably knew that hel
husband intended to kill McNier. and hat
gone to the house for that purpose: 1t We:
even whispered that she had gone there
with him to witness the death of the mar
who had been the cause of her disgrace.
Mrs. McCool with all her strength denied
this. and in this is confirmed by statements
Of the family of her husbands brother.
They declare that when Mrs. McCcol con-
fessed to her husband her relations with
McNier the two had a scene. and then fol-
lowed a family conference at the home O.
McCools brother.
DECIDED TO GO AWAY.
Mrs. McCoors statement is that at this
conference 1t was decided she and her hus-
band should leave the city at once. While
she remained at the home OF the brother,
McCool went away, presumably to get
some things from the house that had been
occupied by both the McCool and McNier
families that would be needed. but that
when he reached the house his feelings be-
came so wrought up that he decided McNier
must die. That he deliberately waited for
McNier to come home seems evident from
the condition of the room. but there was
no indication that he had bothered himself
o securing n articles H. had spoken
of getting.
Mrs. McCool appears to have suffered in
tensely. She Is not OF the hysterical sort.
but appears completely crushed. She told
calmly of the circumstances of the tragedy
as she mad been concerned in them; at first
In monosyllables: then talked more freely.
She told how they had first met the Nc
Niers as nero acquaintance; all became
friends. and McNier urged that she and her
move into the house with Mr.. and
Mrs, McNier. This was don Soon McNicr
began to make love to her. She liked him:
ner 1eeiing was even warmer than that. but
sne maintains she was still a true wife.
CLAIRVoYANT ON SCENE.
Then came the incident of the cialrvoy-
ant. McNier wrote her of his wonderful
powers, and she called on the man. He told
her much about herself. and she was as
founded. Then he went farther: told her
vac ~ hs,. 90 80. sns
" nave announcer h~usoand; that ne would
make her happy; that his love for her was
pure and true and that she was making a
in mot ,,vin. he-t.o,f 10 ,in 90
such surrender would be but the CONSUMING
4 d pure ana destineo love.
.Hsn' '@ woman contesses, she yielded to