Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1904-03-01
PEOPLES PULPIT.

=, S>|>|oON00SSSoS
Mrs. Belle Lewis Makes Statement.
10 the Courier, MY Friends and the
Good People Of ottumwa:
! In view of my intention to make my
home in ottumwa, and dependent up
on my friends and the good people of
Ottumwa for patronage and assistance
in caring for myself and family, 1 do
not feel that in Justice to myself and
my many friends that the statements
made by the states attorneys in their
motion to dismiss, and the remarks of
the court thereon should go unchal-
lenged. Generally speaking it is a It's
sue OF Misrepresentation inconsistent
with the record Of my innocence, and
but exemplifies my vigorous prosecu-
ton for days after the attorneys for
the state knew that Wills death was
caused by Inflammation of the brain.
regard the statement, as well as the
language of the court, in view of the
evidence introduced, as an attempt to
whitewash the unprecedented conduct
of the attorneys prosecuting me.
The attorneys for the state were adj
vised on Thursday night, the first week
of the trial after the post mortem ex-
animation of the head, by DR.. Deane
to dismiss the case, and gave to them
his opinion Of the cause of death, or
the probable cause of the death Of my
husband. On Monday following, the
written report of DR.. Deane of the re-
suit of the post mortem examination,
was received by Or. Oliver, witness
for the state and the attorneys for the
state saw and read the report and
were fully advised to the same effect.
The doctors and the states attorneys
refused to permit my attorneys to see
! the report, or to give them any infor-
nation with reference thereto. DR..
Deane was communicated with by tele-
phone, but replied that he had sent a
| full report in writing to the other side
and declined to give an oral report.
MY attorneys then secured an order
for subpoena for DR.. Deane and also
the bones of the head which had been
taken away by him, and sent the same
to Iowa City for service. In response
thereto DR.. Deane appeared in Sigour-
ney on Wednesday evening, very indig-
nant at the treatment he had received.
The state had rested their case on
Wednesday morning and quite num-
Der of witnesses had been examined on
my behalf.
DR.. Deane was there as my witness
and would have been put upon the
stand on Thursday morning as my
witness. Through an arrangement
with the court the state was permitted
to call Dr. Deane as their witness and
he testified as reported, and stated
when Intercepted by the court, that if
he had been called to see Will before
his death and found the same condi-
lions prevailed that he found upon the
post mortem, he should have stated,
"That man must die" He may die in
five hours, but cannot live more than
twenty-four hours" And when asked
whether he could say that he died
from this condition, replied mo. A
man may have his neck broken, and
he may die from some other cause,
but that man must die" The state
then filed it's motion to dismiss and my
attorneys insisted upon verdict of
not guilty. The remarks of the court
were then made as published and a
verdict of not guilty was rendered by
the jury.
My prosecution was as vigorous, or
even more So after post mortem and
up to the very time that DR.. Deane
came as my witness, as it had been
before.
had just entered upon my defense
and had present some thirty odd wit
nesses on my behalf which would have
fully explained away the suspicious
circumstances testified to on part Of
state and would have thoroughly i'm
peached at least four of the witnesses
relied upon by the state. One of the
jurors informed me after the verdict
that he had heard the other Jurors ex-
press themselves and that if the case
had been submitted on the evidence of
the state, would have been promptly
acquitted.
The statement that l had lost affec.
ton for Will my husband and had CIV
en- it to one Ira Glassford is false AS
to our conduct being improper, I never
was with Mr.. Glassford any place or
anywhere without my husband know
ing OF it before | went, and never was
with him except on business but once
in Fremont to see the Fruit Car. and
| sAAAS sAAAS NY oouSllSl Lulu was Will
| us.
My husband was satisfied with my
conduct and had full. confidence in me.
The money that paid the last assess
| ment Will gave me, ind also gave me
the money to buy the laudanun. He was
with me in Hedrick when got ten
cents worth of morphine tablets, knew
| all about it. had been sufferer for
two years, and had been taking NOR
phine almost every month during that
time, prescribed by the DOCTOR l took
one that night, two at Mr.. Alderman's
while moving, and one or two after
going to Ottumwa; there were seven
tablets left, which were turned over to
Mr.. Steck, my attorney, and they were
preserved by him to be introduced
on the trial. did not know
Will was seriously sick; he had been
sick and slept many times before. |
asked him if he wanted a doctor two
or three times that day, he replied. "No
to let him alone, and he would be all
right IN the morning." He was awake
| called me on two occasions. On Sun.
! day afternoon at five o'clock when ]
| ~, Lat