The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1904-03-10
BELIEVE MISS
NELSON'S STORY
S. ID. OFFICIALS WILL SEE THAT
MRS. DYE is TRIED.
United States Courts Will Be Entered
in an Effort to Get Her Over the
South Dakota Line, Where q War
rant Could Be Served-Mrs. Dye
Reiterates Her Innocence.
Special to The Journal.

DeS MO1neS, Iowa, March 10.--MiSs Rena
Nelson, the Pierre, S. D., telephone opera
tor who died as the result of eating poi-
soned candy sent to her from Boone, Iowa,
was not the young and unsophisticated girl
which many have believed. She was a
mature woman, old enough to love wisely
and well, and her love for Sherman Dye of
Boone. Iowa, was not the schoolgirl va
riety. Dye, whose wife was charged with
having sent the candy which caused death,
but who is now freed from any charge be-
cause Of the laxity Of Iowa laws, is a hand
some we'll citizen Of Boone. 2,
A feature of the case is the sudden devo-
ton which Dye has acquired for his wife.
The two are said to have quarreled fire.
quently, but the moment the wife " was
charged with murder Dye came bravely to
the rescue and declared his belief in his
wife's Innocence. This fact is the more re-
markable as Mr.. and Mrs. Dye, according
to common report and extracts taken from
letters In the, hands Of the sheriff at
Boone, had quarrelei frequently over the
girl who has been murdered.
Contends She Is Innocent.
After her release from the Boone county
jail yesterday Mrs Dye reiterated her in
nocence of the charge Of murder.
Il do not know what shall do, said
Mrs. Dye. Sometimes I am convinced
that ought to get on the train and pay
my own way to Pierre and surrender my
self to the sheriff there. Then could
be tried, my innocence proven and there
would never be any blot against my name.
do not like this idea of being charged
with murder and getting out of it just be-
cause there Is some mistake in the law.
If Mrs. Dye should go into the state Of
South Dakota she would be Immediately
charged with murder and taken to Pierre
for trial. So long as she stays in Iowa she
cannot be tried. as there is no lew pro-
viding for the trial in this state Of a person
who commits a crime in another state The
governor says that he could issue a requi-
sition only when a person has committed
a crime in a state and is fugitive from
the state and stops in Iowa.
Sheriff Doesn't Give Up.
Sheriff Iaughlin Of Pierre said before
given up the fight. "We South Dakotans
believe Miss Nelson's story he said, '.and
we intend to see to it that Mrs. Dye is
tried for the crime and her guilt or inno-
cence declared. We will proceed at once
thru the United States courts. Mrs. Dye
may be taken into Dakota on charge OF
violating the United States postal laws,
and opce inside the state we will serve q
warrant charging murder. Then the ques-
ton still remains whether the crime was
committed In Iowa or South Dakota The
candy was postmarked Boone. The idea
OF murder was conceived in Boone, we
believe, and the case might be tried
there sa0s
Legislature Can 30 Nothing. .
I Leading lawyers OF the state who ars
members Of the legislature are studying
the federal and state statutes with q view
to amending the law so as to permit
prosecution and extradition for murder II
cases such as that Of the Dye Nelson
candy poisoning mystery.
It was found, however, that the lowe
legislature is powerless and that the only
cure is an amendment to the United States
constitution which provides that crimes
must be prosecuted at the place where
they are committed and no one shall BIZ
extradited unless a fugitive from justice
from that state.
The courts hold that one is not fugi-
tive until he has been in the state where
the crime was committed and fed to the
one from which extradition is sought. One
may therefore murder at his pleasure By
means of candy or Internal machines sem
thru the mails or by shooting across
streams which separate states.