Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1905-09-02

suspect, who, thereupon as a tribute
to the skill Of the detective, would
have broken down and tearfully con-
fessed the crime. Had intelligent
work been done Immediately after the
finding of Bothamley's body some such
method might have been used with the
results desired. But doubt the effect
OF the deduction and accusation"
method on Nellie Bailey. At every in.
timation OF her guilt she looked at you
squarely with the bluest of blue eyes
and protested innocence in a way that
left the man who was firmly con-
vinced of her guilt in doubt. Innocent
or guilty, nature had given her a nerv-
Gus system on which threats, insin-
uations or other attempts to pierce
her composure had not the failtest
effect. | believe she would have gone
to the gallows, had fate so decreed,
with the same air of injured innocence
that she had maintained since the In
dian police had taken her into GUS
tody because she was the logical per-
son to have guilty knowledge of the
crime.
She was shrewd enough to know
that the drear plains had furnished no
witness to what had transpired in the
little house on wheels on October Z.
She knew that any case made against
her must be purely circumstantial.
And she also knew that which I did
not realize at the time-that in a coun-
try where women are few, pretty
wonan-even if she be bad--is prac-
tically immune for the dangers of cir
cumstantial evidence in a criminal
trial. Therefore she stood pat'' in
her innocence or guilt, placing it
squarely UP to the government to make
| it's case.
Inquiry in the county in which she
had lived developed several interesting
and suggestive facts concerning her.
She was an expert markswoman with
a revolver and a daring equestrienne.
She rode astride, shooting with ac-
curacy at wolves and other game from
the saddle. She usually carried re-
volver slung to a cartridge belt buckled
around her waist. Small of stature.
exuberant of health, daring in spirit,
clad in short skirts and sombrero. she
was a figure not soon forgotten by
those who had seen her. Despite her
mannishness in the saddle and with
the pistol, size had played a part in
numerous love affairs, for it must be
remembered that on the frontier a
woman in s0mbrero is not a rarity,
and one that can rope a pony or shoot
straight is not classed as masculine.
These were traits of the plains, desir-
able rather than otherwise, even in a
pretty woman
From the time Nellie Benthuson had
gone into long skirts she had asso-
ciated principally with men, among
whom she was favorite; and neigh
borhood gossip recorded numerous love
affairs of more or less earnestness. In
al she had earned the reputation of be-
ing tickle, quick in forming attach
ments and equally quick in Diminishing
! them. These love affairs had culmin-
ated in her marriage to Shannon
Bailey, young lawyer, good looking,
of some means, giving promise of rap
Id advancement in his profession and
! intensely in love with the high-spir-
tied, hoydenish Nellie
| During the courtship Bailey had
been the victim of at least one of that
/ numerous class of individuals who de-
/ light in carrying gossip to the person
most interested. In this case one Of
! these officious chatter-boxes whispered
things to Bailey about his fiancee that
adoring lovers do not like to hear.
These whisperings had the usual effect
Instead of breaking the attachment it
strengthened it; but at the same time
it planted seeds of distrust that later
bore their fruit in a most grewsome
way.
Bailey promptly married the girl,
but decided that they could be happier
were she taken away from the scene
of her girlish attachments The Pa
cific coast was decided upon, and to the
coast they went. They spent two
months in California, Oregon and
Washington. Over this trail l did not
follow them. They returned to Kan
sas, settling temporarily at Clinton.
Here the tickle bride almost Immediate
ly on their arrival fell in love with a
telegraph operator and Bailey noted
the attachment There was a scene.
Bailey shot at his wife's new admirer,
missed him and then wkisked his bride
away to Dakota,
They first went to Huron, inten6;"7
to settle there and took rooms at the
Wright house. In a few days Mrs.
Bailey plunged into another Irritation,
as furious as the first. Another scene
resulted, ending in separation Bailey
took quarters away from the hotel and
his bride remained at the Wright
house. Several days later Bailey and
his wife again became reconciled. She
evidently had the power to throw him
into the most violent fits of jealous
rage, and then, by pretense of repent
ance and other woman's wiles, to bring
him fO her foot piUh+ ftor