Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1905-10-14

Of it, Curio IS on the part OF the
aunt prompted her Go examined the
packet, which contained several thou
sand dollars IN bills OF large denomina-
ton In Elg.n Airs Bailey said her
husband was I'm California. and I could
find no trace OF his having been in Ell
gin. as his wi,e claimed in her letter
20 her friend ia DE Smct
In the course OF Mrs. Bailey's visit
To ElSin there were many minor
events. all pointing in the same direc-
ton, but Win which shall not encum-
Der this narrative Evor restless. the
woman went from Elgin 20 Waukesha.
WIS, where she at ouce became ac-
quainted with Robert REESE, the IS
yeor-old son OF the proprietor OF the
leading hotel of that place The young
man apparently fell prey to the wom-
ans wiles without even a pretense OF
resistance. and in a few days was Sc
curely chained TO the wheel OF her
chariot The sudden and ardent at
tachment between the two became a
matter Of general knowledge and com
ment, and the parents OF the young
man eyinced the bittcrest opposition TO
IL. sut without avail
Young REESE announced that he was
going TO stage a play in which the
tair Nellie was 20 assume the star role
After leaving Dakota Mrs. Bailey had
travelled under her right name, de-
claring In both Elgin and Waukesha
that her husband was alive Her in
fatuation for young REESE. however.
seemed TO be as sincere an AFFAIR as il
was IN her nature TO harbor. enough
so, at least, 70 prompt her TO take the
initiative and entice her lover into
marriage. REESE, who was much the,
weaker character OF the two. feeb!v
protested against being made the in
strc -neut through which the crime of
bigamy, as he supposed, was to be
committed by his inamorata. bur his
protests were silenced by her vehe-
ment and oft-repeated assurances that
shannon would never appear to both
er .Hem. On this point she was very
positive.
IL is not iskely that REESE had any
conception Of the full significance OF
these words. Mrs. Bailey insisted on
the marriage being kept secret until
legal separation from Ba.,ey could
be brought about REESE finally agreed
and the marriage took place without
further delay. At waukesha. as ar
kigin, Mrs. Bailey exhibited the watch
formerly worn by her husband, teise.
among others, having seen it.
The marriage al Waukesha had
placed the woman in this position: II
Bailey were alive she was a bigamist.
and IT he were dead she was ul.doubt-
edly his murdsres1. Her vigorous
assurances to REESE that there was no
danger of bailey ever bothering them
mad FOR me, OF course, a grewsome
meaning Strange as it may seem to
those uniniuated in the ways OF suen
as Nellie Bailey. | finally believed her
10 De woman who would commit
the greater crime of murder rather.
than place herself in her husbands
power by committing the lesser crime
OF bigamy. At any rate, her positive
statements to REESE that Bailey would
never bother them was in my opinion
an important link an long chain of
circumstantial evidence,
Almost Immediately after her mar
riage-real or mock-to Reise. Mira.
Bailey said she had TO make a trim To
Kansas 10 sell a farm she owned there
and would then come back 10 Reise
with $4,000; and. In connection viva
this pretense. succeeded In estab-
fishing a fact OF the utmost in,por-
tance-that she had been receiving let
.isrs from Clemene L. Bothamley dur