The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-07-27

When I arrived at the bedside of
/ Mrs Peasley on the night of her death. -
/ said DR.. Baudry, she was in great
/ agony and unable to speak attempt
| ed TO give hypodermic injection, but she
| died before the operation was conclud-
/ ed As I entered the house her hus-
1 band was leaning over her. apparently
| doing everything in his power to ascer-
| tain the cause OF her suffering Looking
up at me, he asked: What were the
| powders you sent her2' answered, I
sent her no powders Then he excIaim-
1 ed o, my GodH
Mrs Birkinbine's DeniaIs.
Mrs. Birkinbine was called to the wit
ness chair upon the opening OF the at
| ternoon session Asked if she knew the
PeasIeys, she replied in the afr NATIVE.
stating that Professor Peasley had
treated her for nearly two years, and
that she and Mrs Peasley had been
quite good friends
was Professor PeasIey at your home
the evening his wife died2" asked the
county attorney
Yes" was the answer.
Was he there the evening preceding
that CTuesday)2 %
Yes
on Monday EVENING""
Yes
that Mrs. PeasIey visited in Iowa in the
fall Of 1904 and remained until January
or February of this year
When Mrs. Peasley was in Iowa,
how often did her husband visit your
was asked.
only on Saturday and Sunday of
When did you first know of the
death of his Wife2'
on Thursday morning, July 49,
Who told your
A messenger boy brought note
from Professor PeasIey. 1t read: My
wife is dead and was signed, A Peas
ley"
was it not signed merely Az"
NO. 1t was signed as I said
Mrs Birkinbine said she had never
received any notes from Peasley before
later testified that he had carried sew
eral from Peasley to her.
Did you ever visit him while he was
in other towns practicing his profess
sion?"
Did you ever visit him in HoIton,
in Leavenworth, or did you ever go
with him to Kansas City?''
Il never did
Did you visit him in Frankfort,
Kan. last January IS. and did you and
he ever stay at a hotel together
Never"
Mrs. Birkinbine said her husband
EMPLOYED the healer to treat her, and
Mr.. Tobin, the hotel man, followed
Mrs. Birkinbine- He said Peasley
stayed about six weeks at the hotel IN
Frankfort. and that Mrs Birkinbine
three days as the healer's wife. That
was when Mrs PeasIey was in Iowa
Tobin had with him the hotel register
showing that Mr. and Mrs PeaSley
identified Mrs. Birkinbine as the wo-
man Mrs Tobin verified her hus-
bands statements. and pointed out
Mrs Birkinbine. Miss Pittman. the
dining room girl, was next called, ana
she created a laugh by the dramatic
manner in which she identified Mrs
Birkinbine. When asked if the woman
who passed as PeasleyS wife was IN
the court room. Miss Pittman rose
from the chair and pointed directly to-
ward the woman, remaining for a full
minute with her hand suspended.
W. F. Sullivan, chief of the Atchison
police testified that Mrs. Birkinbine
had first told him that the note from
PeasIey announcing the death of his
wife was signed simply "A
H. NJ. Sheeks, an employe of an ex-
press company. told of three visits
PeasIey made to inquire for a dress
which had been sent to Mrs Birkin-
bine from a Kansas City dry goods
store
Sheffield ingalls,. who. as assistant
prosecutor. had handled the case alone
in its early stages. testified that Peas
ley admitted TO him that the note TO
Mrs. Birkinbine was signed a and
could offer no explanation why he had
so signed il. Mr. ingalls, also told OF
some partially burned papers he found
in the stove of the Birkinbine home
while searching for the note. which the
woman said she burned soon after she
read IL
Visits Were Frequent.
Charles WEIGH, who lives just across the
street from the Birkinbines and who has
been Ill at home for five months, testified
that Peasiey had called to see Mrs. Blk
inbine every day during that time, and
sometimes four or i've times in one day
A Schmeliug. also a neighbor, VINO Is AZ
home every night, said Peasley had, Tor
the cast nye months. neen 10 see tHs W.
man practically every night
Mrs Ann CarmOdy, who has been a pa
tient of Peasley's for a great while, was
by telephone the night of the death she
had known Mrs Peasley very well As
leys intimately. Mrs Carmody said there
seemed not to be the slightest friction IN
Dr. ". H. Boyle testified briefly. He had
attended Welch and had seen Peasley Oft
en- at the Birkinbine home
who had known the Peasleys two years,
testified as TO that the family seemed to
live IN harmony.
The Story of PeasIey.
Although PeasIey did not take the stand.
his story OF his w+fe's death. as he related
II to others, was brought out in the EVIL
denee Il : as follows:
About $50 O'Clock on the afternoon OF
July u boy came TO the top of the steps
at our home and gave Mrs Peasley q
package with the remark The doctor said
take this in half a glass of sweetened wa
ter just before retiring I did not see this
boy distinctly. as the door leading from
my room was partially closed. and he did
not say what doctor had sent the medicine.
We just supposed it was DR.. Baudry, and
thought no more about it. The boy was
apparently about 10 years Of age and did
not wear messengers uniform
About S o'clock I went out to see a
7ef7 inst a
Mrs Peasley was feeling much better then
and We played 4 game of checkers. She
then decided TO retire, and got the pack
age of medicine I suggested that she
might well not take it until the next
day, since she seemed to be getting along
SO nicely, but she insisted on complying
with the Doctors instructions Soon after
she had swallowed the dose she called to
me and stated that the medicine had a
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