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

legal description OF The ranch on which
Bothamley had lived
This discovery ra. sed the question
Of tae Identity 10 sarah a. Laws. DHi.
gent Inquiry JAILED % reveal such n
woman. and. hal she lived Ia the coun.
~ claimed, 90 was unlikely chat she
could not be located The identity OF
Che Laws won an therefore became a
problem 10 fact 'hat "a Good to Tho
Bothamley ranch however hid been
forwarded for record by Bothamlcy's
woman cowpsnio1 invested that per-
sen with even gr ater interest
The discovery or h-r raj Identity
was not "a matter calI.n~ for any
great effort While GO the Bothamley
ranch, where She had pas cd as his
sister. she had been Identified as Mrs
Nellie Bailey. the darghtor q a Kan
sas rancher and carpenter named C. r..
Benthus0n. The wbcrcal outs OF her
husband was unknown for the remark
able reason that viii appear later.
Important chapters in her lie were
not known 90 her acquaintance in
Kansas. At this time the circumstan-
tial case against her seemed to Be
growing stronger. lu action the
shrewd detective would have gathered
a number OF discriminating circum-
stances. grouped them into a narrative
which he would have rccitca 20 the
suspect, who, thereupon. as a tribute
70 the skill. OF the detective. would
have broken down and tearfuly CON
fessed the crime. Had intelligent
work been done Immediately after the
finding Of Bothamleys body some such
method misht have been used with the
results desired. But l doubt the effect
OF the deduction and accusation"
method on Nellie Bailey. At every in.
umation OF her guilt she locked at you
Squarely with the bluest OF blue eyes
and protested innocence in way that
LEFT the man who was firmly con-
WINGED of her guilt in doubt Innocent
or guilty. nature had given her a nerv-
Gus system on which threats, insin-
uations OF other attempts TO pierce
her composure had not the faintest
effect. / believe she would have gone
10 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 ems
tody because she was the logical per-
son 70 have guilty knowledge of the
crime.
She was shrewd enough to know
that the drear plains had furnished no
witness 10 what had transpired in tha
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 az the t.me-that in a conn
Try where women are few. a pretty
woman-even II she be bsd-is prac.
tically immune for tie dangers OF cir
cumstantial evidence In a criminal
trial. Therefore she stood patp in
her innocence or guilt. placing il
squarely up to the government TO make
its case.
inquiry in the county in which she
had lived developed several interestinr
and suggestive facts concerning her,
She was an expert markswoman wfta
revolver and daring equestrienne
she rode astride shooting with ac-
curacy at wolves and other game from
the saddle. She usually carried a re-
yoiver slung to cartridge belt buckIed
around her waist. Small Of stature
exuberant OF health, daring In spirit
clad in short skirts and Ssombrero. she
was figure not soon forgotten by
those who had seen her. Despite her
mannishness ia the saddle and with
the pistol, size had played a part in
numerous love affairs, for IL must be
remembered that On the frontier a
woman in . sombrero is not a rarity,