Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1905-01-09
Nebraska Supreme Court Sen
fences Mrs. Lena Lille to
Penitentiary For Life
FRIENDS ATTEMPT TO RESCUE
Steel Bars Accidentally Discovered to
be Cut Thru and Fastened in Place
With Wax-sentiment Strongly in
Favor of Prisoner-Effort Will be
Made to Secure Pardon.

David City, Jan. 9.-The final decis-
ion of the Nebraska supreme court IN
the murder case Of Mrs. Lena Lille,
holding that she must so to the peni-
Tertiary for life, recalls the details OF
this, which has been called the most
remarkable case OF conviction on purely
circumstantial evidence in the coun-
try.
Harvey Lille was we'll to do grain
dealer. He and his wife. who is an
attractive woman OF 40, lived happily.
The night Of October "a 1907, Lille
was shot in the head in bed, Mrs. Lille
lying at his side. He was instantly
killed. Mrs. Lille reused others in the
house, two young ladies who were Wis
iting there, and told them what had
happened.
The murderer, Mrs. Lille said, shot
at her after killing her husband missed
and escaped by the door. Her story
was not doubted. AS soon MS the
neighbors could be summoned they
started to search, going to the stable
found dead, poisoned.
The first suspicion of Mrs. Lille was
when it was noted, several days after
the killing, that she claimed the muir
ierer, whom she described as tall,
dark man, stood on the west side of
the bed On that side lay Mrs. Lille.
The murderer, according to her story,
would have had to lean over his VIC
A{,,, hi five no hull al
back toward himself, thru Lilies head.
This seemed SO improbable that it
caused investigation. Other features
developed. Mrs. Lille, 1t was shown,
had been specializing in her own be-
half on the board of trade, and had
been pressed for money. Her husband
had objected to her speculations.
Pressed for more margins, it is alleged,
she shot her husband in order to get
his property and his life insurance,
amounting to $4,000.
Out Of this foundation the prosecu-
ton wove a case against the woman
and after long and sensational trial
she was convicted, and punishment fix
ed at imprisonment for life. The peo-
pie Of David City did not generally be-
lieye her guilty, and do not now. She
remained in Jail after the trial and the
supreme court was appealed to. 1t re-
fused to order a new trial Applica-
ton for rehearing was turned down,
and the last chance was gone. Mrs
Lille all along has insisted that she
as innocent Her bearing has been
such as to make her case stronger
than ever with the community.
Two days ago word came from Lin.
coin that the supreme court denied
Mrs. Lilies application for rehear-
ing. This ended her last chance Of
escape. The officers, knowing that
they would be ordered soon to convey
her from the Jail to the penitentiary
began arrangements for the trip, and
while making these quite accidentally
discovered that two steel bars had been
cleverly cut thru, in the gratings Of
the Jail window, and the bars fastened
In place with wax. There had been
reports for weeks that If the rehearing
was denied Mrs. Lilies friends would
undertake to release her from the Jail,
and send her away. Here in David
City little doubt is entertained that
such a plan was we'll organized
Feeling in favor Of Mrs. Lille has
grown so fast that is has come to be
believed by many people that the pros
ecuting attorney who convicted her
used hypnotic powers with the jury.
At any rate as soon as the discovery
was made of the alleged attempt at
rescue double guards were placed at
the Jail, and the plan failed.
An effort will next be made to secure
a pardon. The case is compared by
Mrs. Lilies friends to that of Mrs.
Maybrick, and they declare that they
will make it known nationally as a
monumental injustice before they will
cease their efforts in her behalf.