The Norfolk weekly news-journal., 1905-04-21

her partner at a big bargain. Wells
hurriedly put his town property on
the market, sold II for $4,000 less than
II had cost him, gave her cashiers
check for $4,000, went down to the
bank with her, identified her and
watched her stun away the bills.
Some of the money had been given
by Wells so that she might go away
from Lincoln and get a divorce from
Smedley. Later she wrote him that
the divorce was coming all right, and
that as soon as she was free she
would marry him.
The old man sent her money when
ever she asked for 1t. With scupulous
care she insisted that each advance
was but a loan and executed a note
loan of $4,000 she told Wells that she
was free to marry him and would re-
turn the following Sunday.
She did not come to Lincoln and
Wells went to Denver to investigate.
He found her still living with Smedley
in a handsome home. They had an
automobile, a chauffeur and several
servants. Mrs. Smedley was dressed
expensively.
Wells took dinner with the couple.
and the husband rather jollied him on
the way the woman had led him on.
When they asked him how much mon
ey he had left and he told them 900
it dawned upon him that he had been
deceived He returned to Lincoln and
caused their arrest.
When the officers went to take the
Smedleys into custody they found
Mrs. Smedley in Colorado Springs.
A few minutes after her arrest the
young Texas lawyer, Hooker, called
at the hotel. He said he had an ap-
pointment with her to marry her that
day.
Her arrest he denounced as the re-
suit of a plot of her relatives to sepa-
rate them. He declared that they had
always opposed his marriage to her,
so she had told him, because she was
rich and he but country lawyer.
When informed that she was mar.
ried, he said he did not believe it,
She had told him that through the
provisions of an uncle's will she had
been compelled to marry Smedley, her
cousin, or forfeit her 100000 share
of the estate. She did not love Smed-
| ley, however, and had written him
| (Hooker) that she had secured the di-
vorce and was then living with an
uncle on her mothers side in Denver.
Hooker had actually visited her in
Denver, it appears, and gone away
with his eyes unopened. He said he
had known her two years, and she had
explained her comparative poverty,
while an heiress, by saying that a
cruel uncle in Louisville, KY, was
| fighting for possession of the prop
| erty.
After the arrival of the party in
Lincoln in custody of the officers
Wells called on her to effect settle
ment. She asked for a private inter-
view, and within a few minutes she
had resumed her old sway over the
old man.
He called his lawyer in, instructed
him that he had decided to withdraw
the complaint and accept an offer of
settlement made by the woman. His
lawyer demurred, but Wells, with his
hand resting on the woman's, declared
he was satisfied.
A little later Wells signed $1,000
bond for the accused couple, and when
they left that night for Denver again
an affidavit that no false pretense had
been employed by the woman to Sc
cure the money from him, anc when
this was presented later in court,
when the criminal case was called
| dismissal was entered. Wells got
notes from both parties for his claim.
and will seek to force collection on
installments.
A complication in the case devel-
| oped a little later, when it was found
that man named Emory Willitts is
member of the Smedley household
at Denver. This is the name of her
first husband Wells said he was in
troduced to Willitts, the latter being
represented as single man, younger
brother of the woman's deceased hus-
band.
Mrs. Smedley is always well
gowned. She is an enthusiastic auto.
mobilist.
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