The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-03-01
Ms. CODY,s sTORY.
On Witness stand She Relates History
of Her Married Life.

North Platte. Neb., March Mrs.
Louisa Cody took the witness stand nc
defense of her character and good
name which have been aSsailed by W.
f. Cody (Buffalo BID in his petition
for divorce. Mrs. Cody emphattcally
denied that she had ever attempted 20
poison her husband or that she had
administered dragons blood or any
other poison for the purpose of gain
ing control over him.
The hearing was held behind closed
doors in the law offices of Wilcox &
Halligan, attorneys for Mrs. Cody, who
have conducted her defense since Buff
falo Bill fled his petition at BASIN
City, the county seat OF Blghorn
county, Wyoming.
married to Colonel Cody in st. Louis
forty years ago when she was % years
of age. ,.,.-u,., .,a
said, Colonel Cody was employed on
the plains of Kansas as a teamSter and
'hOrtly after became engaged as a buff
falo hunter for the railroad contrac-
tors on the Kansas division of the
Union Pacific. He killed thousands of
these animals, which were used by the
graders for meat.
I'm 1858 we moved to what was
then Fort Mcpherson. Neb-. where
Colonel Cody became a scout for the
government. We lived at Fort Nc
poor in those days and I did what I
could to assist in supporting the fam
lily by taking in sewing. Colonel Cody
and I did not have serious trouble
during our residence at Fort McPher-
son. The colonel went on the stage in
1874, and shortly after this he took
US TO Rochester, n. Y, where we lived
for four years.
AT the expiration of this time we
came back to Nebraska. and located
here. We bought property here from
time to time with earnings of the col
onels show business. In 1898 we pur-
chased our residence here. This was
fixed up in good style and 1 prepared
England. where he had been touring
with his show
was this home coming the occasion
of the big banquet rendered by the citi-
zens of North Platte to the colonel?''
asked Mr.. HaIIigan.
Yes, sir
Mrs Cody, did you ever administer
a drug to Colonel Cody or any LIQUID
that would injure him?''
No sir; 1 never did"
You dOctored the colonel when he
suffered with minor ailments, did you
not?'
Yes. sir; I doctored him and gave
him different kinds of medicine for his
little troubles when he drank
Did you ever administer dragons
blood for the purpose of making the
colonel love you more and other wo-
men less?''
mo, sir: I don't know what dragons
blood is. Never saw any and never |
heard of such a thing"
Did you ever give the colonel any
thing to make him sick?''
No, SIR
Did you ever poison him?"
Replying to further questions, Mrs.
Cody declared she had never told Mrs.
Boyer "a witness for the plaintiff) or
any person that she had ever drugged
ler husband to make him love her or to
gain control over him so that he would
sign certain papers for her. She also
denied that she had ever poisoned any
Of the coloneIs dogs Intentionally.
I told the men at the ranch,' she ex-
planned, Ito put out strychnine or other
poison for the rates, which were getting
oothersome, and accidentally the coloners
dogs got some of this poison. One of the
dogs in particular of which the colonel
was very fond and which l liked myself
for that reason was killed and 1 felt
very badly over it,
Mrs. Cody acknowledged that she had
punished her children whenever they
need and had occasionally castigated
them with a small riding whip. Mrs.
Cody desired that she was ever intoxi-
Gated as had been testified by witness
for the plaintiff. She never drank Ii
quor except for medicinal purposes, she
said, and never used bad, language.
DO you still love Colonel Cody?"
asked the attorney.
Yes, he is the father of my children
and I love him still"
Do you desire a reconciliation at this
time?"
yes. I do; but I think that the col
onel ought to retract the poisoning ac-
Would you be glad to see him
now?"
yes, I would gladly welcome him
ibid you ever complain to Mrs.
Boyer about the conduct of Colonel
Cody? ?"
Did you ever tell her the names
Of any women with whom you thought
The colonel was intimate?'
"pid Colonel cody give you this
North Platte ranch and city prop
Eyes. sir, and when he did he said
Mamma, you take this and keep it for
your old age
Mrs. Cody recited the incidents of
the funeral trip from Spokane to Ro-
chester. n Y, when they buried their
daughter. Aria.
~ DID you at that time or at any
Cody at the grave Of your daughter
IS being her murderer ?"
Did you ever send him a threaten
ng telegram in connection with the
matter ?"
Il wired him that thought he had
been the cause of breaking Arta's
heart"
A pathetic scene occurred here
when Attorney Wilcox introduced a
etter and asked Mrs. Cody to identity
t. Tears streamed down her cheeks
ana between her broken sobs she said
t was a letter from her daughter Arta
-hree days before she died
Among other things written by Mrs
Thorpe (Arta) was the statement that
he bringing of the suit for the divorce
oy her father had broken her heart
Mrs Cody denied that Colonel Pow
III, manager of Colonel Cody's Wyom-
ng interests, ever came to her at