Mexico weekly ledger., 1906-07-26

FULTON, Mo-, July 19.-MrS. Alva
Bailey, whose trial as an accessory to
the murder Of JaJ Lawder by her hus-
band Edmond j. Bailey, began to-day,
has startled those attending the dou-
BILE trial by the literary attachments
shown In the letters read in the court
as evidence.
A miners wife and the possessor Of
only a common school education, her
writings show the imagination and
expression OF trained author of tic-
tion.
This appeared in the letter written
by her to David Steele even more than
In those to Lawder. Yet the Lawder
letters were great surprise to those
in the court room Mrs. Bailey saw
the effect they created, and though
she must have realized that the let
ters would hurt her case, she smiled
with satisfaction as she heard the
well-turned periods read.
The Lawder letters were first the
expressions of affection, then Of frank
jealousy Of one more beloved, and
finally open threats Of death-threats
which were soon after carried out
when, by telling her husband Of her
conduct with Lawder, she made him
the instrument of her jealous re-
revenge.
The Steele letter is an idyl Of pas
sionate love and Of pastoral scenes.
Dewy dales, blooming violets and MUIR
murlng brooklets fill its picture of
what i've two" might hope. AT the
end is the more practical question
what her husband would think OF all
this sentiment, and the avowal that
she respects him, though her life with
him is wearisomely commonplace. 1t
was on hearing this read in court that
Bailey made display of renewed af-
fection for bis wife yesterday after
CALLED LETTER "ENoRMoUs
David Steele, OF Cincinnati, 10, to
whom she wrote letter described
the message as enormous while tes-
tifying at the trial Of the woman's
husband. Asked II he did not mean
anonymous, he said:
"No. 1t was enormous She used
such big words that / could not under
stand them. They were beyond my
knowledge"
This is a young man Of good intelli-
gence, a successful merchant. The
woman who wrote the enormous"
letter was the wife Of one Of the hum
blest of the young mans fathers
workmen.
TIRED OF PRoSY PEOPLE.
CINCINNATI, Ia, Feb. /, 1906
Davie: | guess l can add one more to
your list of married correspondence If
you will be good boy, Do you know
/ got curtain lecture last evening be-
sides very bad cold and sore throat,
but | am still independent Of what
others think The few people in town
whom | know can't converse on the
subjects / like; they prose, prose, prose
all the time, and il / can make an
agreeable friend outside | will. l
would much rather have one real true
friend than half a hundred doubtful
ones.
Sometimes | think | probably pin
my faith too seemly to you; it does
seem almost too good to be true that
you should wish to be my friend. l
know you have your lodges business
and many social demands on your
time, ane | did not really see how you
could find place for poor obscure me
on your list. In fact, IL / understood
YOU right last eve, | must confess l
am still a little doubtful Of your sin
certify which hope you will pardon
Now | want to get one letter from
you, that's plain, isn't it? One can
always Judge character so much bet
ter by things written than by things
said. So II you will write, | will call
for the mail tomorrow eve, and the
next day, but do not send anything af-
ter that Tis is only fair, Davie, for
you have it in your power to make my
name a by-word here II you were a
man OF that caliber. Yet you know
probably better than anybody, not
even excepting Ted, that l have done
nothing wicked, only foolish.
Yousee | have trusted you without
reserve almost l don't know why l
have really, and now l am adding one
more to your stock of waste paper.
You were speaking of the good old
summer time" how much better op-
portunities one has then to pass the
idle time pleasantly. / quite agree
with you. Can you fancy a scene like
this? a sultry day In midsummer,
the sun blazing as only late June
sun can, the dusty streets and busy
thoroughfares Of the town left far be-
hind, and quiet country lanes leading
i - nj n