The daily sentinel., 1906-10-02
SAID SHE
FALSIFIED
CASE IS ISDIShISSED
The Famous Wells Case Was
Ended This Morning by
Affidavit Made by Helen
Wells Moore Generating
Her Stepfather.

The locally famous Wells criminal
assault case is at an end.
District Attorney Hugo Selig and
Deputy District Attorney Coles this
morning dismissed the case against
A. C. Wells. the prominent Fruit
vale ranchman who was tried at the
March term of court on the charge
of having criminal relations with his
step-daughter, Mrs. Helen Wells
Moore. aged about eighteen years
Il The girl-mother declares in an af-
fldavit presented in court this morn
ing that she swore falsely against her
step-father and in her statement full
ly exonerates him.
This ending of the famous case will
come as a surprise to many people
who heard the testimony at the trial
and are familiar to a large extent
with the particulars of the case.
However, it has been known to the
parties directly interested that the
case would be dismissed for a num-
ber of months for the affidavit made
by Helen Wells Moore was sworn to
in Denver. before George T. Grams
ton, notary public on May 80 of this
year. The affidavit states in part that
"Helen Wells Moore being duly sworn
deposes that she is the wife of Jess
Moore and is the same person who
gave evidence for the people in the
/ case of The People VS.. A. C. Wells.
tried at the March 1906 term of the
\
RADIO and that at such trial she gave
/ evidence as a witness that the said
A. c. Wells had" crominal relations
with her and that he was the father
OF her child now living, and affidavit
now deposes that she said A. C. Wells
is not>the father of said child known
as Ralph Moore and that he never at
any time had" criminal relations with
her. nor offered or attempted to
have such, and that she was induced
to give testimony at said trial false
ly by her aunt, Mrs. ]. w. lurking
ly in this respect and paid her sum
of money and promised her more"
In closing the girl states that she
makes this affidavit freely and of her
own accord and without being in
fuenced by any person or persons and
for no other purpose than that Gus
tice may be done in the premises"
The girl is now out of the state,
it is announced, just where she is is
not known. 1t is said that she left
the state shortly after the affidavit
was made. Proceedings involving the
charge of perjury could be brought
against her but 1t is not thought that
Wells would care to push such a
prosecution.
A. C. Wells who has a wife and
large family of children, was arrested
last winter on complaint sworn out
at the instance of his wife's daugh
ter by a former husband who charg-
ed that Wells had been intimate with
her while she resided at his home and
had a number of times forced his at
tentions upon her. The girl charged
Wells with being the father of her
child. Before this, however. Jesse
More, a young man, had been charged
by the mother and step-father with
betraying the girl and he was forced
to marry the girl. Later investiga-
tions were started by the humane
officers at the instance of the girls
aunt and the arrest of Wells followed.
At the last term of district court
the girl took the stand against Wells
and told a most revolving story. After
long deliberation the jury failed TO
agree. 1t was a bitterly contested
trial Immediately after the trial
, the girl-mother went to Denver and
has never returned to the city. Her
husband Jesse Moore, deserted her
soon after the marriage.
Wells has been a citizen of the val
ley for many years and his arrest, ow-
! ing to his prominence. created
great sensation.
! Judge Charles f. Caswell was the
+ attorney for the defendant
). The case was one of the most un-
. savory ever tried in local courts.