The Topeka state journal., 1906-03-23
Mrs. Bena VOLTS Actions Are
@ - In Question.
NEIGHBORs on STAND.
They Tell About the Defendants
Queer Conduct.
Doctor Says That Her Mind Is
All Right.


husbands former seamstress. proved to !
/ be long drawn out affair in the pro-
1 bate court today, full OF accusations
Of actions imputed to jealous motives.
/ neighborhood quarrels, tin cans, paint
/ ers' ladders, dish water, and finally
got down to stage of throwing small
+ potatoes and dust
1t took all morning for the prosecu-
ton to present its testimony. and the
/ defense occupied the major share OF
the afternoon. 1t was late this even
+ ing before the case went to the jury
The jurors are Frank Whitteker, farm
mer; A. 2. Bell. farmer; Harry Nc
Farland, plumber. and DR.. H B. Hoge-
/ boom. DR.. H. H. Keith was the ex-
amining physician. County Attorney
Hungate was IN charge OF the prosecu-
ton. while A. P. Tone Wilson defended
/ Mrs. Wolff
DR.. ". S. Lindsay was the first wit
ness called. At the request Of the de-
fense he examined Mrs. Wolff yester-
+ day He testified that though she was
OF a nervous temperament he found
no signs of hanucinatiOn, illusions, or
/ other signs of insanity. She is not a
subject for the asylum 80
Mrs. Lizzie Rosseau, former neigh
Dor of the VOLTS, stated that Mrs
/ Woln threw things into her yard, cut
.
chickens, and did a lot Of other pecu- !
liar things
Isn't it a fact" asked Mr.. Wilson,
that Mrs. Wolff accused you of steal
ing suit of underwear from her
! clothes line. and Of stealing chickens. /
I And did you not do it7"
Il did not. was the indignant reply.
Did you not have trouble with
No, was the answer, Except when
the painters came to paint our house.
Because part of the scaffolding would
nave been on VOLTS yard, she came
out and started a row. So the painters
swung scaffolding from the house
roof Mrs. Wolff came oct and pulled
part Of that down.
Dc you think she is insane?" asked
( MI Hungate.
i can't judge of that" was the an
swer, but she acted mighty queer and
/ said some things that she wouldn't
/ nave had she been in her right mind
Miss Lizzie Rohlheusen a sister of
I Mrs. Hoffman, the complaining wit
/ ness, and who took the latter's place
/ as seamstress at the Wolff tailoring
l shop was next called. She was very
/ emphatic in her statements and told
/ her story with a great deal Of feel
ina
Il worked at Wolh's shop until the
4 other day, she said, "since last DC
! tOber when my sister, Mrs. Hoffman,
quit and got married. Mrs. Wolff and
4 I got along nicely until the first part
/ Of last December. With my sister I
had been at her home frequently TO
visit her. But one day Mrs. Wolff
came in, and refused to answer me
when I bid her the time Of day.
I basket where we keep our tailoring
/ tools. like scissors and thread, and pull
/ ed everything out of the box and
threw it about the table Mr.. Wolff
came in and said: Bena, what is the
matter2 You are making things look
/ like if a hog has been roofing around
/ here I went to the front part Of
the store. Mrs. Wolff had her dog with
her The dog followed me and AIrs.
Wolff cried at IT: .Treff, Tren, come
/ here, she will put you against me, as
she has put my husband against me-
What do you mean2 cried at Mrs.
Wolff Ask Mr.. Wolff whatever you
want to about me- She replied; 'Woh
is such liar, can't believe him
went to Mr.. Wolff and told him that
I would quit at once
Mr. Wilson interrupted and asked
her if she had ever seen the defend
/ ant act strangely at other times. She
! would come in some times" was the
/ answer "aIl flushed in the race.
wouldn't talk to anyone, would hold
her head in her hands, and complain
/ Of terrible headaches Up to that time
we were very friendly with each other
/ and never had any trouble.
Did Mr.. Wolm ever refer to your
sister as his old girl Katie?'
Never did that haIpen, was the
reply.
nlaining witness. was called. She said
that she never had any trouble with
Mrs Wolff while at work in the tailor
shop.
the shoD and SAID that her husband was
running her down te everyone. But
got aIong with her all right. she be
Il car7e very excited occasionally, but
never ouarreled with her one DAY sne
and Mr.. Wolff had some trouble IN tne
store and Mr.. Wolff tried to get heF 70
leave. but she took hold Of him and
pushed him out Of the front door on
last Wednesday morning about o'clock
Mrs Wolff came to my nome AT SUI
East Curtis street. She rushed INTO the
back door and began to strike me with
a double twisted rope, at the same time
telling me never to come back into her
husbands shop again. rushed OUTSIDE.
She demanded that I come back m /
DicI1ed gip a broom and when she came
toward mel struek Eer with It. Sne
took the broom away from me and
struck me. Thal she left
do you think she is insane?' was
she acts awfully fl my" was the
answer "and I think she is OF un-
sound mind 7 never at any time gave
her cause for being angry, or quaffei-
August Palm. Who rented a house
to the VOLTS testified that ne naa
trouble with Wolff because he would
not keep his chickens at home, and
one time had him arrested for it.
Mrs James Newman, neighbor, said
that she had had trouble with Mrs
Wolff but had forgotten what the ex-
act circumstances were
Her husband James Newman, told
a pretty strong story. He said that
Mrs. Wolff had thrown slop, dish
water and refuse into his yard and it
had ruined bis well. lie also said that
she threw tin cans into his yard. and
one day while he was working in the
garden she threw dust and small po-
tatoes at him. Mr.. Newman got very
much interested in his story and kept
on telling It even after the attorneys