The Norfolk weekly news-journal. (Norfolk, Neb.) 1900-19??, 1906-12-28
NOT MUCH HOPE FOR PARDON.
David City People Think Governor
Will Rebuff Petition.

VIII nCpuIi TStIt'Ob'
David City, Neb. Dec. 24-The re-
ports in the daily press, together with
a notice in one of the local papers, that
Lena Margaret Lille has made appli
cation to Governor Mickey for a par
don of the crime of numbering her
husband, Harvey Lille, for which she
is now serving a life sentence in the
Nebraska penitentiary, has revived the
discussion of this case on the streets
and at the firesdes of the citizens of
David City and Butler county.
The excitement which prevailed on
the streets and all over the county on
the morning of October "a, 1902, is WV
idly recalled to the memory of all the
residents of the city, when the news
spread like wildfire that one of David
City's prominent, influential and high
ly respected citizens, Harvey Lille,
had been fatally shot by bold burg
lar at an early hour that morning while
peacefully sleeping in his home.
Excitement Ran High.
At that time excitement ran high,
telegraph and telephone wires We're
uStu freely SDltit lhC hCNS Va blC
dastardy crime, and asking that all
suspicious looking characters be APP
pretended and required to account for
their whereabouts at the time the fatal
shot was fired. Bloodhounds were
brought out and every part of David
City carefully searched BY noon an
immense crowd of people were on the
bn ,,,prinr anI ha n
any person been seen who looked sus-
picious or who was unable to give an
account of himself, he would certainly
have met a warm reception, so intense
was the feeling and excitement,
Many theories were advanced as to
who the criminal or criminals might
be. Some of them seemed plausible.
A few citizens suspected that Harvey
Lille had been murdered by the one
who had promised at the sacred mar
riage altar to love, cherish and honor
him so long as they both should live;
that Lena Margaret Lille had COM
mitted the cold-blooded crime of TAX
ing the life of her husband.
The large majority scoffed at this,
however, and would not listen to it, as
it was the prevailing opinion that Mr..
and Mrs. Lille were very affectionate
and their home an ideal, happy one.
The county and city officers assisted
by detectives, worked on the case I'M
til December 90, 1902, when County
Attorney Walling filed a complaint in
the county court charging Lena Mar
garet Lille with numbering her hus'
band She was arrested that evening,
gave bond for her appearance and
went to Bellwood, where she spent the
holidays with her parents. At the pre-
liminary hearing she was held to the
district court under a bond of $4,000
which she furnished, her father, j. S
Hill and l.. Henaing of Bellwood, be
ing her sureties.
Thought Mrs. Lille Innocent.
At this time most of the townspeo
pie believed Mrs. Lille innocent OF
the crime with which she was charged
Large crowds attended the preliminary
hearing and the trial in the district
court, and after hearing the evidence
many of those who at first could not
believe it possible that she had com
mitted the awful crime, were con
WINGED that they had been mistaken
Others, however, still maintained thai
she was not guilty. At the time Of
her arrest County Attorney Wallin9
was severely censured for filing the
complaint.
The trial in the district court LASTED
about two weeks, Judge Good of Wa
hoo, regarded as one of the best jurist'
on the bench in this state, presiding
A jury composed of the most intelli
gent, careful and conservative mel
that ever occupied the jury box in Tho
district court of Butler county, aftel
hearing all of the evidence, brough
in a verdict of murder in the first de