The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1907-10-31
The examination of Mrs. MCNEIL

The examination of Mrs. Mcneil
was completed about five o'clock
Tuesday evening and as Miss Russell
was not used the defendant in the
case, w. A. Mcneil, was placed on
the stand. His testimony was per-
haps the most interesting If not the
most important offered for the defense.
Many instances related by other wit
nesses were refuted by him and he
told in his own way of his visits to
the Hamilton home and of his pro-
posal to Mrs. Hamilton after her d.
vorce from her husband, the plaintiff
in the case.
81 was born in IA or '43, but am
not sure which," he replied to Mr.. NAL
collins question at the opening of the
ross-examination. 81 have got the
date down in the family Bible, but that
is at my brothers home, | think.
Yes, / have got the date of my birth
in my insurance policy, but l can't
just remember whether l am GO or
GA years old"
Didn't they ask you to give in your
age when you were married?" inquir-
ed Mr.. Malcolm. Il don't remember,
but l don't think they did" replied
Mr.. McNeilI. This investigation of
his correct age was carried almost to
extremes before the story of the case
was continued.
The defendant testified that mis- re-
lations with Mrs. Hamilton, up until
after the time of her divorce, were
only those of close friendship and
pleasant acquaintance. he denied
having ever known that she was con-
templating separating from her hus-
band and he first heard of the divorce
proceedings, according to his evidence,
between February and May, 1906,
while he was on ms western trip. The
next time he could remember. of seeing
her was at the funeral services of the
late e. H. Gibbs. Later when Mrs.
Hamilton was on her visit in this city.
in May, he made frequent visits to the
Gibbs home, where she was staying,
and often took her out for an auto
ride. These visits became more fire.
quent and his affection for her became
stronger, until on May 21st he pop
ped the question" The defendants
story of his engagement and marriage
was rather prosaic, but nevertheless
an interesting romance.
1t was in the evening when he call
ed at the Gibbs home and, as usual,
Mrs. Hamilton came out to greet him
and consented to take an auto ride.
The path of gasoline smoke wound
around the next corner north and ex-
tended west until the second road
going south, where it might have been
traced back to the city past the fair
grounds But this trip was not con-
tinuous. Frequent stops were made
in the shade of the trees on the road
side and ere much time had passed
the lady first spoke to her friend
about the divorce proceedings. She
said she was not happy as divorced
woman and that her relations. at home
in Abel were not the most pleasant.
This, Mr. McNeill testified, was the
first words which ever passed be
tween Mrs. Hamilton and himself in
regard to her separation from Mr..
Hamilton The conversation was
broken with occasional remarks about
the beauty OF the sky and the pleas
antness OF the evening, but by an ir'
resistable impulse the thoughts OF
the two, as they sped down the road
seemed to return to the unhappiness
OF the woman In the case" At least
during one Of the stops by the road
side, Mr.. Mcneil gave vent to his
feelings and. in simplest words al
his command, asked Mrs, Hamilton 10
marry him.
When asked by his counsel If that
was the first time that either Of them
had ever expressed any feeling Of af
lection for each other, he said that