Los Angeles herald., 1908-01-24
LETTERS OF
SLAIN LOVER
ARE READ.
LOVE rPISTLFS OF BENNETT
INTRODUCED
DOCTOR TEsTIFIEs MRS. COR
WELL ATTEMPTED SUICIDE
Deposition of Suitor Rejected by the
Woman Charged with Killing
George T. Bennett Placed
in Evidence

Love letters written to Mrs. Corwell
by the mar whose life she is charged
With taking were read in the superior
court yesterday and were the subject
of most interest to the large crowd If
spectators. Attorney Horace H. Appel,
who has charge of the defense, began
the reading of the letters shortly before
noon. and as the prisoner listened to
,hese reminders of happier days she
laid her head on her mothers shoulder
and wept.
Once before during the forenoon ses-
sion the defendant gave way to tears
when the deposition of a man living in
Phoenix, Ariz., was read, which told
story of love for the woman on trial,
CT an offer and acceptance of his hand
in marriage and later rejection. And
down stairs in the county clerks office
as the leaves of the large marriage
license volume are turned, one gazes on
permit numbef S33, issued on July 8
1901, to William K. Schofeld, giving
Linn the Iega' right to marry Estelle
Corwell then a young woman of 81
years. 81 still have a warm and tender
feeling for her." says the former lover
in his statement.
A story of an attempt to commit sui
eide by Mr. Ccrwell was also told by
A witness, and a number of others told
cf George r. Bennett's expressed inten-
ton TO marry the woman for love of
whom his whole heart was filled.
Time Spent in Argument
Although a comparatively large num-
ber of witnesses were examined yester-
day, a great deal of time was consumed
In arguments concerning the introduce
ton of depos'l'ons from persons who
knew Mrs. Corwell in her youth. Prac-
tically all o. these statements were
allowed to be read, the last one being
concluded as the hour for adjournment
arrived. Th trial will be resumed al
10 o'clock Morday morning
The first witness yesterday was
Frank E. Simpson, a civil engineer, who
said he had seen Mrs. Corwell and Ben
nett together IN the fall of 1904. few
days later, he said Bennett had, in reply
TO a question whether he was married
again, declared that he had married
again and the woman with whom he
had been seen by Simpson was his wife.
Charles f. Rice, who says he is the
proprietor of Canary cottage outside
the city limits, was allowed to testify
only after a iCng argument, in which
the attorney tor the defense, following
an objection by Deputy District Attor-
rey Blair concerning a statement said
to have been made by Bennett that he
was married to Mrs. Corwell, with
lengthy dsquisition on the marriage
contract
Talks on Marriage Contract
The contract of marriage, said the at
torney, is of that kind which exists
only in the minds of the parties con-
cerned, and the only way it can be
shown to exist is by the testimony of
/ tot I,o
showing attentions to this defendant,
and for aught that has been shown his
intentions were honorable"
Rice said he met Bennett one day
some years ago, and in reply to a ques
tion the latter declared Estelle Corwell
was his wife.
Emil Kirchner, who was at one time
associated with Otto Steinen in busi-
ness testified that his former partners
reputation for truth, honesty and in
tegrity was bad On cross examination
Kirchner said he and Steinen had had
a business disagreement, but declared
it was not for that reason he testified
against Linn. Steinen was a witness
for the prosecution early in the trial.
Eloisa Gutierrez, who keeps a restau-
rant on Avenue Thirty-three, said sha
haT seen Bennett and Mrs. Corwell
frequently at her place. They had
nice time" said the witness "They ate
meals there and played the piano and
sang. [ knew they were going to be
married and 1 expected them to be
very nice to each other. He told me
they were to be married"
"Did they kiss each other?" asked
Appel, and the witness with some con-
fusion answered yes"
Further questions by the attorney in
which he said he wished to show that
Bennett and Maie Bennett were also
visitors together at the restaurant were
not allowed
Detective Bothered Her
On cross-examination Mr.. Blair asked
the witness if she had not told Detec-
tive Zeigler that she knew George Ben
nett but not Mrs. Corwel.
Mrs Gutirrerez was positive in her
reply that this was not so, stating fur
ther that she did not know Zeigler
when he called at her place and did
not want to be bothered with him."
DR.. C. e. Stoner testified that he had
been called by Bennett about six years
ago to attend Mrs. Corwell, who mad
evidently attempted to commit suicide
by using laudanum. Bennett, he SAID:
was present during the treatment and
he believed Miss Emma Qlintones was
also there.
Miss Emma Quinones, cousin of the
defendant, who sat by her side during
the long hours of the trial, was the
next witness. Miss Qu1noneS SAID sne
was familiar with Benefits handwrit-
ing and identified two names appear
ing on the register of the Hotel Ana
capa of Ventura under date of August
21, 1906. The names were those of Male
M Bennett and George II. Bennett.
number of letters and postal cards
were shown the witness, who said they
were written by Bennett, the first
bearing the date of August II, and
written from Ventura at the time Ben
nett is supposed to have been at the
hotel there. The letters were signed
by Yankee" a term, said the witness,
applied to Bennett by Mrs. Corwell.
The first letter read as follows:
First Letter Read
Dear Kid--Will get back to Los An
geles tomorrow Wednesday. l got
poison oak on me and have had a devil
of time, go went to Whittier Springs
for two days. Weather has been very
hot. Love for Kid; lots of love.
yankee"
AS Appel finished reading the letter
Mrs. Corwell placed her head on her
mothers shoulder and wept without re-
straint.