The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1909-10-29

matte End Of Romantic Love Affair
ST. LOUIS. Oct 26.-Mrs. Nanette
L. Lillard confessed Monday afternoon
that she deliberately put stryehnine
into box of candy that she herself
bought and then had Mrs Maury Rid
ley, handsome young widow. arrest
ed on the charge of attempting to
poison her. She admitted that she
played the ruse in a desperate attempt
to win back the love of her young
husband, well-known newspaper
man, who, she says, was infatuated
with Mrs Ridley Mrs. Ridley was
released Monday.
The confession was at dramatic as
the original charge.
Mrs. Lilliard went to Police Captain
Gaffney few days ago, handed him
box Of candy. told him it had been
given her by the woman who was
wrecking her home and demanded
that Mrs. Ridley be locked up. A
chemists examination showed that
each piece of candy contained enough
strychnine to cause instant death, and
Monday Mrs. Ridley was taken from
her home in a fashionable apartment
house, and lodged in Jail, despite her
frantic denials. She admitted, how
ever, that she loved Lillard
Monday Captain Gafiney became sus-
picious of the wife's story. He
learned from J. ]. Horne, drug store
clerk, that he had sold Mrs. Lillard
the very box of candy she offered as
proof of the alleged poison plot.
Mrs Lillard was brought to Police
Headquarters. She reiterated her
charges against Mrs. Ridley. Captain
Gaffney brought the clerk into the
room and asked:
'Is this the woman who bought that
box of candy from your"
"She is the woman said Horne, Il
know her we'll"
Mrs. LillarG fell to the floor in a
faint. and tainted again after being
revived Then she broke down and
confessed. Later she issued signed
public statement, in which she said;
my husband loved Mrs. Ridley
more than me. | knew she was TAX
ing him away from me and our two
children. But | am not vindictive, or
I would have sent the poisoned candy |
to her. So instead I bought the candy
put the poison capsules into it, threw |
one niece away to carry on the decep- |
ton, and then took the box to the
police, declaring Mrs. Ridley had CIV
en- it to me as peace offering after
T had charged her with stealing my |
husbands love.
"All | wanted was to protect myself |
and my home from this woman, and
believe have accomplished my object
Now | ask only that | may be permit
ted to go back again to privacy with
my sorrow, praying that better days
will come to me and NINE"
Mrs. Ridley, in an interview, said
Monday evening:
when Mrs. Lillard returned home
two months ago from a visit to rela-
tives, her husband told her that l had
come into his life and that we loved
each other. This honesty of his, as
events prove, was Quixotic, but Bob
Lillard was always dreamer and
poet.
Sat first Mrs. Lillard seemed to as
ouiesce in the situation. The three OIL
us had meeting and agreed that she
and Rob continue to live together for
a year until financial questions were
settled. which would make divorce
possible without hardship to her and
the children During that time, he
was to see me freely, and 1t was I'M
derstood that as soon as the divorce
was obtained / should become Mrs.
Lillard.
Il have seen Bobby constantly since
his wife's return. and he told his wife
Of each meeting with me.
II am not ashamed to love mar
ried man. A woman has right to
love the man of her heart, when she
meets him, if he is twenty times mar
.ied. 1t is no sin to love, for love Is
d tvrant which takes possession OF us
and bends us helplessly before its will
"But | did not count on the hold
which old-fashioned morals still ex-
erted on Mrs. Lillard. | believe now
here was a bitterness against me
smoldering within her, and that each
on which met Bob and he
old her of it, merely famed the fire.
"The flames of jealousy burst out
Saturday when she asked Captain