The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-11-22
TELLS HER STORY.
Mary VOllstedt Spent Day on
Witness Stand.
Her Testimony Was Sensational
and Against Daniels.
HIS ATTENTIONS.
Said He Held Her Hand and
Rugged and Kissed Her.
When He Became Inattentive
She Threatened and Acted.

| IllndeQ Mary NollStedt took the wit
| ness chair today in her defense for the
| shooting of Lee Daniels, a street car
| conductor, last March. Her own de-
| fense-H she understands what this
trial means-is only love, childish and
| unanalyzed. Her counsel, or rather
| counsel provided for her by her hus-
| band, sets up insanity as a plea.
| Scarcely more than a girl. though
"A years old, Mrs, Vollstedt, decidedly
pretty and neatly dressed, would turn
| her big blue eyes on her queStionerS
in seemingly vacant stares. He an
| sWers came only after lapseS of ten
| seconds to a minute, and then so low
| as to be scarcely heard. The court
! room was filed, both inside the rail
| and out, and scores stood in the aisles.
| Although the court and the attorneys
| repeatedly urged the witness to speak
| louder, she did not, and the room be-
came as still as a church, the listeners
| hanging on each question waiting for
an answer. So slow was she that her
examination was unfinished this after
noon after occupying nearly the whole
| of the morning.
when was the first time you no.
ticed Daniels on the cemetery car ?'
| was asked the witness.
Said Daniels Took Her Hand.
He was standing opposite my seat
| and reached over and picked up my
| hand. With his other hand he pushed
back my sleeve"
did he say anything to you?"
No not then"
why didn't you jerk your hand
away?"
NO You rather liked it. didn't
your"
well, I thought he liked me pretty
we'll"
And you watched for his car when
ever you came to town or went home
from town?'
Yes, 1 guess I did," answered the
girl with a smile that rippled around
| the court room.
Such was the beginning of a near
| fatal love affair as brought out by At
| torney Schenck on cross examination.
| That was nearly two years before the
! shooting at the end of the cemetery
| line.
did you love Daniels?" her counsel,
Capt. Waters. had asked
Yes"
She Still Loves Him.
"And you love him now?''
YES, sir"
How often did you ride on his carp"
About once week"
Did Daniels favor you with his at
tentions?"
Eyes. for time
Did he call you sweetheart and kiss
you?"
He used to put his arm around me
| WIISH lIl0IS was IlO OllS lOOhlUS dIAI
| kiss me-
How many times did he kiss your"
81 don't know"
Did he ask to come to see your
He asked me if he couldn't come
! down some time when my husband was
away"
Would Not Let Daniels Come to See
| Her.
Did you let him Gomez"
mo, 1 wouldn't trust him that far"
| How many times did he ask to
| come down %
| Several times"
Her testimony indicated that upon
| her repeated refusal to allow Daniels
| to come down to see her, he grew in
| attentive when she boarded his car
Once she got on his car and showed
| him a razor which she testified she
/ did in an attempt to brighten him into
! continuing his affection. His continued
unconcern led to the shooting.
Admitted Writing Notes.
| The witness admitted to sending
| Daniels three notes thereafter and
| also a picture with a lock of her hair
| attached with blue ribbon. In one of
| these notes she had urged her lover to
| get a divorce and she would do the
same and that then she would "strew
his pathway with roses" She admitted
for Schenck that in her girIhood she
| had longed to go with the boys, but
her mother forbid and that as a re-
suit she left her home in Jefferson
| county to come to Topeka. She was
| dining room girl in the st. Charles
| hotel when she met her husband, Her
man H. Vollstedt.
Her aunt, Mrs. J. NJ. Tribley. broke
down in tears during the girls rigid
| cross examination and on the arm of
her husband repaired to the district
! clerks office where she told Clerk r.
L. Thomas that Schenck ought to be
| hanged for his cruelty
Brought Out All the Details.
| On the stand under cross examina-
ton later in the day the further de-
tails were brought out by Mrs Voll-
stedt's story of her connection with
Daniels.
"Do you mean to tell the jury here
| that Daniels would come in and kiss
you in the broad daylight when the
car was full of passengers?' % asked At
| torney Schenck.
Sometimes there was someone on