The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1912-12-19
CLUBS and SOCIETY
Various Happy Occasions Among
Town and Country Folk.

For more than three hours rtiuay
light great crowd Of people listened
with interest to the mock trial OF
Philip Ladley, a playwright, charged
with the murder of his wife, Jennie
Bryce, at the Homesteaders nail.
The, headless body of a woman round
floating in the, river following the SUD
sidance of the big flood, was identi'
fled by DR.. Littletield as the remains
OF Jennie Bryce the actress. CIR.
cumstantial evidence piled up against
the husband. Indictment for murder
followed his arrest, Detectives were
employed and the state made strong
case. Complications arose In the
disappearance about the same time
OF another young woman, Miss MUIR
ray a young and pretty typfst VINO
had been much in company with
Ladley, transcribing his plays. inter.
est in the case has been intense ana
public opinion has been divided.
Judge Shangle opened court in due
form at 8 o'clock. Little time was
lost In the empaneling of a jury and
women shared the responsibility of
the men in weighing the evidence.
The iurors selected were MesdameS
Bessie A. Morrison, Anna Martin,
Sonderegger, foreman of the jury,
and Messrs W.. S. Hoff, Thomas Mar
tin. w. N. Hall, John Grace. r. 5.
Fishburn, C. w. Morehouse and A. A.
Paine. Opening statements were
made by attorneys o. N. Downs for
the state and o. c. G. Phillips for the
defense, and the taking OF evidence
was commenced with Miss Vida
Laughrey as court reporter. The fact
of murder was established through
the finding of the body of headless
woman an. the identification OF the
corpse by DR.. Littlefield, through the
presence of a scar caused by an OPP
Grafton performed by him. Identlti-
cation seemed complete. Evidence
was introduced 10 show that Jennie
Bryce and her husband had quarrel
ed frequently and were not on good
terms. On the night of the food and
preceding the morning when the &C
tress was missed by her landiady,
Ladley had been at her apartments
and they had left the house together,
Lauley had secretly obtained a boat
and had rowed his wife out upon the
swollen river. She was not seen after
that Ladley, who had disappeared
at the same time, was arrested
through the work of detectives. Eyi.
dence was later brought to show
that an elopement had been planned
between him and Miss Mary Murray
whose whereabouts had been located
by means of a letter mailed to her
lover. When the state rested the de
PENDANT was as good as convicted. o,
Some of the state witnesses were
given a terrible grilling on the stand
but aside from admitting the possibil-
ity of being mistaken, their stories
we're mistaken and the chain forged
about the defendant was unbroken. =
The audience was excited aud
GREATNESS when the defense was call
ed. The identity of the corpse was
not attacked, as the defense could
account for the missing woman until
after the finding of the body, Wit
nesses were introduced showing that
Mr.. and Mrs. Ladley had appeared in
a store after rowing across the river
and that the defendant had purchased
medicine. A newspaper reporter had
provided a ticket for Jennie Bryce,
who went to Horner from the station
across the river. Mrs. Eliza ShanerI
a boarding house keeper, testified TO
the missing woman stopping at her
house in Horner. Ladley's state
ments on the stand in his own behalf
we're seemingly corroborated by unim-
peacnable evidence. Pleas of much
eloquence were made TO the jury and
Judge Shangle gave explicit instruc-
tons TO the jury. Sentiment had turn
ed in favor OF the defendant and the
instruction that the jury was first TO
determine whether or not crime had
been committed, was the first ray OF
light for the crowd, The jury was
out but fifteen minutes, returning
with a verdict of not guilty. The
cheering of the crowd had not sub
sided when a messenger from the
post office came pushing his way to
the judges stand, holding aloft spe-
cial delivery letter. Everyone SEEM
ed 10 sense the fact that the letter
had a bearing upon the case. The
judge stopped to open the communi-
cation. 1t was postmarked New
York City and writing and the sigma
ture were Identified as that of Jennie
Bryce, the missing woman, who had
found employment in New York.
OskalOOsa Homesteaders have CIV
en- many unusual entertainments in
Oskaloosa but nothing that has ap-
preached that Of Friday eyeing. Parts
were admirably taken and it was so
near to a real trial that those who
heard It were completely lost in the
development of the proceedings.
Aside from those mentioned above
others participating in the trial were
Court Bailiff c. F. NJ. Schlenker,
Clerk of the Courts J. f. Easter; wit
nesses Mrs. Lue E. Flewwelling,
Mrs. Lennie Parker, Mrs. Alma Sted-
dom, Mrs. Brittle Ginkens, H. d. Par
ker, b. A. Wright. George W. Hoff, A.
3. Kirkpatrick and ]. f. Flewwelling.
Alvin Pringle, who, appeared in the
character of Philip Ladley, Mr.. and
Mrs. Frank Barnett and Fred Sted-
dom.
- - =.
The Woman's Missionary Society
held very delightful meeting at the
home of Mrs. Heating. Wednesday
afternoon, Tee. IL. A good number
was in attendance. The temperance
program lead by Mrs. Campbell was
very instructive and helpful. Mrs.
Heating served an excellent lunch and
almost before we were aware of II the
OF il the time to return 10 our homes
had arrived. We hope we may have
the pleasure OF having the Buckeye