The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, 1914-07-17
SAYS LAWYER USED
HYPNOTIC POWER
Mrs. Nelms Talks About the Loss of
Her Daughters-POlice Officers
Puzzled-Time and Investi-
CATION Deepen Mystery.

Atlanta, July 12.-Time and inves-
tlgatlon apparently are deepening the
mystery surrounding the disappear
ance of Miss Beatrice Nelms and her
sister, Mrs. Eloise Nelms Dennis
members of a wealthy Atlanta fam
lily. Attention first was called to the
strange case by a telegram from the
Atlanta chief of police to the chief of
police of San Francisco. This mes
sage requested the Californian to not
ify Marshall Nelms that his mother in
Atlanta had received a letter from
her daughter, Eloise Dennie, stating
that she had killed her sister, Bea-
trice, in New Orleans, and intended
killing her brother.
The letter was postmarked San
Francisco July 8. Nelms is on his
way to Atlanta.
No trace of either young woman
has been found since that time. The
police of five widely scattered cities
are at much at sea tonight as when
they first began to investigate the
mystery. A maze of clews evolved
indicate that the principals may have
met foul play.
Nelms, before leaving San Fran
cisco for Atlanta, July 10, showed a
telegram he received July 8, signed
Mamma" which read:
ed B."
Search of San Francisco and Oak
land failed to locate Mrs. Dennis.
Signature of Letter.
According to Mrs. Nelms, the letter
conveying the alleged threat against
her sons life was signed in the hand
writing of Mrs. Dennis, who, she said,
left her June 10 for San Antonio,
Tex, and was joined at New Orleans
June 13 by Beatrice. On June 13
Mrs. Dennis cashed a draft for ST.
45O at New Orleans bank, supposed
ly to close up Mexican investments.
A telegram from New Orleans June
ID said the sisters were leaving for
Houston, on their way to San Antonio.
A week later Mrs. Nelms received a
telegram from Houston signed "E and
b. saying the sisters planned to stay
there few days longer. The last
word from both was dated New Or
leans, June %, and said, "Going far
ther west"
After the aid of police in New Or
leans, San Francisco, and San An
tonic had been called in vain. Mrs.
Nelms called for assistance from Vic
tor E. Innes, formerly United States
attorney of Nevada, who was located
in Portland, Ore.
Further Complication.
The case was complicated still fur
ther when Mrs. Nelms declared Mrs.
Dennis had been engaged to Mr.. In
nes. Innes denied the engagement.
He said he had acted as attorney for
Mrs. Dennis when she obtained a di-
vorce at Reno, fourteen months ago.
Other startling statements, made
by Mrs. Nelms, were that Innes WELD
ed hypnotic influence over Mrs. Den
mis- and that he had promised to turn
over to Beatrice Nelms deeds for
Mexican property he was supposed
to have purchased for her. 1t was to
get these papers, Mrs. Nelms asserted
that Beatrice Nelms went to Houston.
Another statement, later, denied by
Innes, was that he had been in Allan
ia early in June.
When located in Portland, Innes
declared Mrs. Dennis had told him
she made several attempts to kill her
self and that she had planned to kill
her sister. He denied emphatically
the statements of Mrs. Nelms anf
said he never had represented Mrs
Dennis in any Mexican investments
The latest clew which apparently
has only added to the confusion was
the tracing of an express package
sent to Beatrice Nelms in care of q
Mrs. Margaret Mindes, of San An.
tonic. Mrs. Mindes, according to Mrs
Nelms, came to Atlanta early in June
saying she was an aunt of Innes. She
is said to have had connection with
certain investments of Mrs. Dennis.