The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1914-03-02
Study in Scarlet for Psychologists is
Presented in Ellis Trial for
Murder Of Wife.
AFTER SLAYING WIFE HE
HAD ATTEMPTED SUICIDE
Most Intense Dramatic Scene Ever
Staged as Defendant Relates
Story Of His Crime.

this man. l told her it was madness
and begged her to go back home to
our children. She pleaded for me to
| get divorce. simply could rot
listen to her talk that way and keep
my reason. felt insanity coming
OIL looked out IN the street where
the sun was shining and everything
was turning black. 1t was like a
horrible nIghtmare--my heart was
bursting. 1t wasn't for myself, 1t
was for our darling little babies. -
William Cheney Ellis.
A study in scarlet for physcholo-
gists and criminologists with u wide
field for theatric exploitation in The
emotional and tragic is presented in
the courts Of Chicago where VIII
liam Cheney Ellis, former wealthy
,iCincinnati leather merchant, is on
trial for the Staying of his wife ot
nine years, Mrs. Eleanore Ellis.
AS witness for himself the spec
taclc was exhibited of a cringing,
shivcring, sobbing, soul-shaken man
trembling in the shadows Of the
gallows. as he, in ono OF the most
intensely dramatic scenes ever
staged. blackened the name of his
murdered wife, the mother of his
children, the woman he had slain,
to save his neck from the halter
while at The same time declaring
that he did not care what became of
himself.
The man, following the shooting
of his wife, mad attempted sclf-dc-
struction slashing his throa: and
gashins both wrists and shooting
himself--he was called upon to dis
Iplay the scars. Tragically he leaned
toward the jury and stretched his
neck The men saw a Jagged scar
Preaching from ear to ear. Dumbly
he held up his wrists. There, too,
were the marks telling mutely Of
the scene in their room at the Hotel
sherman where the horrible crime
occurred.
And after he had told it ail
States Attorney Malato slowly aris-
ing and, fixing the witness with his
eyes subjected him to a Sruelling ox-
animation which was not concluded
with the adjournment of court on
Saturday.
Twice under Malato's cross exam
nation the prisoner tainted. Twice
his hands dropped. Twice his lower
jaw fell. Twice his big gray eyes
rolled upward Twice his face turn
cd Hvi1 and then ashen pale. Twice
he struggled for composurc--twice
he failed and his head fell forward
and he crumpled in the witness
chair.
in the presence of the aged and
venerable father and mother of the
murdered woman. Mr.. and Mrs. Rob
crt II. Hosea, he was forced TO vou-
fess that he was damaged goods"
and could not have passed an eugeuic
test when he married his wife.
en- the witness stand sobbing, at
times Historically, he barred the ten.
derest secrets Of his life and that
of this woman. Dramatically he told
of her confession to him that she
loved Fred Cauldwcll, a Canadian;
that she could not live without him
that her children meant nothing;
that she must have the other man.
81 went crazy" the panic shaken
man grHaned. Judge, | went crazy.
oh God, Eleanor | pleaded with her
think Of your two beautiful chit
dren--of me--of our home Size
cried i cant, | cant, | can't. | can
only think of the man | love-"
States Attorney Malato from tho
| letters which have been introduced
tried % force Ellis tc admit that he
had planned the murder. lie asked
him il he realized that the maxi
mum penalty for his crime was
| death. and then new note was
struck Ellis, it seems, was like the
character in tho Damaged
Goods"
| 1t was during his testimony on
| direct examination that Ellis fre-