Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1914-02-20
Man Who Murdered His Wife and Tried
to Kill Himself Has Told Con-
flicting Stories.
ONE STORY WAS THAT SHE
WAS IN LOVE WITH ANOTHER
At Inquest He Admitted She Was Pure
and Sweet and He Did Not Know
Why He Did 1t.
[uNIrEp rRnss LnAsnp wlnr. !

NhicdBo, reu' SV,- Wlllhm Sneney
Ellis, who played the leading role in
domestic tragedy more gripping than
any of the seasons problem plays,
was arraigned today for the mur.
der of his wife, Eleanore, whom he
shot and then cruelty slashed in the
fashionable Hotel Sherman on October
l6, 1913 Ellis, wealthy harness man
ufacturer, formerly of Cincinnati, was
represented today by Attorney George
Remus. The defense will be emotional
insanity. A livid scar across his throat
and two jagged, white marks upon his
wrists, he said, were the only 'evidence
he had to recall what happened in the
hotel suite the morning Of the killing.
Supported by two court bailiffs, El.
lis pleaded not guilty The defendant
trembled violently and was unable to
stand unassisted..
81 wouldn't care what happened to
me If weren't for the children, . has
been his constant statement since he
was transferred from hospital to the
county jail. "There are two little
girls and want to live long enough
to make some provision for them"
Effect of Problem Play.
Two lines Of evidence, both tending
to support the emotional insanity de-.
fense, will be offered by tho defense,
was indicated when court opened to-.
day. One will be Ellis own statement
that he discovered his wife was In love
with another man and that this knowl.
edge so crazed him that he planned
her murder. The other, perhaps used
for the first time in a murder trial
in this country, will seek to show the
probable effect witnessing the power.
ful eugenics play, "Damaged Goods, +"
would have upon tho brain Of q man,
who, according TO physicians, is dis.
eased as was tho principal figure in
the Breux drama.
Mrs, Ellis came to Chicago from Gin
cinnati several days preceding the mur.
der and went to the home Of friends
Ellis arrived two days later, rather un.
expectedly They then made trips
downtown TO cafes and to the theatres,
On the night Of October IA they saw
damaged Goods then its first
weeks run in Chicago and the topic
Of universal comment.
As if to neutraIize It's terrifying
scenes they went tho next night to see
performance Of "iThe Road to Hap.
pness," rural drama that epito,
mized domestic happiness.
Murder Is Discovered.
On the following morning, a house
detective hurried to the Ellis suite at
the Hotel sherman, overlooking the
city hail. He went in response to
frightened voice over the telephone
and bursting in the door discovered
Ellis, half-conscious, leaning against
chair, with blood gushing from a wound
in his neck and two slashes across his
wrists Mrs Ellis lay dead in bed,
gaping wound In her neck and two bul.
let holes in her breast
The first police theory was that IL
was n suicide pact and Ellis unintelli.
gent answers to questions supported II.
Later, confronted with evidence show.
ing that his wife could not have killed
herself from the nature Of the wounds,
Ellis confessed, and in broken voico
cried out that his wife had been un.
faithful to him, that she came TO Chi
cago TO meet lover from Canadian
ci- and that when he obtained evi.
dcncc of her unfaithfulness he fol-
lowed her to Chicago feled her like q
bridegroom on honeymoon, and then
deliberately killed her.
Admita He Is Liar.
At the coroner's inquest, Ellis caused
a sensation by springng to his feet
and dramatically declaring that bc
lied when he accused his wife.
"She was the sweetest, pureset