The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1916-03-03
TEARS AT TRIAL
WOMAN SUING FOR $1,000 DAM
AGES NEARLY SWOONS WHEN
GIVING TESTIMONY.

uTeSSllldhGT, according TO evidence
given by her yesterday and today in
the district court in her suit to re-
cover $1,000 for alleged breach of
promise of marriage. Falteringly,
and in a voice hat was scarcely audi
BILE ven to the jurors or court stem
ographer, Miss Leopold told that ii
was on a bright Easter Sunday, six
years ago, when Bert Mcdonnell. rail
way man, professed an ardent affec-
ton for her, and asked her to become
his bride. Just before Christmas
day, nearly five years later, she testi-
fled, he brought her the news of his
love for another, whom, she declared,
he said he was shortly going to wed.
Miss Leopold was the sixth witness
called yesterday afternoon TO testify
in her behalf. She took the witness
stand at about 5 o'clock, and her
cross examination had not been COM
pleted when court adjourned at 6
o'clock.
give Years Loyalty"
Piece by piece, she unfolded her
story of a five years courtship, whose
happy inception and abrupt ending
she minated she never would forget.
She declared that she had been loyal
to Mr.. Mcdonnell since a day in Au-
gust, 1909, when he walked home
with her from the %postoffice, and that
while she had heard he sometimes
went out with other girls, she had no
idea, until the man himself told her,
that he contemplated breaking off
their alleged engagement.
Courtroom Crowded.
That there is great interest in the
trial locally was indicated by the
large crowd present at the hearing.
Long before Miss Leopold went to
the witness chair, benches, aisles and
the rear of the spacious courtroom
were crowded. Despite the fact that
the plaintiff spoke SO low that it was
only occasionally that the audience
was rewarded with a fragment of her
testimony, dozens of persons re-
manned standing throughout the
afternoon.
Miss Marion Molestad and Miss
Lena Molestad. sisters, who with
their mother occupy rooms in the
Fifth street building in which Miss
Leopold lives, testified that Mr.. Nc
Donnell had frequently called on Miss
Leopold during the first couple of
years or so the young woman had
lived there. Miss Alice Apple, who
is a niece of Miss Leopold, and
who has lived with her since the
summer of 1913, told hat Mr.. Nc
Donnell had called on her aunt reg
ularly, and hat he had told her he
intended TO marry Miss Leopold, and
that she, Miss Apple, could live with
them.
Miss Leopold exhibited pronounced
cautioned repeatedly to speak louder.
First Meeting.
She said that her meeting with Nc
Donnell was a chance one. She re-
lated that she met him at the post
office, and that he introduced him
self to her. 1t was in the late after
noon, she told, and he accompanied
her home, and called at the house the
same evening to take her out walk
ing. She said that he visited her
frequently after that, and that their
friendship quickly ripened into what
she believed to be mutually shared
love. Her evidence was to the effect
that there had been misconduct, but
declared that had been after the al
legged engagement on Easter, 1910.
She exhibited a ring which she said
Mcdonnell had given her to seal the
engagement and she said that their
/ s-ts.an4A rA1n4snnn AUfnrdnh nNaF a
period of about three years. Two
criminal operations had been per
formed. she told.
Prior to both operations, she stated
she had asked the nan to marry her,
but he refused. She said that he said
he did not have enough money to
marry, and that she told him she had
a little money, and would continue TO
work at dressmaking after they We're
married.
ION night before Christmas, 1914,
he came TO me and said: DO you
know why | have come here? 1t is
to tell you that | am going to marry
another girl, the woman testified.
II pleaded with him and cried, but
he gave me up
Nearly Gives Way.
Several times when being cross ex-
amined this morning, and again dur
ing redirect examination, Miss Leo
pold burst into tears and appeared
to be on the verge OF fainting. Water
was taken to her, and after leaving
the witness chair at about 1890
O'Clock she staggered as If on the
verge of falling.
The woman this morning gave evil
dence in a clearer tone. She went
over again much of her testimony of
yesterday, supplementing, here and
there, a sordid detail. She declared
that she had objected to having the
alleged criminal operations per
formed. The first one. she said, took
place in August, 1910, and the sec
ond in October, 1914. She reiterated
her statement of yesterday that she
had cried on both occasions, and had
asked Mcdonnell to marry her.
Woman's Story Denied.
Mr.. Mcdonnell was called to the
wr;4.acc ctnnd IN hfc nun dofnnuQ