The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1916-04-19
MADE her DRUNK
Negro Preacher Is on Trial in
the District Court.
Charged With an Assault on a
Married Woman.
MADE SUBJECT TO HIS WILL
By Threatening to Tell Her
Husband, She Testifies.
The Jury Failed to Agree at a
Former Trial.
MADE SUBJECT TO HIS WILL

A black slave" case is on trial in
the second division of the district
court.
j. X Woodson, negro evangelist,
is charged by Ed Frye, former state
house janitor, with enticing Beatrice
Frye, his wife, away from their home,
with forcing a jellyglass full of corn
whisky down her throat and with
taking advantage of her intoxicated
condition.
This particular case was responsible
for sending Frye to the Topeka state
hospital last fall following the finding
by jury that he had become insane
through worry over his wife. He
spent only few months in the hos
pital and he and Mrs. Frye went to
Oklahoma to live on a farm with Mrs.
F'rye's father. Frye has improved
constantly and made an excellent wit
ness for the prosecution when he was
placed on the stand this morning. Frye
is well-known and well-liked in To-
peka- He has an excellent record and
has scores of friends among Off
Gals and employees at the state house.
According to the evidence intro
duced by the prosecution this morning
Mr.. and Mrs. Frye were church-g going
people and living a model life among
the colored people when the evange-
list put in an appearance. Frye had
purchased a home on the East side
and was improving it. Mrs. Frye was
the organist in her church.
Met at Usage City.
The evidence so far introduced
shows that Mrs. Frye met the evan
gelist at Usage City one Sunday when
she went there to visit Fryes mother.
She said the preacher, ten minutes af-
ter he met her, asked her if she
would not wait until the following
morning and come to Topeka on the
same train with him. She returned to
Topeka the same night.
But two days later, according to her
story, the preacher followed her up
and located their home. He made two
visits to the Frye home at Oil East
Eleventh street, and invited Mrs.
his wife, who he said lived at Thfr-
teenth and Monroe, a couple named
Gibson
Mrs. Frye said she called at the
place a few afternoons later and that
the preacher met her at the door. =
Il asked him where Mrs. Gibson
was" said Mrs. Frye, land he told
me there wasn't any Mrs Gibson,
that she was only Gibsons woman
and that she wasn't there. Then he
closed the door behind me and invited
me to come in and get warm. He
said he had a new kind of drink and
wanted me to taste it,
He Gave Her Whisky.
! Under questioning Mrs. Frye said
the preacher poured her out a jelly
glass full of the new kind of drink
and that she drank it, Later he told
her it was corn whisky.
| Mrs. Frye admitted that the liquor
made her drunk but not so drunk but
that she knew what happened. She
declared the evangelist pushed and
dragged her to the bed.
She testified that following that oc-
casion the preacher kept her going tt
his room on threats to tell her hus-
band what had happened on the first
occasion.
Finally the husband got hold of a
postcard and followed it up sufff-
GENTLY to bring about a confession
from Mrs. Frye. That was when the
first case was started. Frye worried
about the matter until he became in
sane The preacher was tried without
Frye and the jury failed to agree. On
the present occasion Frye and his wife
came from Oklahoma City paying
| their own expenses.