The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1916-05-29
ROBBERY TRIAL
AFTERMATH OF
WEIRD TRAGEDY
Lawyer Innes and Wife Defend
ants in Girl Mystery.
Acquitted on Murder Charge,
Now Tried for Theft.
mo NELMS SISTERS MISSING
Claim Innes Got $4,000 by
Fake Marriage Promise.
Second Victim Disappears
z While Seeking Sister.

ATLANTA, Ga, May 29.-Tried and
acquitted in Texas on the charge of
1r1Eirdering the two daughters of Mrs
John w. helms of Atlanta, Lawyer
vTetor E. lines and his wife. Ida May
lines, went TO. trial here today for
robbing one of the girls of s3,S97
Mrs. Nelms's two pretty young
daughters disappeared in June, 1914,
and have never been found.
81 am still convinced said Mrs.
Mains today, that my girls are dead
and that lines knows how they died
ard is responsible for it; but the Texas
jury acquitted him and we can only
try him for larceny
Lois helms was married to Walter
Dennis and lived here. In 1913 she
went to Carson, Nevada and employed
lines TO get her a divorce.
From the first meeting of Lois and
Times, according to Mrs helms, dated
the beginning of the alleged swindling,
sfnsfneere promises of marriage and
similar events which led to the alleged
murders
Follows Sister to Probable Death.
Beatrice Nelns, the other lost
daughter, disappeared after she fol-
lowed her sister Lois to Texas in 1914
to wean her away from Innes-
The only person to whom Lois
talked much about her affairs was ].
p. Weathers, a local real estate man,
who will be the principal witness for
the mother of the two lost girls
One of the things Weathers is ex-
pected to testify that Lois told him, is
that she and lines were to be mar
ried and, after a honeymoon in India,
would return to this country to eStab-
lishe in Salt Lake City a new religious
Guilt, of which they were to be the
joint leaders.
Weathers asserts that Mrs. Dennis
often consulted him about the invest
ments' which Innes was supposed to
be making for her, with the money in
Question.
weathers says Mrs. Dennis told him
that she had sent lines money to buy
a lot in Salt Lake City, and ranches in
Montana and in Sonora, Mexico.
81 Introduces Wife as His Aunt.
kOn the occasion of a visit by Innes
and his wife to Atlanta in May, before
the disappearance of the girls in June,
VVeathers declares Mrs. Dennis intro
dnced him to Mrs. Margaret Minis,
aunt of Mr.. Innes.'' Weathers in the
presence of numerous newspaper men,
identified Mrs Innes as the woman
Introduced as Mrs. Minis. He also
identified Innes as the man who met
Mrs Lois Dennis several times in At
lanta.
EWeathers says he read a number
ofsInnes's letters to Mrs. Dennis, both
on the subject of their religious cult
and the investment scheme Mrs
Nelms declares Innes had Mrs. Dennis
sreturn every letter to him so he could
idestroy it, and Mrs. Dennis, her moth
er asserts, blindly and implicitly fol-
tlowed the lawyers instructions.
- Mrs. Nelms declares her daughter
lfwas madly infatuated with Innes, and
lkhe entrusted him with practically all
.pf the money left her by her father
THE late Sheriff John w. helms. about
$4,000 in all.
Isl Intended to Marry Innes.
vs. The mother of the missing girl de-
sclares that in June, 1913, Lois begaI
20 send money to Innes. She told her
Mrs. helms says. that she was to be
married to Innes.
MRS. qNelms and her son Marshal
have found ten receipts, either from
telegraph or express company, fol
sums of money it is alleged Mrs. Den
mis- sent Innes; also copies of messages
alleged to have passed between the
two.
Statements made by lines indicat,
he will deny any communication will
Mrs. Dennis after ne secured her di
vorce for her, and that he will asser
she did not leave here to meet him il
Texas or anywhere else.
Mrs. Innes will assert she neve
posed as Mrs. Margaret Minis and ha
never known Mrs Dennis.