Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1917-02-13
GERMANY HOLDS AMERICANS SEIZED BY RAIDER
MRS. ]. w 'NELMS
FIRST WITNESS IN
MRS. INNES' TRIAL
Accused Woman in EmaCiated
Condition as She Faces Jury;
State Attempts to Prove
Conspiracy

conspiracy
The trial of Mrs. Victor f. lines,
charged with larceny after trust in con-
nection with the disappearance of the
Nelm sisters, which began Monday
morning at 9:45 O'Clock in Judge Ben
H. Hills division of the superior court.
was featured at the morning session
by the testimony of Mrs. John w.
helms, mother of the missing girls. who
told, in a dramatic way, the circum-
stances under which she had first met
the defendent and the alleged relations
that existed between Innes, Mrs. Innes
and her daughters.
Mrs. helms took the stand just after
the twelve jurors had been selected,
which exhausted four panels A num-
Der of veniremen were stricken for
cause. Judge Hill announced that the
trial would be adjourned at 1 o'clock
until o'clock for luncheon and that
court would then hold until o'clock in
the afternoon.
The jurors are r. W. Cole, John NJ
Green, A. B. Christopher, W. A. Sharp,
A. c. Woolly, B. w. Ballard. J. H.
Pharr, w. Z. Hicks, w. H. Robertson.
Leonard II. Graves, w. o. Foote and. c.
Fite.
Attorney Reuben r. Arnold Monday
conducted the case for the state, with
Judge James K. Hines and Attorney c.
L. Pettigrew composing the counsel for
the defense.
PATHETIC FIGURE.
Mrs. Innes entered the court room just
before the trial began at 9:45 o'clock.
She presented a pathetic figure as she
walked feebly, unsteadily across the
xnT1,p ., Ton
day and those who saw her last June at
the trial of her husband said that she
looked ten years older Her face was
wan, but she looked as though she was
making an effort 10 be brave.
During the trial she slipped warm
milk and at different times smiled faint
ly at friends in the court room, which
was packed with spectators.
Mrs. Nelm. was the first witness to
take the stand At the conclusion of
her testimony Judge Hines asked her
how she felt toward Mrs. Innes.
What! That woman?" cried Mrs.
helms. why, 1 look upon her as rat
tlesnake. :.
In her testimony Mrs. Nelms stated
that she last saw Mrs. Elois helms Den
mis- on June 10. 1914, and Beatrice helms
on June IL, 1914.
Mrs. Nelms said that after Mrs. Den
granted divorce in Carson City, New,
she wrote letters to Innes and In turn
received from him tender, affectionate
messages. She stated that her daughter
had sent different sums of money to
Times and that he had told Mrs. Dennis
to always use different names IN Tor
warding money to him. Mrs. Nelms
testified that her daughter had sent IN
mes close on to $4,000.
MINIS.
.NIrs NaIr,s said that she first heard
NJ Mrs. Innes when the defendant tele-
Ihoned MIS-. Dennis. She said that MIS-.
Innes was then known as Margaret
Minis. IN aunt of Victor r. lnnes:
.Did Innes ever mention matrimony
in his letters?" asked Attorney Arnold
YES" replied Mrs. helms. he once
wrote to Elois that ii was only mat
Ter Of time before l am coming to claim
- as nv own He also wrote that
he couldn't come at that time because
circumstances wouldn't permit. He sald
that his wife was in Europe at the poln'
of death. and for thai reason II was theh
impossible to get a divorce. =.
The testimony of Mrs. helms was vlr~
tuaIIv the same as her testimony at the
trial of Innes last June.
number of money order recelptS
were introduced by the state showing
that money mao pcSH SChN ~
mis- to lines photographs OF divorce
nanars of Mrs. Dennis were also intro
duced. .-,>-
Al tbe close of Mrs. helms testimony
Attorney Arnold held aloft q batch OF
money orders, kilograms and express
receipts. announcing that he was going
N introduce these into the evidence as
proofs of conspiracy between the In
neses in obtaining money from MRS. Den
mis-. Judge Hines arose and asked 10
inspect the papers, and entered nunoer
of affections to their being introduced.
He stated that Mrs. Innes was not bound
by any actions of these names, lnnes
and several other alleged aliases of the
man. that were signed TO the orders
Judge Hill said that if the state could
prove or show conspiracy between
Mrs lines the defendant, and Victor Il.
Innes to defraud Mrs. Dennis out OF
money. then the papers were relevant.
on the other hand, he stated that II
no conspiracy between the parties could
he shown. ali of the testimony regarding
lines actions was irrelevant to the
trial.
Unless they can connect her (mean-
ing Mrs. Innes) with the case, gentle
men" he said, land shows conspiracy
instruct the jury TO acquit her. I'm
less evidence shows that the defendant
couspired with Victor f. Times TO de-
fraud Mrs. Dennis out of money. then the
Jury must acquit her
The court, with this understanding
then permitted the state to introduce
TO the jury the money orders and drafts
rurporting to have been for money sent
Innes and Mrs. Dennis.
Following this Judge Hill adjourned
until 2 o'clock. allowing the jury to
60 where they pleased. first oautioning
them not to discuss the case with any
body.
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