Omaha daily bee., 1920-12-16
Flat Denial of
Any illegal Act
Made by Doctor
DR.. Leslie S. Fields Testifies
His Operation on Ruth Aver
OF Hayes Center, Neb.,
Was ''Curetment."

A flat denial that he performed
an illegal operation upon Ruth
Aver, Hayes Center, Neb., girl, was
made by DR.. Leslie S. Fields Of
Omaha yesterday afternoon when
he took the witness stand in Dis
trict Judge Troup's court, where he
is on trial charged with murder
while performing an operation.
DR.. Fields absolutely denied the
testimony of DR.. w. R. Strickland,
who testified that he administered
the ether to Miss Aver on the eve
ming of August 3, when, DR.. Strick-
land testified, DR.. Fields performed
an operation. DR.. Strickland testi-
fled he again administered the ether
the evening of August 5. when he
said DR.. Fields performed a second
operation.
DR.. Fields admitted that he per-
formed the operation of Thursday
evening, but said an illegal opera
ton had been performed upon her
before then and that he only per-
formed a "curetment"
Practiced Five Years.
Fields said he is. "a years old and
that he studied medicine in the Eclec-
tic Medical university, Kansas City,
while he was making his living as a
railway postal clerk. He came to
Omaha five years ago and started
practicing medicine.
He said that he first met Ruth
Aver in June or July when she came
with young man to his office and
that he td her the only thing to
do was to get married to the young
man.
He denied that he saw Ruth Aver
August 3, the date of the alleged
operation. He testified that she
came to his office late the afternoon
of August a and that he found an
operation had already been per-
formed but that she was in bad con-
dition.
+ Employs Minnie Deyo.
II then arranged to take care OF
her" he said. Il called up one
nurse and found she was out of the
city. / tried another and got no
answer. Then | called Mrs. Minnie
Deyo and she agreed to let the girl
come to her home. | took her out
to 2704 North Sixty-fourth street in
my car, accompanied by my wife,"
THE curetment" was performed
the next day. August S, as DR..
Strickland testified, DR.. Fields said
He said the girl gave her name to
him as 'Mrs. Ruth Dale, Nebraska
City, Neb."
He did not recognize her as the
same girl who had come to see him
in June or July.
DR.. Fields was extremely pale on
the witness stand, but spoke with
apparent composure and answered
questions quickly and in a clear
voice.
Alibi Witnesses Testify.
4 He declared that on the evening
Of Tuesday, August 5, he left his
Office with his wife.
He described his movements the |
evening of Tuesday, August 8, and
S"oit 'hut iiS ulu iiOt CPCH SCC LII. |
Strickland that evening.
George Timme, 1912 Elm street,
testified that DR.. Fields visited him
shortly after dark Tuesday evening. !
Mrs. Della Washburn, 2517 Corby
street, testified that she saw young
woman answering the description
of Miss Aver in DR.. Fields office
late in the afternoon of Wednes-
day.
Yesterday morning several wit
resses testified on behalf of DR.. |
Fields to establish an alibi for the
evening of August 3. Mrs. Anna
Dorothy Nelson, a servant who did
day work" in the Fields home,
testified that the doctor returned
that evening about GAS o'clock. and
that after dinner he and his wife
took her to a friends home, arriv.
ing there at 8 O'Clock. Another
witnesses testified that the doctor
paid him a professional visit later
IN tho