Omaha daily bee., 1921-11-22
Ten Witnesses
Tell Of Meals
Suicide Threats
Questioning Of Defense in
Auburn Murder Trial 10
Effort to Show Prcmedi.
tated Suicide.

slllpH lldi NNa' nav I'"'"'
ior several years. The questioning
OF the attorneys was entirely alont
this line. The reasons given for thi
desire were domestic troubles, th'
waywardness OF his stepson, lie
land. and i'll health.
Witnesses who testified 10 hearing
Neal make threats on his own lii'
were: Mayor ], c. Johansen
Brownville; Frank Shubert, Falls
City; +. III. Renter, Auburn: Ar
thur Simson, Auburn; ]. w. Web
bcr, Auburn; John Bridgcwater
1910 Poppleton avenue. Omaha
Frank Shubert, Shubert; OscaI
Pond. Shubert; Glen Lewis, Ne
maha; Joseph Wright, Auburn.
Relative Testifies.
Wright, who is a brother-in-law
o. Mrs. Neal, testified that he had
met Neal in the spring OF 1919 ano
talked about his pending divorce
He said Neal told him he soon would
be able to attend double funeral
as he intended to get" his wife and
Leland. after which lie would kill
himself Wright stated that he was
at the Neal home the day before the
tragedy and found both Neal and
his wife happy.
Kcmpter, who is painter. stated
that he worked at the Neal home in
Brownville two and half years ago
and that at that time Neal told him
he was tired of living the kind of life
he was. kempter said that Neal told
him his wife and daughter, Ava, had
stolen his revolver but that it would
be easy TO get another when he
wanted to kill himself He testified
that Neal constantly talked OF his
domestic troubles when away from
the house. but at the table both he
and his wife we're friendly and called
each other papa and mama"
Says Health Poor.
Arthur Simpson, piano tuner. stat
ca that while moving the. Neal piano
Neal was greatly concerned over his
health and could not confne himself
to one subject. He testified that Neal
threatened to blow his head off
some day."
Wcbber, retired farmer, stated he
had known Neal 10 years. While the
two were picking berries, he testified
Neal told him Of his domestic trou-
bles. He said Neal claimed that his
wife was at the Winsor hotel in Lin
coin with A. N. Harris and another
man and complained that she had no
right to be there.
Omahan Gets Confused.
John Brldgewater of Omaha testi-
fed that he lived in Brownvilie IA
years and helped Neal pick his ap-
plies. He said in December, 1920,
while Mrs. Neal was in hospital
Neal threatened to blow his brains
but" He testified Neal told him
that his wife was always nagging
and that the boy would do nothing
so he was going to kill himself.
Bridgewater became confused on
cross-examination. Mrs. Neal was on
the verge of tears when he COM
pleted his testimony.
Glen Lewis testified that he saw
him Immediately after having
trouble and that Neal said, II have
a notion to shoot the whole McCully
family He said Neal told him he
would as soon blow his own brains
out as not
Extravagant in Talk.
Testimony of other witnesses was
,jo,r tLo e,,,,e live Tba,, 60; ID th,f
he was extravagent in his talk and
excited All said that his threats to
take his own life followed quarrels
with his family. No testimony of
suicide threats after June (when he
became reconciled with his wife) was
given.
Hurry up and sell my prop
erty, because | want to settle my
affairs and blow out my brains"
Ben Neal said to Grant Shubert
Falls City real estate man. one day
in the spring of 1919, Shubert testi-
fed.
You'll leave a young widow if
you do that Shuoert said he an
swered
'I'll take good care Of that" Neal
replied, Shubert said.
Mayor Testi6es. ..
]. c. Johansen, mayor OF Brown.
vile. said the Neal troubles scemed
to start about six years ago over the
waywardness Of Mrs. Neal's son,
Leland, by her first marriage. He
told of witnessing quarrels OF the
Meals. Last spring he met Neal
one day and asked as to his health.
Life is nothing to me- Neal an
swered. he said. I'm going to blow
NV head off one OF these days.
Speaking of his revolver. which his
wife had hidden. Neal said to johann
SEN "She let's me have sharp az
around the house and | could knock
her in the head with that as well as
shoot her"
Complained of Troubles.
4 deposition by Mrs. Elenor
Golden OF Spokane. Wash. stated
that Neal called on her at the hotel
in Auburn while she was here on
business April IS, 1921. He conf
planned then OF his troubles, she as
serted. and said: 4
I'm getting tired Of it. I'm going
70 end it all. I'll be better off dead
The final witness for the state was
Sheriff Davis, who was recalled this
morning, and testified that in renov
ing the revolver from the hand oil
the dead man he did not touch the
blood-stained parts and that he be-
lieved the blood marks on the barrel
OF the gun were made by some one
else. +
Henry Furlong, undertaken. gave
expert testimony regarding the condi-
ton of Meals body when it was.