Omaha daily bee., 1921-08-23
Of
Peru Death
Dee.pens s
Administrator Named Of Neal
Estate to Be Mutual Friend
-Stepson Shares in
Property.
Letter Found in Home

Letter Found in Home
:. Auburn, Neb.. Aug. 22-(Special
Telegram.) -- Mrs. Lucy Neal,
charged with the murder OF her hus-
band, Ben Neal at their home two
and one-haif miles southeast of here
on the night of August IL, and who
is under bond OF $4,000 to appear in
Justice court Thursday morning to
lie arraigned for the alleged crime,
was in Auburn today. She came
from the home OF her brother, Wal
teri McCully, a farmer, who resides
near Stella, to appear before thv
county judge to have an administra-
tor appointed for the estate of her
late husband. She was accompanied
to the court house by her daughter,
Ava
Both the women were plainly
dressed in light materials and wore
no symbols of mourning. Mrs Neal
consented to the appointment of a
~,nutual friend Of her husband and
herself, Frank Woodward. promi-
nent politician and citizen of Nema-
ia, as administrator. 1t is thought
Jthat Meals estate will inventory
$4,000 or more with an incumbrance
On the S0-acre farm where he met his
death, OF $1,000.
Son Is He'll.
An interesting feature OF the ad-
rninistration of his estate is that his
stepson. Leland Wright now an in
mate OF the Kearney industrial
school, will be one of the heirs. 1t
is. reported here that Neal, who had
an antipathy for the boy. had told
his attorneys and his wife that it was
his intention to make will in which
he would bequeath Mrs. Neal. her
daughter. Ava. and Leland Wright,
the stepson, ST each and that he
would leave dis estate in such way
that the wife and stepdaughter.
would derive the income OF his estate
ter life and then that it should pass
to other hands for the reason that
he did not want Leland to ever have
a. cent other than the technical be-
quest OF 81.
Neal died intestate and his STEP
son. whom he wished to disinherit,
Will be one of the benehciaries OF his
estate.
Now that Mrs. Neal has been ar
rested, charged with Meals death,
all of Nemaha county is speculating
on her probable guilt or innocence.
II is the main topic of conversation
on the streets, in the homes and in
the public places in all parts of the
County. There are many who do
not believe that she is guilty of the
crime Of murder. There are others
who say she is guilty, but who con-
done her guilt, should she have been
the one who killed her husband, say
ing that she had had sufficient provo
cation and Justification.
Says Facts Not Given.
Most everyone agree that the
story of the events OF the night of
the tragedy. which she and her
daughter told at the inquest. showed
that she had not made full revela-
ton of the facts to the members Of
! he jury and they condemn her more
for this than thye do for probable
guilt. They all agree that her story
stantial evidence in the case.
does not tally with the circun-
All OF those who were aquainted
with Ben Neal. and many of them
had heard of his previous threats of
suicide. arc 10th to believe that he
committed self-murdcr. He was all
,optimistic man. He was in fairly
good health. He was in better tkan
the average financial circumstances.
4 He lost 120 acres OF land recently
by the ravages OF the Missouri river,
which had taken other hundreds of
acres away from equally unfortunate
neighbors, but his did not cripple
him and it is frequent and an al
most foreseen occurrence along the
Missouri river bottoms in this sec
tion and one which has taught land
owners along the river to take it
phlosophically.
80 Yers Wife's Senior.
\. Neal VS. so yers the senior OF his
Siie. He was man OF high passions,
but in all of his fits of temper he
found vent for his anger in words
and threts rather than action. He
was a man who was familiar with
fir arms and for some years kept a
revolver in his home. He and his
wife, during their entire married
career, had had a succession OF
marital troubles, frequent quarrels,
frequent threats.
"A year or so ago Mrs. Neal pro-
cured Meals gun, she testified, and
hid it behind cement block in the
foundation of their house. 1t was a
big blue steel gun and it was later
found by Sherm Kaufman, Brown
vile man, while making repairs at
the house and he later sold it to
, another resident OF Brownville for
, $40, it is alleged.
Meal, when found was lying on
the floor OF the bedroom. He had
cheap nickle plated 2l cal;bre re-
yolver in his right hand 1t was
iooselyclasped. Two shells had been
exploded. Two cylinders of the gun
5 were empty. There were two loaded
cartridges in the cylinders, the cter-
fire trigger OF the gun on un-
exploded shell. The unfired cart
ridges were colored green by verdid-
gree and were oxidized by age. They
were loaded with black powde-.
Shot on Left Side.
The wound which caused his death
was on the left side of the neck.
The bullet went straight in. 1t hit
s@She lower part OF the jaw bone and
then detected downward severing