Omaha daily bee., 1921-08-21
Slew Mate
Or Knows S
W no Did
Sealed Verdict of Jury Re-
vealed, Makes Direct Charge
Preliminary Hearing Set
For Thursday.
Faces Murder Charge

Auburn Neb, Aug. 20.-(Special
Telegram. Mrs. Lucy Neal, wife
of Ben Neal, who was found dead
in his farm home near Peru, Neb
the night of August II with a bull
let hole in his head, was arraigned
here at 6 this evening before JUS
tice of the Peace Shelby w. Eus-
tice on charge of first degree mur-
der
Complaint charging Mrs. Neal
with first degree murder was filed at
Auburn this afternoon by County
Attorney Ernest +. Armstrong i'm
mediately after a sealed coroner's
jury report connecting her with the
alleged murder.
The woman was arrested by Sher-
iff Davis at the home of her broth
er, Walter McCully, farmer living
near Stella in Richardson county,
about S this afternoon. She was ac-
companied to Auburn by her daugh-
ter, Ava Marie Neal, 10, the only
person present with Mrs. Neal in
the house on the night of the slay-
ing. Mrs. Meals brother and her
brother -in-law. J. M. Wright. cash
ier of the Farmers State bank at
Stella, also accompanied her.
Preliminary Hearing Set.
Preliminary hearing was set at 10
Thursday morning before Justice OF
the Peace Eustice at Auburn. At
the arraignment this evening Mrs
Neal was represented by her attor-
reys, Lambert and Hawxby,
Bond was fixed at $l000V Mrs.
Neal qualified as one of the bonds
men and Wright and McCuhy as the
ether two sureties.
The woman appeared calm and
perfectly self-possessed at the ar
raignment. =-..
Finding Of the coroner's jury, |
which deliberated severa, days be-
tore reaching a decision, was as fol-
lows: ..s.-. .-...s.
I'VE, the jury, duly impanelled and
sworn to hold an inquest on the body
of Bellington Neal do find that The
said Bellington Neal came to his
death on August II, 1921. by the
SunSliot lloiii uH HSiu III tiC idiius
of Lucy Neal or person known to
her"
The jury, comprised of ]. c.
Woodie, foreman; Arch Railsback, J.
j. Turner, Edward Houston and
Harry Patterson was out from mid
night, August II, until Friday, Au-
gust 49, when a sealed verdict was
returned with the jury's request that
it remain sealed until Saturday after
noon.
Since Saturday following the trag-
edy Mrs. Neal has been stopping
at the home of Walter McCully near
Stella.
Wife Runs to Neighbor.
First report of the Staying was
made about midnight August II,
when Mrs. Neal ran to the home of
a neighbor, Charles Buck, declaring
her husband had been shot. 1t was
found that a bullet had entered
Meals head near the ear and, ranging
downward, had struck the jawbone.
In the dead mans hand was re-
vover containing two freshly ex-
ploded shells and two unhred car
tridges. There were blood stains on
the grip of the revolver and on the
walls of the room. Hans Nielsen.
head of the state bureau of criminal
identification. after examining the
marks on the revolver subsequently,
said that he believed Neal did not
commit suicide.
Conflicting stories were told the
coroners jury. Mrs. Neal reported
hearing only enc shot. while her
daughter said she heard two. Mrs.
Neal also said she did not attempt
20 telephone to neighbors, although
subscribers on the party line report
ed hearing several calls and the op-
orator at Peru notified the town
that there was something
wrong either at the Buck CT Neal
home The revolver with whi,h Neal
was killed was identified by Mrs
Neal as the one which had belonged
to her former husband and which had
been in her possession.
Stories of domestic trouble and
that Neal had suffered financia! re-
verses lately were rife in the COM
munity.