Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1921-current, 1922-03-08
LOVE |NTR|CUES
Barred AS KEY IN
0bENCHA|N CASE
Confidante of Beauty
and MurderedMan
veals Secrets to Jury.
Kennedy Once Wired
lnamorata Was in Chi
cago.

cago.
Los Angeles, March 1.-THE princi-
pal issue in the trial of Mrs. Madalynne
Obenchain on the charge of numbering
her sweetheart, j. Bolton Kennedy, is
whether Mrs. Obenchain was scorned
by Kennedy or whether she refused to
marry him. This was stated to the
jury in the case Tuesday by defense
counsel.
On this issue the attorneys spent
most Of the day examining and cross
examining Miss Louise Wilson, pro-
prietress of Los Angeles beauty
parlor," who said she was the conf
dent of both Kennedy and Mrs. Oben-
chain in the love affair she said ex-
listed between the couple.
Sought Secret Marriage, Says
Miss Wilson, called as defense wit
ness, declared that Kennedy wanted
to marry Mrs. Obenchain secretly be-
cause, she said, his parents objected
to the union.
'.AIadalynne said she never would
marry Bolton until he had taken her
to his mother and had matters straight
ened out" Miss Wilson testified. 1t
reached San Francisco on June 2S,
1921. expecting Kennedy would meet
her there to marry her.
Kennedy. however, according to Miss
Wilson, did not 60 there, and told Miss
Wilson the reason was because his
mother had ''gotten wind of it and
said if he went to San Francisco she
would go, too
Wire Fake Message Via Burch
Miss Wilson said that at Kennedy's
request she telephOned to the San
Francisco hotel where Mrs. Obenchain
was registered. and asked her to come
to Los Angeles. but that Mrs. Oben-
chain refused to do so.
This was on June 80. Miss Wilson
telephoned the same request on July 3
and got the same response, she testi-
fled
Mrs. Obenchain, however. came to
Los Angeles on July 6. the witness con-
tinued, and on that night sent tele
gram to Chicago to have wired to
Kennedy at his residence in Los Ange-
les. This telegram read:
Arrived here today. Goodbye for
ever
Miss Wilson said she did not know
to whom the message was addressed in
Chicago. except that Mrs. Obenchain
told her it was to n friend" The
message. according to other testimony
Kennedy. signed ''Madalynne'' by
Arthur c. Bnrch. co-defendant in the
ease. who. the prosecution alleges.
killed Kennedy in Beverly Glen. near
Los Angeles. on the night of August s.
Meant to Fool Parents
Miss Wilson declared the Chicago
telegram was sent at her suggestion
TO fool Kennedy's parents and make
them think Nadalynne was in Chicago"
She said she wrote in letter to Ken
nedy the next day that she had a
package for him."
The package was Madalynne." she
testified. Before Kennedy received the
letter or telegram. she continued he |
if he had received them. He said he |
had not and she told him their con- |
tents.
'Mada.ynnc in Chiragor" Miss /
Wilson testified Kennedy exclaimed. |
why. Miss Wilson. how can that |!
be" | said to him; DO you really ,
and truly care for her?' He said: You !
know I do Then I said: We'll. the
package I have for you is Madalynne
She is here in Los Angeles''
Advised Mother to Mediate
On June II. Miss Wilson testified.
Mrs. J. %. Kennedy. mother of the
slain man, called on her to try and
get me to help break up the match be-
tween Bolton and Madalynne." She
said She told Mrs. Kennedy to ."go
home and sit in silence, then telephone
in the morning." She said to "sit in
silence" meant to mediate with her
Cod according to custom of re-
legiOus cult with which the witness
declared she and Kennedy were ia
mliar.
Denied Predicting Sons Death
The witness was asked if she said
to Mrs. Kennedy: "Your son is going
to die. ard you are going to cry Miss
Wilson replied she did not.
Occupied Obenchain Room Fatal Might
Miss Wilson said she went to Mrs.
ODencFain's hotel room on the night
of August 9th. by appointment. to pass
the night. Mrs. Obenchain was not
there. and Miss Wilson went to bed in
the room. At 1870 deputy sheriff
and house detective aroused her and
the detective requested her to vacate
the room. saying the management had
taken it over. The next day, she tes-
titled. she saw Mrs. Obenchain in the
county Jail. Kennedy having been slain
the night s,before while with the de-
fendant. Who was taken into custody
soon afterwards.