The Omaha morning bee. [volume] (Omaha [Neb.]) 1922-1927, 1923-04-10
Term
Last Act in
Nel1ns c.
,.>W.'s, %
Fiye-Ye y - /.
VICTOR - lap
Ter w france
Of Sisters.
Is Sentenced for Fraud

L. Innes completes a flye-year term
in the federal penitentiary. to which
he has just been sentenced by the
United States district court at Atlanta.
for using the mails TO defraud, he will
have settled the score. as far as the
courts are concerned, in one Of the
most battling of crime cases this coun-
try has known. His conviction was
reported TO the Department of JUS
tice today.
Yet the veil of mystery that has re-
mained impenetrahle for nine years
may never be lifted TO clear up the
disappearance Of Mrs. Eloise Nelms
Dennis. pretty young Divorce. and
her sister. Miss Beatrice Nelms,
beautiful young business woman of
Atlanta. the last trace of whom was
lost when they boarded a train at
New Orleans for the west IN the sum
mer of 1914.
Completes Prison Term.
Only a few weeks ago Innes com
pleted seven-year term in the
Georgia state prison for defrauding
Mrs. Dennis. He was Immediately re-
arrested for using the mails to carry
out those frauds. II is for this that
he must serve another five years. His
wife. Mrs. Ida May Innes. also served
two years in the Georgia penitentiary.
She is now reported dying In Oregon.
But what became of the Nelms sis
ters, daughters of an old Georgia
family. remains a mystery.
Captain Fred A. Watt. chief Of the
Portland tOre.l office Of the bureau OF
investigation. Department of Justice,
arrived in Washington today from At
lanta TO add the final chapter to the
records of his nine years work on the
case
Arrested in 1914.
Watt first arrested Innes. who had
been a deputy United States district
attorney in Nevada and his wife, at
Eugene. Ore. in August, 1914. after
a nationwide search for the missing
Nelms sisters
The search began when, early in
July, 1914, Mrs. John W. Nelms,
mother of the girls, received a
death note" mailed in san Francisco.
The note. purported TO have been
written by Mrs. Dennis. said she had
murdered her sister, intended to kin
her brother, Marshall Nelms. and 10
drown herself.
Mrs. helms communicated with the
Department OF Justice and federal
agents We're put on "the trail. Mar
shall Nelnls Was located in San Fran
cisco and he took up the search also.
Women Start West.
II developed that Mrs. Dennis.
some time before. had intfusted some
10000 to fnnes to invest for her.
Later when she called for an account
ing. which vas not forthcoming, she
started west to soc Innes and demand
a settlement. She was accompanied
~ her sister
Innes and his w.fe. early that year,
had moved from Portland 10 san
Antonio, where they rented cottage
on the outskirts Of the city The
federal agents secured evidence that
the sisters. after leaving New
Orleans. the last point from which
they wrote their mother. had gone
on 70 San Antonio and visited the
Innes cottage in June. 1914. There
khe trail ended
a huge meat grinder. too large for
family use, and an empty acid carboy.
found near tho cottage. led 10 the
theory that the sisters had been slain
in cold blood ground 10 a pulp. and
the remains dissolved by acid.
Arrested in Oregon.
.Innes and his wife. in the mean
time. had returned TO oregon and
were located and arrested at Eugene.
They were Jointly indicted by a grand
jury at San Antonio for murder. but
were never brought to trial. Tho
Texas law requires that body must
be viewed before a charge Of murder
can be prosecuted. and no fragment
AIRY part Of either body had been
found.
Before they could go free. however.
Marshall Nelms secured warrants for
Innos and his wife for fraudulent
breach of trust, and the governor OF
Texas honored a reauisition for their
return 10 Georgia for trial. They we're
tried and convicted.
Innes is now 81 years old. II he
lives out his fivo.year federal prison
term he viii go free.
And thus will end the battling
Z Nr,f