The Omaha morning bee., 1924-01-23
Grand Island "Dream Girl" Hales Bluffs Youth
Before Jury When Wedding Plans Are Disrupted
Love Letters Read in Court; !;
Girl Cries on Witness
Stand.

Letters dripping with love and
affection, written by Robert Wollert,i
81, Ills Fifth avenue, Council Bluffs,
to Virginia Neigh, 10. of Grand
Island. Neb., were read in open court
Monday by County Attorney Frank
e. Northrop in Wolert's trial on
charges filed by the girl.
Second day of the trial opened
Tuesday morning before Judge Earl
Peters in Council Bluffs district court.
Young Wollert was graduated from
a Council Bluffs high school and
Miss Neigh has a wide acquaintance
in the city.
Girl on Stand.
Miss Neigh. chief witness for the
state, was on the stand all Mon
day afternoon and she resumed the
stand this morning. for cross-examina-
| ton at the hands of w. f. Mitchell,
chief counsel for the defense.
Wollert denies relations with the
girl, according to the opening state
ment of his attorney.
On the stand Monday Miss Ne
| ligh testified that she first met VOL
| lert in the spring of 1922 when she
was visiting at the home of her sis
ter-in-law, Mrs. Everett Swanson.
then living at 1920 Sixth avenue
near the Wollert home. The ac
quaintance was made through VOL.
lerts sister, Dorothy.
The couple became firm friends. In
| September. Miss Neigh returned to
Grand Island, where her family has
lived for IL years. but the following
spring, returned to Council Bluffs, to
visit the Swansons. She returned to
Grand Island in July, but again
visited Council Bluffs in September.
1t was then that she made known
her condition, she said. and Wollert' S
arrest followed.
Miss Neigh testified that Wolert at
first admitted his responsibility, and
arrangements for their marriage were
going forward until objections on the
part of his family caused him to re-
fuse to so ahead with the plans.
She declared that it was under.
stood between them for some time
that they We're to be married. The
letters read in court We're written
while Miss Neigh was iB Grand Island
last summer, before her return to
Council Bluffs in September Twelve
letters in all were introduced in evi.
dence, but only two of them were
read.
So far, cross-examination has failed
to shake the girls story. After three
or four more witnesses are called for
the state, the defense will begin the
presentation OF its case The case
probably will not go to the jury be-
fore Thursday.
| The court room was crowded yester.
day, and today standing room was at
premium. Fully half the crowd was
composed of women.
| Miss Neigh cried on the witness
stand yesterday under cross -examina-
ton, but retained her poise today.
| Following are extracts from two
of the love letters introduced s evil
| dence:
-. July ZA.
| Dearest Virginia.:
cannot resist the temptation to
| answer your most welcomed letter this
| evening. So, my dearest, you won't
have TO wait very long for my answer
| Nom told me that your letter came in
this mornings mail Although l didn't
| set to read 1t until after / got home.
| the mere fact that l knew that there
n was one at home waiting for me
| certainly have felt blue since you
| left. No doubt you laugh at this. but
| It's so. I wish that l could convince
| you that really have meant every
| thing that l have told you about my
| affection and love for you Isn't there
| some way that / can make you stop
| doubling my love for vou2 To tell the
| truth. ! really believe that my love for
you is deeper than yours for me. You