Evening star., 1934-12-14
WOMAN IN BELL
CASE TELLSSTORY
Admits Receiving Gifts Of
Money From Fredericks-
burg Man.
(Continued From First Page.)


his store and charged it to Bell Bros.
furniture store of Fredericksburg, IN
which the defendant is partner. The
merchandise included several dresses
and an apron and bedSpread.
Oliver Morrison, 26, offered the
testimony that Bell approached him
last Summer and tried to hire him
for some detective work" Morrison
said Bell wanted him to shadow a
woman at Buckroe Beach, but de-
clined to give the woman's name,
saying he was to recognize her by
photograph. Morrison said he de-
clined the job and never learned the
woman's name or saw the photograph.
Daughter Is Ill.
Judge Coleman announced this
morning that he had received a tele-
gram last night from the defendants
daughter. Miss Irma Bell, saying she
was i'll in New York, but expected to
be in Fredericksburg by 10 am Mon
day to testify. Miss Bell had been
summoned by the prosecution. Bells
son, Edward C. Bell, jr.. was expected
to leave his classes at the University
of Virginia long enough to be a
witness.
The principal exhibit introduced by
the Commonwealth consists Of score
of bottles containing medicine which
Bell is accused of having contaminated
with the intent of poisoning his wife.
Two Fredericksburg pharmacists, DR..
w. L. Bond and DR.. Charles H. Lewis,
declared none of the various types of
poison later found in the bottles was
called for in the prescriptions. Only
one bottle contained small amount
of prescribed medicinal poison, it was
testified. Expert testimony has been
given to show the medicines later con-
tanned at least four types of deadly
poison.
DR.. Ralph R Foray, a manufactur-
ing chemist of Railway N. j., told the
jury there were no poisons contained
in the sedatlves which his company
had manufactured and which had
been prescribed for Mrs. Bell. 1t was
testified that these bottles had been
tampered with and several of them
contained poison. ..-.. ..t
Wife Would Defend Husband.
Defense Attorney C. O'Conor Cool
rick said this morning Mrs. Bell would
be glad to testify in behalf of her
husband. She still has every conf
dence in his innocence, Goolrick said,
but the ordeal of coming into court
might cost her life in her present
weakened condition.
The colored maid said she saw Bell
last Spring take white powder from
an envelope in his pocket and sprinkle
it over several pieces of chicken which
had been carved and placed on plate
for delivery to the invalid. At an
other time, she said, friends sent in
salad to the sick woman, and she
saw Bell sprinkling this with the
same type Of powder. A grapefruit IT.
tended for Mrs. Bell and carried to
her by an unsuspecting member of
the family likewise had been tam
pered with, the maid declared.
Unusual Domestic Situation.
A domestic situation of almost in
credible contradiction was revealed
late yesterday in the testimony Of the
two nurses in attendance upon the
invalid Mrs. Bell.
After Bell was arrested on informa-
ton supplied by the nurses. he was
released on bond and returned to his
home, knowing the nurses whose SAL
aries he continued to pay had taken
information to authorities that he was
trying to poison his wife, along with
evidence in the form of at least q
score of medicine bottles alleged to
contain poison.
According to Miss Ruth Hill, Bell
showed not the least resentment to-
ward her or the other nurse, Mrs. Viola
Jones. Miss Hill testified Bell told
her the day after his arrest:
I'm guilty-guilty as can bel"
The nurse said she was so impressed
by this confession she scribbled it on
a sheet of paper and held it tightly in
her hand until she could find the
other nurse and deliver it to her.
Falls Into Nurses TRAP"
Another strange angle was the
manner in which Bell is alleged tc
have fallen into the trap" set by
the nurses. Miss Hill told the court
she frequently left bottle contain
ing clear sleeping potion in such a
manner as to show when it had been
moved. Time after time, Miss Hill
declared, she found the bottles tam
pered with and containing a powder
which had been precipitated to the
bottom of the bottle. Experts testi-
fled there was enough poison in these
bottles to have killed several persons
After Bell told her he was guilty
Miss Hill said, he added
Please, can't you help me? Have
you nurses taken all those bottles tc
the authorities? I don't understand
why you didn't bring this matter tt
me in the first place"
Pays for Woman's Auto.
The sensation of yesterday after.
Moons session was testimony by 9
Richmond automobile dealer, w. F
Byrnum, that Bell had given checl
for $7o5 on the payment of a sedar
purchased in April of 1882 by Mrs
McMullin.
Byrnum was on the stand less thar
five minutes and was not cross-ex
amined. He said his records showed
Mrs. McMullin traded in a used ca
for $500 and Bell gave a check fol
the remainer of the purchase price
$l,305.
Tells of Analysis of Hair.
DR.. Campbell c. Forbes of Rich
mond told how he received samples o
hair and found them upon analysis tt
contain traces of arsenic. The lock o
hair was taken from Mrs Bells heaC
by physician who was attending he
at the time.
Testifying with regard to Mrs. Bell
condition, Mrs. Jones said she ap
peared to be losing the use of he
arms and legs. The invalid remains
cheerful, however Mrs. Jones said, anC
anxiously awaits the nightly telephone
calls from her husband.
Judge Coleman late yesterday in.
structed bailiffs to keep the jury O
IL men together for the remainder o
the trial.