The Truth about Belle Gunness by Lillian de la Torre

Author:Lillian de la Torre
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781504044578
Publisher: MysteriousPress.com/Open Road
Published: 2017-03-08T05:00:00+00:00

8. The Great Jupiter: The Prosecution Continues

On Monday, November 16, Ray Lamphere walked into court to face the second week of his trial for murdering his mistress by arson. A day’s respite had done him good. He entered smiling and confident. By this time he was used to the buzz of whispered comment and the pitying feminine glances that followed him to his place. He nodded affably to friends in the crowd.

The courtroom was jammed to the doors. Standees crowded the aisles and were pressed in thick along the walls. Such a thing had never been known before; but as long as there was an inch of room, said the authorities, no one would be barred from the trial. Jacob Tag, bailiff, was detailed to keep order in the crowd. Intent only on listening, they gave him no trouble.

Smith and Sutherland, for the state, and Worden and Weir, for the defense, entered separately and took their places. Reporters from all over poised their pencils. Mrs. Frances Flynn returned to the stand.

Unfolding his lanky length from the prosecution table, Ralph N. Smith put a few brief questions, reminding the jury that Mrs. Flynn recognized the rings, knew Mrs. Gunness well, and thought the body was hers.

When he sat down, Worden arose with a complete change of battle plan in mind. He had used the medical witnesses to suggest doubts about the body’s identity. He would use Mrs. Gunness’ neighbor to turn sympathy against Mrs. Gunness. Through her he chose to bring into the courtroom a pitiful little ghost, a shy small wraith with spun-gold hair and trusting blue eyes—Jennie Olson, who after two years in the ground came back in mute accusation against the woman who mothered her, and fought to keep her, and destroyed her.

Many in the courtroom remembered Jennie vividly. More than one of the boys she had known could still hear the tinkle of her ladylike little tunes on the old Gunness piano. Her schoolteachers recalled how gently she had mothered the smaller children. Neighbors remembered seeing her driving the cows, barefoot in the lush summer meadows, or sitting in the shade, deep in a book. Wirt Worden called her before them now as he asked quietly:

Q. Now, Mrs. Flynn, you say you visited the farm frequently until Jennie left. Did you know that Jennie was going away?

A. Yes, sir. Mrs. Gunness told me so. I visited Mrs. Gunness the night before Jennie was to go. She showed me the elaborate wardrobe she had prepared for Jennie. There was a beautiful new cloak that came from Chicago. Mrs. Gunness said she paid fifty dollars for it. There were silk waists and skirts. Mrs. Gunness was sewing on one then in order to have it ready for next day. I never saw Jennie again.

A wave of renewed pity for the doomed girl swept the courtroom. Worden was satisfied to leave it at that.

Jared Drollinger, a grizzled juror from a farm out Wills way, was on pins and needles. Overnight a particular point had been revolving in his head, and this friend of Mrs.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.