The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1877-06-01

Boston's Latest Disgrace.
There has opened at Boston the trial Of
cause which may take its place among the
celebrated actions at law. The parties in
VOWED in it are conspicuous in u social way
and the facts which will Ice brought out are
II unusual interest What Is alleged by the
female plaintiff in the case is that some men
and women Of great consequence in Boston
society, rich and otherwise highly favored,
have conspircd together 10 ruin her good
name.
In the year 1851. Miss LAURA CooLIpGE.
/ the daughter Of one OF the best known fam-
/ lies Of Boston. living on the charmed heights
II Beacon Hill, married her cousin, Mr. Jo-
sEPH COOLIDGE SWEET. who listening to her
request, changed his name TO COOLIDGE.
| The following year the happy couple went
to Europe, aud were apparently still happy
when they returned in 1853 TO occupy n house
/ adjoining that Of the parents Of the bride.
/ They had three children, whom Mrs. Cool
IDGE took TO Europe with her when she
/ again went there in 1851 Mr.. COOLIDGE
then united with friend of his in Boston. a
/ Mr.. DEXTER, another wcll-known Boston
name. in renting house, and in engaging a
/ Mrs. RICE. boarding house keeper, 10 look
after their domestic affairs. Mrs. RICE, it
seems, not only acted as housckeepcr for
these two men. but also ran her boarding
house in fremont street, which shows her
| t. be a business woman.
Mrs. COOLIDGE for n considerable period
wrote dutifully to her husband IA a faithful
wife. But after two years the ardor 81 her
soul began to cool. In fact she told him
that his conduct to her had been harsh and
that she would no longer live with him
/ Returning to the United States In 1865 her
eStrangrmcnt continued and in 1871 she
| began suit for divorce ON the grounds Of
| cruelty and dcsortlon. She seems to have
| had weak case, for her suit was with
drawn; but two years later she began one
ia Iowa. whittier she had gone to establish
residence for the purpose, on now charges
of cruelty and adultery. Her Boston lawyer
! WIS GEORGE PUTSAM the son Of n Boston
/ Unitarian minister and a man ~ high rcpu-
tatiNn. Her lawyer AT Dubuque, Iowa. was
"a Mr.. ". j. kNlGHr The allegation of Mrs
RICE. vino Is the IlaiutiG in the present
action for defamation Of character. ia which
ejl.plO damages are claimed. Is that PUTNAM
cou-pilrd with one SCANLON, "a Chicago de-
t"ciiNe. to manufacture stories that Mr..
COOLIDGE had committed adultery with
her, and that she was "a woman OF lcwd
character. SCASLoN was hired to shadow
Mr.. COOLIDGE, which function he performed
Witha-siduliy. following him as he travelled
even as far as rcNa4, but unable to find
any lnp-o- from conlugal lidelityon his part.
ScANLoN then hired a room at the fremont
House. oppo-it, Mrs. RIcE's dwelling, and
l,af.f D. Il. .,..4f. a a hn
al-, paid waiter at the hotel to watch, and
ct into his interest a cOlorcd servant of
Nr- RIcE's named PARISH, all with view
t. discovering improper relations between
the boarding-housc keeper and Mr.. Cool
IDGE.
The evidence ~ these people AMI Of Ger
tain other servants IF Ms RICE was taken
10, deposition. We gave in The SIN Of last
Wednesday the main points Of their aver
uoit-. which were that Mrs. RICE was a
hard drinkor, and was in adultery with Mr..
CuoLlDGE. Mr. DEXTER, and a Mr.. TIsDALE:
Indeed "a woman Of a very bad character,
who had prostituted her own daughter. out
of this testimony was made up the main
charge in the divorce suit and further wit
n"-scs were brought forward to prove the
cruelty alleged. The answer was a specific
denial Of the charges, and Mr.. COOLIDGE,
Mr. DEXrER and Mr.. TIsDALE testified to
the good name of Mrs. RICE, thourh Mr..
IisDALE did not deny that he was in the
habit of kissing her when he left Boston
or returned t. it, and acknowledged TINT he
drank liquor, though not to excess, and
smoked. \ servant of Mrs RIcE's had
sworn that her mistress sometimes had the
horrors.
Though sho had secured so great nm array
Of testimony against her husband, md AT an
expense which must have boon heavy, Mrs.
COOLIDGE failed To obtain the divorce, and
now her father her mother, her lawyers.
and several of her witnesses are defendants
In "A suit begun by Mrs RICE for cOnspir-
acy 10 blAckcn character 10y perjurcd evil
dcnce. Behind the plaintin. ii is we'll under
stood, stands Bo-tonlan Of large means,
and the lawyers retained by both parties to
the suit are among the most eminent at the
suffolk bar, Mt which practise many bright
lights Of the law.
1t Is alleged that some Of the most mpor-
tant witnesses for Mrs. COOLIDGE will con-
f,.-7 that they were bribcd to give testimony
against Mrs. RICE, and that it was false, as
one Of them, the negro PARISH, has already
c"hl'57'u MI lIINAM, MIS-, COOLIDGE ;
Boston lawyer, is claimed To have organized
the conspiracy, and therefore he is one of
the chief defendants in this suit. IT seems
that while his detective was shadowing Mr..
COOLIDGE, Mrs. RICEs detective was work.
ing under the fellow. So dangerous it IL to
trust a scoundrc.
This is the outline Of the strange case now
proceeding, and which involves the name Of
people who are at the summit of Boston So
cicty, Rarely does the law have to deal
] with more complicated and iar-reachng