The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-05-07
Al CONSPIRACY TO RUIN.
Means Husband Took to Obtain Divorce
DiabOlical Plot.

which came to light in the dingy little Office of
Magistrate Cobb, at No. 11s North Seventh
street. late this afternoon. 1t only differs from
the worid-famous Clovis Hughes case, that re
Gently set every pulse in Paris to throbbing, be-
cause its climax is not tragedy.
A gentleman moving in the best society and
two of his assistants were to-day arrested for a
conspiracy to effect the seduction of mans
wife. The plot is one of four years standing
four years of constant temptation of an unsus-
pecting and frivolous. but pure woman.
The cast of this dramatic bit of realism may
be set down thus:
MARK ELKIN, wealthy wholesale shoe manufacturer
of Philadelphia separated from his wife and in
search of a divorce under the liberal laws of this
JOSEPH NEWTON, alias sNixon his partner in bust
ness and coadjutor to gather testimony.
NIMROD WooLERY lawyer and coadjutor with
Nixon.
LOUIS ACKER under arrest with Elkn and Nixon, y
whose status is not yet clear.
Albert GouRsHALL, or GoTsHALI. Lothario.
MRS. GUSSIE ELKIN, the wife. living at her home,
with her three children, at No 1902 North
Twenty-fr street.
MRS. ANNA R. STEVENS, boarding house keeper,
with large heart for her fellow
Miss KATE DAVIS, ledger in Mrs Elkins house.
MRS. MILLER another lodging housekeeper.
Lawyer BoNHAM, Detectives YoDER and BURNS and
ACT 1.-THE SEPARATION.
Mark Elkin, rich young man, who inherited
fortune, married the daughter of Daniel Man
delbaum, about twelve years ago. The brides
father was one of the best known and most
highly respected Hebrews in this CITY, living on
fashionable part of Arch street. Mrs. Gussie
Elkin is small and delicate in figure and is still
quite handsome woman. The young couple
lived happily for eight years. They were
prominent at all the charity balls and fairs held
in the Academy of Music. They drove in the
park one Of the most fashionable teams seen
there Three children were born of this union,
aged today nine, six and half and five years
respectively The husbands business prospered
greatly, and his warehouse on Arch street. near
Fourth grew to be one of the largest in the city.
He was a wholesaler Of boots and shoes, and
dealt with retailers throughout the country
Four years ago, or slightly longer Mr.. Elkin sepa-
rated from his wife. She went, with her children,
to live at No. 902 North Twenty first street. On
an application to the courts for judicial separa
ton Mrs. Elkin was granted such papers, and
the allowance was fixed at $3.50 per month.
ACT 1.-THE CONSPIRACY.
The deserted woman lived quietly with her
children for several months. AT the end of that
time, as alleged on the oaths Of several witnesses,
her husband began to yearn for full release from
the bonds that still tied him to wife whom he
did not love. He consulted divorce lawyer,
was told that nothing was easier than to secure
tuo lIScOOH uc ueSifeu, pFODdUly palu MS r0Cdlu-
ing fee, and went back to his counting room.
There was no reason why he shouldn't employ a
divorce lawyer, as the laws of the common
wealth and the judges the bench encourage
them. For nearly four years, therefore, a siege
has been laid to the virtue of Mrs Gussie Elkin
and even the criminals admitted on oath in the
court to- day that they had been hired for the
purpose, but without success. The first cue is
responded to by James Burns. an unwilling wit
ness, who was in the pay of detective agency
managed by Yodder, formerly of the Central
Police Office.
James Burns-I was a detective in the service
of the Yoder agency; was detailed to get &C
quainted with Mrs Elkin, living at No. 1,90c
North Twenty-first street, and, by accomplishing
her ruin, enable her husband to get divorce; /
was taken to Lawyer Bonham's office, at Seventh
and SAMSON streets. and there introduced to a
woman called Mrs Kate Davis; l was told that
Mrs Davis had been introduced into the ladys
family as a boarder, at the instigation of inter-
ested persons, and that she would make every
thing easy for me; / agreed to call her my cousin
and to visit her at Mrs. Elkin's house that night
(Remember, Mrs. Davis had been ensconsced in
the house on the most intimate terms for several
months, but, though she watched every act of
the suspected woman nothing criminal had been
SEEM / was told that the husband was rich
and that big amount of money would be paid
me if I was successful; YOder told me this; /
called as agreed, saw the lady and after four
subsequent visits
you tried all your Establishments?
Witness (blushing)-In which l tried to ad-
vance my acquaintance; / saw that she was
pure woman, and so reported to my employers;
was given money with the express instructions
that | was to take her to the theater then to a
well-known cafe, whore was to get her to drink,
after which was to induce her to 60 to q house
of evil repute. We were to be watched and sur
prised. | dropped the case and was glad to get
out of it.
The attacking party saw that siege by grad
ual approach, not according to the ignoble code
of the divorce court, must be made. On bright
January morning of this year young swell,
who gave the name of Albert Gorshall or Gour-
shall, entered Dunbar's fish store, on Twenty
first street, above Berks street, and, presenting
act as agent for Donaghy & Sons coal mer-
chants. Where he boarded for the first
week is mystery, but at the end of that
time, according to Mrs Elkin's testi-
mony, he had formed her acquaintance,
and had told her that he wanted to live in the
the neighborhood He secured rooms at Mrs.
Miller's, within few doors of Mrs. Elkns, by
telling her that he was brother of the latter
lady He did not sell any coal, but he succeeded,
through his kindness to her children, in getting
himself in the best Of favor with Mrs. Elkin. He
finally told her that his business was doing very
badly, and that if she would allow him to say to
her acquaintance that he was her brother he
would do better Mrs. Elkin admits that in
fuenced by his tears and lamentations, she con-
sented to this deception because he had been ex.
tremely solictious about the health of her little
boy when he was dangerouslyill This was an i'm
portant advance for Gotshall to make and under
pretext of it he sent peremptory summons to
her one day, by Mrs. Miller's servant, to come
to his house, as he was dangerously sick. The
sympathetic woman dropped all her household
affairs, and went to Mrs. Miller's dwelling, hur-
rying up stairs to the supposed sufferers room
When she entered the room the sick man came
forward, and before the window seized and
kissed her. She swears that the door was mys-
teriousy closed behind her, so that she believes
there were other conspirators in the house
Though she was terribly surprised and confused
she saw in the thirdstory window of house
across the street the faces Of her husbands part
nor Tosanh Naxyfau apd anofbar mon Che