Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1885-10-03


an Immediate marriage. She wanted to
postpone the wedding until after she had been
70 Europe, where she had q daughter at school.
He persisted. however, agreeing that IL she mar.
RED him at once he would go with her to Eu-
north. and then came to his home in baltimore
where ne arranged q handsome reception for
DIS bride Belt had two elderly spinster sisters,
That the appearance of q new mistress OF the
house was not agreeable to them. AT any rate
s~O ora r ladies' began to make 1t very un
airy, 1t appears. although the fact was not
known to Mrs. Belt at the time, Belt received
what is known as the Acklen affair, the occur
renee ,; at wsickers hotel in this city, in 1873,
NO names, however were given I'm the newspa-
per article, and Belt was left to surmise that it
re ie TO ais wife Belt did not question his
WIe or MS Drother-in-law, ex-COngresSman VIII
lis, about the matter, but Instituted Inquiries
10 10. other ;s Quarters to ascertain whether
in the publication He did not, it is said.
breathe word Of his suspicious to her, but con-
I'm Mnnea 70 i've with her, apparently fully trust
city TO which she was a perfect stranger
while they were there one OF the sisters and o
c cna !; named C. W. Belt came from the north,
his wife was the woman described in the news
paper article. Belt, 1t is said, still made no re-
guest OF his wife for an explanation. He did
not speak to her OF the matter, but remained
with her until the next morning.
BELTS SUDDEN DEPARTURE
Then he took his hat and told her that he
was going down the street on business and LEFT
her. About an hour later c. w. Belt came to
the hotel where Mr.. and Mrs. Belt were guests,
the Hotel Royal, and handed Mrs Belt letter
which gave her the first intimation that her
husband mistrusted her. It contained the news.
that her husband would never live with her
any more. Mrs. Belt, after reading the letter,
demanded den to see her husband. Mr.. c. w. Belt
told her she could not, as he had started to Bal
timore and would never see her again. He
added :. that he was authorized to buy for her a
Whieh sbe se% %es hok or any other place to
If he were authorized to furnish her
with means; as her husband had LEFT her
authorized to furnish her with o cent-only to
buy her railroad ticket She then babe him to
leave her room. Her next step was to tele-
then she sent for . lady whose acquaintance
she she h had made, 70 stsy with her MEANWHILE
room. Her husband. he ns sas H haS n nef
the bill up to that time, and announced
that he would not be responsible for any
her jewelry as security for the room. but he de.
ciined TO take 1t; he wanted the room immedi-
ateiy. She finally declared, very decidedly,
until her mother came, and she remained.
While remaining at the hotel she received
to her. These letters she wisely ignored alto
developments that these letters were sent as
decoys TO get her to place herself in an equivo-
cal position. While still remaining at the hotel
old scandal, which had been revived to do her
injury but he made reply Hsying
after consulting an attorney went to Belts
house but was refused admittance at the door
by detective stationed there.
MADE INSANE BY DISTRESS
Her deplorable plight, and the exciting and
distressing occurrences OF the preceding few
weeks had so preyed upon her mind that she
became temporarily insane. and was taken to
an asylum where she remained under treat
filed n bill for divorce from her husband on the
ground OF desertion. He responded by filing a
cross-biii. charging her with improper behavior
riage. The scenes Of her alleged indiscretions
appears that Belt, before filing his bill, sought
the services Of detectives to make case against
nj his wife: A detective firm In Baltimore sent
city, and asked them TO look into the
case They reported that after investigating
1t. they could ID. find =! no evidence to offer
against her: Belt, 1t appears, then employed
man named Cunningham, and it is said that in
the short time between the date when he began
Belt paid this man over S3, 900. The character
of the testimony which was collected by Cnn
bingham and offered against Mrs Belt has been
were B. Cooley, Samuel Jackson, Battle Minor.
Joseph Harper, boy named Jos. McMahon
ana an ex-poiiceman named Benton.
=, THE TESTIMONY OFFERED.
An attempt was made to prove by Cooley Ger |
tain occurrences alleged to have taken place at
Welcker's hotel Cooley did not claim that he |
saw anything improper ON the night OF the |
Acklen affair. He had, he said, only heard |
things, which were subsequently shown by tes- |
timony Of other witnesses to be mere inven- /
tons. It was sought also to show that q certain |
had lived. was of improper character. The |
manner OF proceeding was to show the witness
ever seen Mrs. Belt at the house. The The Wit.
mere. and went on to describe crh 1 oo-
shameful that they would disgrace ssaet erothef
The witness. Benton, testified from his pre-
Tended knowledge as policeman on that beat.
and brandy for the people in the house. The
witness Harper, also an ex-p0liceman, testified
look after the house. Mrs. Belts attorneys be-
gan by showing that Benton was not even in
hat police precinct at the time Of the alleged
tenant whom Harper had named was at that
time In the insane asylum. They brought in
ns Sne, ana chiefs OF Police vsriors police
had been on that beat, and all Of whom vindi-
Gated the character OF the house which had
been 80 aspersed. Then the acquaintance OF /
The lady who kept the house, and the people who
lived In the house and occupied rooms described
by Cunntngham's witnesses, took the stand
and pronounced the assertions which had been
made aS false. The reputation OF the house
having been thus vindjcated II was next proved
that Mrs. Godfrey had never been in the house,
and was not even known to the people who
lived there. 1t was shown by Meesrs. Felter and
Welckcr that Cooley was not at Welcker's at
the time at which he claimed to have witnessed
certain occurrences there.
THE WITNESSES RECANT.
The case which had been manufactured
against Mrs. Belt was completely exploded.
Cunningham suddenly left the city. It IL sup
posed that he was ffightened by the turn the
caSe had taken. Jackson and Minor became
frightened. They did not leave the city. but
appeared before the examiner to correct their
testimony. Their correction was, In substance,
hat they had testified TO q story which other
had told them; and that they had been prom.
sed money for their testimony. Cooley afso re.
turned 70 the stand and confessed that he had
been mistaken about this woman
In the opinion OF Mrs. Belts attorneys the
charges made by her husband have been com.
pleteiy respted- The case, however, has not yet
CALLED UroN 10 MAKE Up THE Dxyrcr
ENcx.-The acting controller Of the Treasury
1as notified Messrs. w. B. Moses, Francis PROFIT.
ratrick DonOhue ana simon Carmody, all OF
;nls CITY, Inc Doudsmen OF ]. r. O'Beirne, late
nolan a9ent, that O'BefEue'a accounts are $767
hort, and they are called upon 70 make M he
uoeseuee 70 avoid suik !,