Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1888-12-06

MxBs Wtt0erOeS'B sue Oh the Case.
From the New York Herald. To-day
In our Issue of January 9 there appeared q
telegram from Chicago stating that society in
Washington would soon be startled with a
divorce suit that promised rich revelations and
that the bill would be fled by A. Scott wither-
bee, gentleman wellknown in business and
social circles. It portrayed Mr.. witherbee's
erring young wife as possessed Of rare graces
OF mind and person and q wondrous 0ift of
song that fitted her for the role of mercenary
enchantress, and stated that within a few
months after his marriage he had cast her of
ON discovering her true character and wanton
career. he having also positive proofs Of her
lnndehty to her marriage vows. 1t is foreign
70 our purpose to recite in detail all the charges
thus preferred against Mrs. Marie A. Wither-
bee. They were published by us as items OF
current news, without any intention Of indors-
ing them as true.
some OF them, such as the imputation of
uegltlmacy, having been correspondent in a
divorce suit against an Elgin millionaire
alleged perjury in swearing falsely to bill for
divorce In Texas, and having been cast off by
ner husband as an adulterous wife, have been
demonstrated to be false to our satisfaction by
documentary evidence. The marriage certifi-
cate OF her mother, attested by the seal of the
court, and her baptismal certificate under the
seal OF the church, which gives the date of her
birth, attest her legitimacy beyond question
while letter addressed to her by Mr. Wither-
bee himself, dated September 8, 1S86-several
weeks after their separation-in which he
earnestly assures her of a kind welcome if she
would return to his home. and states that il was
never his wish that she should leave it, clearly
negatives the statement that he had cast her
OH as an unfaithful spouse. 1t also appears
that her bill for divorce was not sworn to or
pressed to trial. We published a telegram from
Washington on the 23th ultimo in which it was
stated that Mr.. Witherbee had just filed his bill
for divorce charging desertion only. butreciting
that she had been married to him under the
assumed name of Dunlap, whereas her true
name was Mccarthy. 1t is proper for us to state
that since publishing this telegram we have
been shown q duly certified transcript from
the records of the chancery court of Geneva,
ILL.,, from which it appears that on December
9. 1868, decree for her adoption by George
Dunlap and Maria A. Dunlap, of Elgin, was
entered of record she being then but six years
Of age, and she was therefore married under
her true and only legal name. We are informed
that Mrs. Witherbee intends to file a cross bill
and thus challenge her husband to establish by
legal proofs in the courts the charges that he
has made or instigated so broadly through the
press, and which are not susceptible Of dsproof
by documentary evidence.
We cheerfully add as an act of Justice to Mrs.
Mary Butterfield that she has. in our judgment,
been fully indicated from the aspersion SO
unjustly cast upon her. Her first husband,
Mr. John De Witt Mccarthy, the father of the
present Mrs. Witherbee was, as we learn. a
gallant soldier in the Union army, and was
killed at the battle of Nashville, in 1864 She
is now the respected wife of Mr.. Theodore d.
Butterfeld. respectable merchant of Chicago.