Los Angeles daily herald., 1889-12-19
THE NEW sTYGIAN POOL.
MRS, James Put Through q Rigid
Cross.EXaminatfOn

:
mrs. James Put Through q Rigid
Cross-Examinatio
The James case with all its depths OF
occupied Judge Clark all day
Yesterday. Most Of the time was spent
IN the cross-examination of Mrs. James.
She stood the fire well in the main, ano
did not give way at any point so as to
shake her direct statements. Perhaps
the most vital point touched in this
cross investigation of the lady was in
reference to paper she signed. in which
she exonerated James from charges she
had made against him. He had fire.
auently tlied to obtain some written
document from her with which he could
90 before the church and set himself
straight. She understood that on one
evening he would make great effort to
get such paper, and she had been told
that James had made threats of violence
in reference to her. Mrs. James asked
one of the deacons of the
church, named Fell, to 60 to her house
with her and protect her if James treated
her with violence. That night, between
8 and 8 o'clock, James came to her room
door. and she refused him admission.
He threatened to break it in if she did
not open it. She allowed him to enter,
and he began bis siege to compel her to
sign statements exculpRting him. This
she refused to do, and he went away,
returning to renew the attack in short
time. He kept this up until about 8
O'Clock next morning, 30 that she OBJ
tsined no sleep. She did not comply
with his request. All this night Fell
and man named Cuthbert was outside
her window, and they heard most that
was said. A few days after James be-
gan on the same effort of making her
sign q paper, and kept it up all night
and until 8 O'Clock next afternoon. Then
being utterly weary and exhausted, she
consented to sign some paper he had
prepared. It was produced and put in
evidence by the defense. It began for
mally: "I, Emma W. James, in the feal
of God, etc., etc." 1t went on to state
that James had never used any threaten
ing language to her; that if she told DR.
Hilton Williams he had, che did no
mean it. If she ever had conveyed t.
DIR. Williams or others any impression
that her husband had led an impure lift
she had not meant so to do. Ii she hat
ever led them to believe he had commit
ted adultery with any young lady in Eng
land, it was not true.
As to this paper, she stated that shs
told James at the time she was signing
statements that were untrue in many res
poets, but that she did it for the sake O
quiet, to be rid of his opportunities
She explained this to her friends
at the time, and they under
stood her. Some of the statements
were all true. The one about the young
lady in England was such. She die
not know of his being guilty of any
wrong-doing with any young lady in thal
country. The statements in the papel
about his not using threats towards her
and about his leading a pure life, were
false in some respects.
The attorneys for the defense ther
brought out some particulars as to visit
Mrs. James paid to Wiley Wells Office
in relation to getting q divorce. After
much refreshing of her memory, Mrs
James conceded that it was probably
true that at that time she entered into 8
compact, by whose terms she was to g.
to England, and after while James wat
to sue for divorce on the grounds o
desertion, it being stipulated on the
reverend gentleman's part that he WA
not to allege anything against her char
acter in the complaint, and that he wa
to send her money to prosecute her med
ical studies, and that she was to hav'
her children. She confessed that thers
was written agreement between hel
and her husband, made and signed after
wards. This document the defense alst
produced. It was headed: "This agree
ment made between Geo. W. James ant
Emma w. James," Then followed th,
terms. They were that she was to g
away and let him get divorce as above
He was to send her money. She was Il
have the eldest child, Duncan, and tn
youngest, May. They mutually promis
''to keep sealed lips as to all matters
in contention between them, "as to th,
purity of each others lives" Thi
document purports to be signed Sin tn
presence of each other and of God"
The inquiry then went into an effort t.
show what the nature of these matter
were about which the two disagreed. Th
witness said James bore these quee
relations with other women and sh
naturally objected" He called this be
"damnable jealousy" Then the fat wa
in the fire, and the domestic circus wa
in full blast. James got very excited
Mrs. James maintained her temper, an
this added fuel to the flames, and th
fact that she did not flare up made th
reverend weaver of theories of purity f
completely off the handle. The NOR
the stronger vessel fretted till his prou
heart nearly broke, the more decorou
and collected was the conduct of th
weaker vessel, and, by reactionary Unfit
ence, the quieter Mrs. James was th
more furious ragged her loving lord.
1t Was parallel case to that of the oil
Scotch peasant whose wife was Of th
true Xxnthippe stripe. He became wear
of life, or rather of his scolding wife
life, and asked the dominic what to dc
The "gude mon" asked: "Sandy, whs
do you do when these domestic trials az
on?" "Och," said he, 81 suppose
hold my own pretty WE'LL" "Very well,
advised the dominic, ''just you 60 home
and when she begins again you get you
pipe and cit and smoke. Do not say
word"
Sandy did as he was told, and bein
asked how the plan worked, related no,
his "Jean" had set up such a pothe
about his ears. He got tn
pipe and smoked away il
silence. Louder and louder wake,
the virago's TRADE until right in tn
whirl of her passion, when it was q