Omaha daily bee., 1889-04-18
GRIST FOR CHICACO'S MILLS.
The Famous Divorce Case of Garter
VS. Carter.
KYRLE eELLEw FIGURES IN 1T.
The Actor Masher Gave Her High
Priced Lessons In Dramatic Art
She Charges Cruelty and
Unnatural Crimes.
ChiCnpO All ACnO.

The BEE The famous divorce case of
Carter VS. Carter has at last como to trial,
and is now being heard before Judge Jami-
son. Owing to the prominence OF the Car
ters in Chicago the case has from the first
attracted great attention, and ever since the
original bill and cross bill was fled both
sides have employed every artifce known to
skillful lawyers to obtain some advantage
over the other. Both have had half dozen
prominent lawyers in their employ all the
time, and dispositions have been taken in all
parts of this country and in England and
France bearing on the case. 1t is now two
years since the legal fight was begun. The
Carriers are one of the best known and most
respected families in Chicago, and Leslie
Carter, the principal figure in this case was
rich young lawyer when, in 1850, he mar
ried Miss Caroline Dudley, very striking
young lady from Dayton, O., who
was creating something of sensation
in Chicago society. After their marriage
the couple occupied handsome house
in Dearbon avenue and entertained lavishly.
A year or two later, however, the establish
ment was given up, and Mrs. Carter spent
most of her time away from Chicago and her
husband The summers she generally spent
at Cooperstown, N. Y, and her winters IN
Europe. There was, of course, great deal
of gossip, and finally. in November, 1887,
Mrs. Carter filed bill for divorce, charging
cruelty and unnatural crimes. In response
| to this Leslie Carter filed denial and cross
bill, IN which he charged adultery, naming
Kyrle Bellew, State Senator James r.
| Pearce, of New York, and several others of
less renown, as correspondents About q
year ago Judge Jamison decided that the
| child, boy of nine, should divide his time
| equally between father and mother, spend
ing one month with the former and the next
with the latter, pending final decision.
| Mrs. Carter, since this decision, has been
living with her mother in a small hotel on
| Twenty-second street, while MIR. Carter has
been at the family residence on the North
| Side. The final trial of this celebrated case
was devoted to securing a jury
and to-day the opening addresses
were made. Mrs Carter, dressed in black,
attended by her mother and her maid, occupy
| a conspicuous place in the court room, and
Mr.. Carter with his brother and surrounded
| by his lawyers, is seated but few feet away
from her. In his opening address Judge Sid
ney Smith said that from within very short
time of their marriage Carter's conduct was
| hard and cruel. He said that if Mrs. Carter
| were separated from her boy it would be her
| death, and he stated further that Mrs. Car
ter had completely refuted the allegations of
| intidelity charged against her.
Speaking for Mr.. Carter his lawyer said
| that Mrs. Carter came homo from Cooper
| town one day and asked her husband for
separation, $4,000 and the custody of their
| child. She gave no reason FOR it, and her
husband refused to grant her request Mr..
| Loesch then told how she sailed for Europe,
| where he said she cut swath wide enough
| for the easy passage OF the retinue of king.
1t was on her return to this country that Mr..
Carter suspected the intidelity of his wife,
and telegraphed for her. kyrle BELIEVES
| character will be thoroughly aired in the
| case" said MIR. Loesch, ana then he spoke of
Mrs Carter's relations with the actor In
| New York, which the actor had said con-
sisted in his giving her lessons in dramatic
art at S25 per lesson. Mr.. Bellows dramatic
instructions seemed to require pretty con-
slant companionship by him and the hand
some prosecutor. He was with her early
and late. He attended to her moving from
| one hotel to another met her on her arrival
| from her travels, and was the last one tc see
her off when she departed on them. MIR.
| Loesch then spoke of the sums of money
spent by Mrs. Carter during her European
tour. Her husband had supposed they
amounted to 81, 900, whereas they footed up
to over $4,000, and this when she COM
planned of being ILL.,
Mrs. Garter took the stand late IN the aft
ernoon, and told her story of Leslie Carters
alleged cruelty to her. She spoke in a low,
soft voice and kept her large blue eyes fixed
upon the jury. She said she married Leslie
Carter May 26, 1880, in Dayton, o. She had
known HIM year and half when she be-
| came engaged to him. She first met him at
the house of General Arson Slayer. She
met him at Waukesha and other places PRIOR
| to the engagement. Lawyer HyneS exam
ned Mrs. Carter.
| "After your wedding in Dayton, where did
| you goa" asked Mr. Hynes
I'VE started on wedding journey to Gin
cnnati, and thence we went to Baltimore,
| Philadelphia and New York;
"Did the defendants i'll treatment of you
begin on the day of your marriagel''
st commenced on the evening of the we'd
ding"
'What was the nature of it9"
Mrs. Carter then told how, on their ar
rival at their rooms in the hotel at Cincin-
natl, after tiresome journey, Carter com
PEELED her to submit to his desires immedi-
aJely, notwithstanding her plea of hunger
and fatigue. At this point Mr.. Hynes said
he had witness who wished to go to New
York, and he withdrew Mrs. Carter from
the stand, and court adjourned until morn
ing. The court and lawyers repaired to
Hynes' office across the street, where the
testimony of p, f.. Gilmore, the New York
theatrical manager, was taken. Mr.. Gil
more testified that in September, 1886, Mrs.
| Carter came to him and told him she was
studying the dramatic art under Kyrle
Bellew, and asked Mr. Gilmore whether she
could get position the next season if she
studied hard. Mr.. Gilmore told her he
thought she could. He also said that Bellew
made more money as an instructor than as
an actor, and that his charges were $50 a
| lesson.