Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-10-22

Senator Stewards Son-in- Law. MIR. Fox,
Produces Disturbance.

SAN Francisco, CAL, Oct pa family scan
dal was exposed here yesterday in Judge
Hoges court. when United States Senator Stew
art of Nevada was cited to show why he should
not be punished for contempt for failing to al
low his son-in-law, A. W. Fox, to see his three
children. Fox and his wife have been divorced
several years and the children have been cared
for by the Stewares Fox filed a sensational
affidavit yesterday, in which he makes various
charges against Mr. and Mrs. Stewart. Mrs.
Stewart testified that Fox was a worthless char
acter with whom her daughter fell in love
when she was only seventeen. To prevent the
scandal OF an elopement her parents consented
to the marriage. The Senator repeatedly Sc
cured good employment for Fox, but he never
kept any. No effort has been made to keep the
children from Fox, but he failed to supply
money for their support
A dispatch to the New York Herald saws: Sena-
tor and Mrs. Stewart, with two sons of Mr.. Fox.
were in tine court room. The affidavit was made
by Fox for the purpose of inducing the court
to believe that Senator Stewart and his wife
were not fit persons to have the custody of the
children. 1t was Of a scandalous nature and
contained a number of sensational charges
Deponent alleges that Mr. and Mrs Stewart
were not a congeniai couple, that they con-
finally quarreled. that Stewart had been en-
gagged in shady transactions in connection with
the sale of the Emma mine and that his wife( Mrs
FoX) allowed him to obtain decree of divorce,
awarding him the custody Of the children, be-
cause she knew he possessed positive evidence
of her unfitness. He also impugned Senator
Stewards morality and asserted that plaintiff
was anxious to ALLEVIATE the affections OF his
children. The affidavit was read by James
Crittenden, attorney for the defendant
When it was concluded W. F. Herrin, attor-
ney for the plaintiff. moved that the greater
portion Of it be stricken from the records be-
cause of its scandaious and irrelevant nature.
He said that it had apparently been made for
the purpose OF creating sensation, and in it.
self furnished ample proof Of defendants un-
fitness, inasmuch as he had sought to cast
odium on the mother of his children.
Judge Hoge reserved decision on the motion.
Mrs. W. NJ. Stewart was then called as a wit
ness. She IL handsome. gray-haired lady Of
striking appearance. She told sad story of
the family trouble caused by the first marriage
Of her daughter, who is now the wife of Joseph
ID. Romero, secretary of the Spanish legation
in China. She said that her daughter fell in
love with Fox while she was attending school,
at the age OF seventeen years, and before she
had sense enough to know the importance OF
the step. Witness opposed the marriage but
as Fox urged the child to elope with him 1t
was thought advisable to avert scandal by
permitting the marriage. 1t was not long be-
fore the daughter had good cause to regret the
development Of her early passion. Her husband
proved a worthless character, although the
witness obtained lucrative positions for him
and did all in her power to make her daughter
and her husband happy.
Witness denied stealing the children from
Fox. She said that he allowed the children to
accompany his ex-wife to Washington and had
never demanded their return. No effort had
been made to prevent him from seeing his
children. They had been attending school at
Reno.
On cross-examination Attorney Crittenden
attempted to show that the trouble was in brief
a case of mother-in-law. Witness denied this
and declared that she had always treated Fox
kindly