The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1889-03-22
The Coney Divorce Case Is
of Great Interest to Mr..
William A. Harney.
MR.. CONEY'S CROSS SUIT BEGUN.
A Story Of Blizzard Day---How Mr.
Harney Was Taken In Out Of the
Cold.

ADVISORY Master Joseph +. Randolph
sat in the Court of Chancery this morn
ing and took testimony in the divorce
case of Coney against Coney, in which
William A. Harney, the younger member
OF the Grove street real estate firm,
figures conspicuously.
Warren M. Coney and Minora Billow
were married in this city Ap-
ril 2, 1885. Miss Billow was the
reigning belle of Renova, Pa, and Mr..
Coney met her while visiting his fathers
home at Williamsport. Love, en-
gagement and marriage followed
each other in rapid succession
At that time Mr.. Coney was the commits
sary agent of the Wagner Parlor and
Sleeping Car Company, but soon after
ward he was appointed to similar posi-
tion with the Pullman Company, and
located in this city.
He and his wife went to board on Grand
street, but Mrs. Coney, her husband says.
desired to go to housekeeping. So in the
following summer, while she was away on
a visit to his relatives, he hired fiat at
No. "a Wayne. street and furnished it
throughout.
THEY TRY HOUSEKEEPING.
He said nothing to his wife about
the fiat, and when she returned
he surprised her by taking her
first Mrs. Coney was delighted with the
fiat, but after while began to think she
would Like to be the mistress of a whole
house.
Accordingly her husband, who, as far as
lay in his power, tried to humor her every
of which Mr.. Harney was the agent.
Mrs. Coney frequently expressed her adj
miration for her new home, and happier
household could not have been found in
the city.
In the early part of 1887 Mr.. Coney re-
wife was too intimate with Mr..
Harney. His faith in his wife's
devotion to him would not permit
| him to place any credence in
the letter and he gave it no attention.
| Later, however, such indiSputable evil
dence was laid before him that he sep
arated from her March 8, 1888, and left the
| city.
! While he was away his wife filed bill
in chancery praying for divorce from
| him and naming Gertrude Mcdowell, q
servant in the family, as correspondent.
Mr.. Coney did not know Of the filing Of
the bill and Judgment was about to be
taken against him by default when he re-
| turned to the city.
! He Immediately engaged John Linn to
| file cross bill, in which Mr. Harney was
mentioned as correspondent.
Mr.. HARVEY AND MRS. coNEY IN COURT.
The proceedings this morning were on
the Cross bill. Mr.. Harney and Mrs.
/ Coney sat together in the court and fire.
! quently laughed over the sensational de-
! tails of the testimony. They frequently
held short consultations with their
counsel Mr.. M. L. Newbold.
Mrs. Coney Is a petite brunette with
| clear, regular features. She was dressed
in a close fitting gown OF brown cloth
which fitted her symmetrical figure
| to perfection. A rich plum-colored
wrap. trimmed with fur, was
! thrown loosely over her shoulders and
| lent an additional charm to her appear
ance, while an elaborately trimmed hat
sat jauntily upon her shapely head.
| The first witness examined was Mrs.
| Gertrude Mcdowell, who testified that
| she accompanied Mr.. Harney and Mrs.
| Cooney to various hotels after the
latter's separation from her husband. She
was hired as sort of compan ion for Mrs
| Coney at $40 per month. She accompanied
the two to Taylor's Hotel in this city and
| to the West End Hotel philadelphia.
A STORY OF BLIZZARD DAY.
1 She and Mrs. COney were at the latter's
| house during the blizzard and one night
! Mr.. Harvey came there after being snow
bound on the way for two days He was
| well nigh exhausted and the two women
| thought he would die. They laid him on
a lounge and tried to restore him. They
| gave him hot drinks and Mrs. Mcdowell
1 went out and procured some dry clothes
for him. In regard to the subsequent pro.
ceedings on that day the testimony OF the
witness was in the last degree damaging
to the persons involved.
John Traynor, of Third avenue, New
York, testified that he is employed by
Ackerman's Detective Agency of New
York From December 16 to December 81,
1887, he watched the house in York street,
in which the Coneys lived and saw Mr..
Harney go there several times and remain
over an hour at time.
Elmer II. Coney, brother of Mr..
Coney, who lived with his brother in this
CITY, testified that his sister-in-law was
always finding defects with the
range and heater which necessitated fre-
ouent visits on her part to Mr.. Harney's
offices in order to have them attended to.
After the usual recess the taking OF
L n