The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1891-01-29
THE SALTUs SUIT.
The Novelist Has Something to
Say About 1t.
He Comes Out Very Clean From System of
Spying Practised Upon Him-His Wife's
Obedience Commended.

[Specialto The Observation-Disclosures Dispatch
NEW YORK, Jan. 2S.-On December 10,
1889, Mrs. Edgar Saltus, wife of the novel
ist, brought suit of absolute divorce, al
leging a statutory offense, and naming as
correspondent young lady friend of the
household and one of its frequent inmates.
She is the daughter of Mr.. William G.
Reed, a well known and wealthy business
man of New York: and he is, of course,
known to nearly every reader of contenl-
poraneous American novels. For year
nothing has been heard of the case. 1t APP
pears, however, it has been passing
through the regular legal stages and that
numerous hearings have been had before
Referee Theodore Connolly.
1t was stated at the beginning of the suit
that Mr.. SaltuS had made confession of
his guilt and had fled TO Europe. A few
days after the publication of the summons
Mr.. Saltus returned to this city. He denied
he had made confession of any kind,
nature or description. He stated he had
gone abroad on a purely business matter
The proceedings before the referee have
been held IN camera, but Mr.. Saltus dis
cussed his defense and other features of
the case to-day with that freedom which is
charged is the one quality of his novels, be-
ginning thus:
81 was taken i'll in London he said,
land the fact of my illness was cabled to
the newspapers here. As / subsequently
learned the initial proceedings were then
begun. l took the next ship home. Tosay
that l was surprised at Mrs Saltus' action,
is to put it mildly. We parted on the best
possible terms. When | returned Mrs,
Saltus wrote me pretty note, in which
she said 1t was all her fathers doing; ana
as for herself, she fancied 1 would be hap
pier as bachelor. 1t was considerable of
Mrs. Saltus to put it that way, and could
not but admire her taste and tact at the
same time. AS her father had selected as
correspondents two entirely innocent
young ladies of unblemished reputation, it
was my duty to interpese an answer deny
ing the allegations of the complaint and
l want the action tried.n
Edgar Saltus did not have long to wait.
Referee Theodore Connolly was appointed
to take testimony and his former servants
appeared before the referee. They testi-
he'd that during the time they were in the
home of the Saituses, they were employed
by one of the plaintiffs relatives to keep a
diary OF his movements. to read his letters,
listen at keyholes, to preserve scraps of any
| correspondence they could gather OF pur-
loin, and whenever he received visit,
exercise watchfulness and vigilance This
state OF things, 1t appeared, had been going
on for over year aud a hall, during which
the novelist was presumably too much alb
Sorbed IN his own plots to notice the one at
his elbow.
In spite of this vigilance and in spite, too,
OF the fact that Saltus is VIGOROUSLY one of
the most reckless and Indifferent of men,
the servants who were engaged in spotting
him were unable to testify to anything
relevant to the suit for divorce. When the
testimony was taken he again started for
London and there occupied himself in
writing life Of Christ, which is soon to be
published :.
In conversation with friends recently. he
said: 'If 1t had not been for this divorce
suit, l could not have written it. It taught
me what charity and forgiveness really
are. L haven't grievance to nv name
against Mrs. Saltus. l admit, think ii
was ill-advised for her to sue me by pub.
LEGATION, particularly when a cabiegram
would have answered as well. 1t is not a
thing | would like sister of mine to do 0,
a daughter either. But, as she says. as il
was her fathers wish, it is impossible TO,
me not to command her obedience