Los Angeles herald., 1892-07-13
MARITAL TROUBLES,
The Sensational Features of
the 0rth Divorce Case.
Mrs. Orth Gives Some Sensational
Testimony.
What a Private Detective Claims to
Have Seen in the Phillips Block.
Mr. Orth's Charges Against
His Wife.

phltucub VI tue bupcIlOI COuTG, anu tue
salAcious features developed in the tes-
timony yesterday did not seem to annoy
the large assemblage of ladies who
tLronged the lobby, in the least degree.
The divorce proceedings lie between
Mrs. Mary Orth, who is represented by
Damron & Van Sciever, and her hus-
band, Charles John Orth, foreman of
the Los Angeles Lighting company. Mrs.
Orth alleges desertion and adultery,
the latter crime it is charged being
committed with Matte McCloud, a fair
and pensive blonde, with languishing
blue eyes and plump and pleasing
person. She is alleged to have been the
wife of San Diego gambler.
During the morning F. A. Taylor,
Thomas McHugh, 4. j. Dorsey, Mrs.
Lizzie Waller and Lille Fitzgerald, the
two latter being sister and niece of
Mrs. Orth, were put on the stand. ALI
through the proceedings Mr.. Orth, who
possesses a beard that could rival in
luxuriance that of Frederick Barbarossa,
sat with an impressive countenance be-
tween his attorneys, Messrs. Cheney &
Cronin.
f. A. Taylor testified that he was en-
ployed in Insley's Detective agency as
private detective to watch defendant,
and that he had engaged room in the
Phillips block near the room of Mrs.
Matte McCloud. In company with an
other detective he kept watch of the
room. One night he saw Orth 60 into
Mrs. McCloud's room, and his partner
hoisted him up and he looked into the
room through the transom and saw Orth
and Mrs. McCloud lying in compro-
missing position together. They stayed
there from o'clock in the evening until
A 80 O'Clock in the morning, when Orth
got up and went into room which he
had rented in the same building.
The testimony of Mrs. Lizzie Waller
was to the effect that she had accom-
panied her sister, the plaintiff, several
times on visits to the Phillips block, and
had seen Orth and Mrs. McCloud to-
gether in the latter's room.
Mrs. Mary Orth, the plaintiff, who is
a tall, shapely brunette, with luminous
black eyes and raven tresses, next took
the stand and testified as below:
Il was married August, 1881, to the
defendant. l heard that he had been
stopping with the McCloud woman and
told him he ought to stay at home.
One day | chased him up to the Phillips
block. He went up to the back stairs
and went up the frent stairs and Mrs.
McCloud was standing at the door of
room 10 and she pushed him in the
room. When came up to the door she
said, oh, Mrs. Orth, you seem nervous
and worried; what is the matter?'
Il said you have my husband in your
room and want him, and che denied it.
was up there again one night with my
sister and went into the room next to
the room of Mr.. Orth. l looked through
Q hole in the glass. saw Orth lying in
the bed and Mrs. McCloud turned down
the light, and then made noise. /
have seen Orth come out of the Phillips
block at IL and l O'Clock in the morning
and he has snapped his fingers at me,
and called him dirty brute. I was
was worth $4,000 when we married, and /
sold out my property and gave him the
money to start grocery store. This
did not succeed and we started hotel.
My husband went over to Honolulu in
1882, and | went after him. (The
witness then went on to saw that her
husband was living with another woman
in Honolulu when she arrived there, but
Judge Wade ruled this part OF the testi-
mony out.) Under cross.examination
Mrs. Orth said she had looked into Mrs.
McCloud's room several times, having
been accompanied by her sister, and
that she had looked through the tran
som aud sometimes through the key
hole. "When l looked into the room
and saw my husband with this woman
got eick at heart and went home. The
glass OF the transom was painted, and
small hole had been scratched through
the paint in order TO see into the room.
When | was married l had $500 in the
6ibernia bank OF San Francisco, and
with this money and $500 more which
borrowed from John Hatch / bought
furniture for hotel, and had to sell it
to pay debts"
The husband, Charles J. Orth, then
took the stand in his defense, and testi-
fed: 81 have lived in Los Angeles
since 1885. Was married in 1881; have
no children by her, but six children by
a former wife. have lived with COM
plainant until September IA, 1881.
When / came here on that date, she
was under the influence of liquor that
evening and quarreled with me. She
threatened to kill me and said, You are
and l will kill you.'
This was at the supper table, and was
afraid of her, and went out for three
hours. When | returned to the house
and sat on my bed awake all night, as
was afraid she would shoot me. l have
not been back to the house since. She
came down to the works several times
since and used bad language. She
called me - and in q
loud tone of voice. She stood in front
OF my room at the gas works and used
this language to me. She was drunk at
that time. l have seen her drunk over
100 times. She was under the
influence of liquor every day, and
she was very much excited when
she had been drinking and would not
attend to her household duties. Since
September 18th l have spent nearly
every night at my room at the works.
was only away one night when | came
up town and bought some cigars. l
low Mrs. McCloud; she roomed in the
lips block and l called on her twice.
Sfa had been particular friend of my
o. She wrote to me and called to
so her. have not had illicit relations
iSh her at any time or place. THE
.st OF the testimony is unfit for publ
cation.]
My wife kept whisky, wine and
beer in the house, and she has drank
liquor at a corner grocery on Also
street. She has stood up at the bar and
drank liquor in many saloons, and l