The morning call., 1893-11-03
THE WEBB CASE.
Testimony in the Divorce
Proceedings.
A PRIVATE DETECTIVES SAY.
The Husband Tells What Caused
Him to Become Estranged From
His Wife-An InvaIid'S Story.

OAKLAND.-The divorce proceedings of
E. o. WEBB against Florence Webb is the
present sensation in this city. The Webbs
live on beautiful ranch on the Haywards
road and near that town, and have been
married sixteen years. They have one
child, son, Ia years of age. who has until
recently been at school at Livermore. Both
the mother and father are anxious to keep
the knowledge of their troubles fl ON their
son.
The Webbs move in the higher circles of
society, and when their troubles were first
made public in May last they created a
decided sensation. The husband COM
menced proceedings for divorce abou: that
time and named Dr. Dean, a prominent
physician of Haywards. as the wrecker of
his domestic happiness.
Yesterday court proceedings were COM
menced before Judge Ogden in the Su-
perior Court, and large number OF per-
sons, including witnesses and Mr.. and
Mrs. Webb, were on hand.
Stephen q. Nve and A. a. Moore ap-
peared for Mr. Webb, while Davis q Hill
were attorneys for Mrs. Webb. DR.. Dean
was represented by W. w. FOote.
An effort was made by the attorneys for
both the husband and wife to have the
while Judge Ogden decided to keep out
the general public, but to allow the news
paper men To stay.
The first witness put on the stand was a
private detective. Frank II. Mason. who
in connection with another detective
named Gehr had been retained by Webb
20 watch his wife, and these two lived for
days in haystack on the Webb place and
kept an eye on the house.
Witness then went on 10 narrate how he
had detected Mrs. Webb and DR.. Dean to-
gether in her room.
The witness said he was directed by
Webb how TO keep a watch on the loom.
One day be saw Dean go into the house,
and Immediately repaired to the roof OF
the house and let himself into the garret
byIsmeans of the trapdoor on the roof
He then descended a few steps and
found himself on some boards on the
rafteTs. where there were some sacks
and blankets spread out These he re-
moved. and underneath them he found a
magazine or book, which be lifted up, and
beneath which was hole in the plaster
Ing. Through this hole he looked down
into Mrs Webb's private room. He had
not been there long when the door of the
room opened and Mrs. Webb came into
the room. After a while DR.. Dean en-
tered the room and remained about fifteen
minutes. The witness then detailed what
transpired there.
Mr.. Mason was then subjected to a
severe crosseXamination by Mr.. Davis,
who brought out The fact that Webb had
paid him S704 90 for his services. or at the
rate of $50 a day.
The testimony OF Detective Mason took
up the entire forenoon and after lunch Mr..
Webb was on the witness-stand. He was
asked to relate his story. He said that on
May q, 1898, he left his home to go to Hay
wards (t came ont afterward that he was
10 meet Mr. Mason on that day) TO see
party. and before he got lar on the road
from his house he had to turn into one Of
his helds to examine some hay and while
there he saw DR.. Dean driving toward his
house with q boy in his buggy. Mr.. Webb
said: 81 turned and drove after him when
L saw he was going TO my house and turned
in and took roundabout course up 10 the
back OF my house. where | left my buggy
IN gulch quarter of a mile from the
house. | then started toward the house
along row of gum trees and
got to the hack of the house | took my
shoes off and climbed up to the roof and
entered the trapdoor. | got down on my
knees on the blankets and put my eye 10
the hole in the plaster and looked down in
my wife's room. l could hear my wife
talking; she was saying | had just got
back and had brought back a half bottle
=
and that | had been sick on the road.
Then | heard the clnk of glasses. as
though some one was drinking.
The witness then described what fol-
lowed during fifteen or twenty minutes
that the two were in the room.
The witness was closely questioned in
his croSs-eXamination. He said that he
had made the hole in the ceiling on
the 1Sta of April of this year. In answer
70 question he said that he knew DR..
Dean mad an engagement to call at his
house on the previous day, but that he did
not do so. He said that he had no affec-
tion for his wife for some years, but that
it was since DR.. Deans visits commenced
that the enlargement began that he had
never had any family disSension before
DR.. Deans visits. He stated that he had
first introduced DR.. Dean to his house as
his family physician as his wife had San
Francisco physician and his services were
expensive.
in his redirect examination he was
asked about his property. He stated that
he had no income, except $50 per month,
which he was getting as percentage from
his fathers estate. He said he had about
$1,000 Of community or personal property.
The HaywardS ranch of 130 acres, 80 OF
which was improved, was gift from his
father. He also. he said. had been left a
Snare of his fathers S125. 600 estate, but
was getting nothing for it now, as his
mother had a life interest in the estate.
He said the Haywards ranch only paid
running expenses.
Mrs. Strube. a lady who is an invalid
and who was rolled into the courtroom in
an invalid's chair. testified that she had
been very intimate with Mrs. Webb and
swore that size knew all about her rela-
tions with DR.. Dean. She gave some SEN
Sational details of the meetings between
the doc or and Mrs. Webb at Haywards
and San Lorenzo, and told how
Mrs. Webb's attentions to the doctor