The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1895-08-28
SAYS SHE is PURE
MRS. BARNES CLAIMS SHE has
EIVER DONE WRONG.

Mcgowan Was Merely a Friend and Not a
Lover-However She Herself has a Di-
vorce Suit Pending in Oklahoma and
Defends Mcgowan and says that the
cur to Mr.. Barnes Until Later-Case will
| Not Stick in New Jersey Courts anyway
and there is An End to 1t.
! New York, Aug. 27.-Mrs. Helen Edith
| Barnes, the centre about which all the
| Trenton social scandal revolves, gave
| out a lengthy statement of her side OF
! the Mcgowan affair and her husband 5
| sensational affidavit last night. Mrs.
Barnes, it appears, had begun suit for
divorce from her husband in Oklahoma
some time ago.
1t is singular" she says, that after
| having countenanced for many months
the friendly relations that existed be-
tween Mr. Mcgowan and me that he
should at this time make accusations
against me which he knows to be wick
eddy untrue. Nobody knows better
than Mr.. Barnes that Mr.. Mcgowan
and l have been on terms of friendship
and beyond this nothing existed be-
tween US. 1t was not until after Mr..
Mcgowan had struck him that he SEEM
ed to think it necessary to sue for $780,
900 to comfort his wounded feelings.
STOOD CRUELTY ENOUGH
Instead of protecting my reputation
he seems to feel called upon to assail
it, He had always professed the great
est affection for Mr.. Mcgowan. 1t was
only because 1 felt that L could no
longer submit to the continued cruelty
and abuse which / have stood at my
husbands hands for the past three
years that l left him. He brings these
proceedings now when he knows that
L begun in an Okla homa court a suit
against him for absolute divorce on the
ground of his cruelty to me"
Mr.. Barnes registered at the Aston
House last night. He said he was not
looking for Mcgowan and he did not
think Mcgowan was looking for him
Mr.. Barnes said he had merely come
on business. He said he did not know
where his wife and children and Mogo-
wan were.
Ex-Mayor Mcgowan arrived in this
city last evening and went TO the Hoff-
man House. Later he went to the
Windsor Hotel, where Mrs. Barnes is
stopping with her brother-in-law and
sister, DR.. and Mrs. Winnie. He WIS.,
tied the Winnies, spending an hour
Will w lliule-
SAYS SUIT WON'T HOLD.
Trenton, n. J., Aug. 27-The suit for
s100, 900 damages which John 4. Barnes
brought against ex-MayOr Frank A.
Mcgowan a few days ago foral ienating
from Barnes the affections of his wife
is likely 10 prove futile on legal grounds.
EX-City Solicitor Edwin Robert Walk
er, who is Magowan'S counsel, will.
when the writ in the suit is returned
at the November term of the supreme
court. move for the quaShing of the
writ and the dismissal Of the proceed
ings.
The complaint Of Barnes is accom-
panied only by his own affidavit, and
Counselor Walker holds that under the
laws of New Jersey a husband is not
competent to give testimony in a c-lr-
inal suit which may criminate his wife
or vice versa. Mr. Walker, in support
of this contention. refers to the fifth
section of the evidence act. which
reads: Nothing herein contained
shall render any husband or wife COM
petent 10 give evidence for or against
the other in any criminal action "
or in any action for criminal CONVEX
SION"