The Anaconda standard., 1895-05-10
AS IT IS told NOW
Mrs. Blume's Friends Present Her
Side Of q Racy Case.
TRIALS OF Welded LIFE
Witnesses Deny. That Virginia Is
Such a Naughty Woman as She
) Has Been Painted BY the Fell
lows on the Other Side.

Butte, May 9.--The defense In the
Blume divorce case depends a great
deal on its intimation that the damag-
ing letters alleged to have been writ
ten by Mrs. Blume to Miss Hanson
are forgeries. and the plaintiffs intro
duced evidence to prove Mrs. Blume's
handwriting. A. ]. Davis, cashier of
the First National bank. testified that
ne had cashed a number of checks on
Mrs. Blume's endorsement and he
identified the signature to the letter as
the signature of Mrs. Biume. The
court. however, ordered Mr.. Davis
testimony stricken out on the ground
that he had not shown himself qualified
ito testify as to the handwriting. The
plaintiffs then announced their case
closed.
l.. Van Orton. the principal CORE
spondent, was the first witness called
for the defense. He said he had
known Mrs. Blume in 1884, and was
quite friendly, but since that time had
only a talking acquaintance. In 1884 he
was running a skating rink and Mrs.
Blume was one of his patrons. He Of
ten skated with her, Just as he would
with any other woman. The first time
he ever accompanied Mrs. Blume home
was IIOfn a CnuTCn, WHERE ne 0du Dttn
introduced to her by Rev. Mr.. Ship
pen, and took her home at his request.
Mr.. Orton declared that he had newer
been inside the Blume house in his
life, and he never wrote letter or
note of any kind to Mrs. Blume in his
life. and denied the authorship of the
"My Dear Wife" and "Old Nibs'' let
ters. He said he never signed his let
ters Van unless he wrote to his sis
ter or other relative. He never was
sufficiently familiar with the surround
ings of the Blume residence to be able
to describe them. Mr.. Orton exhibited
his foot to the jury to show that he
the snow on the Blume porch. as tes-
titled to by Mrs. Warde. He was per-
fectly innocent and in absolute ignor-
ance of the drawn curtains. and flick
| ering light Incidents. the bed room
scenes, the shoe tracks and everything
else testified to by many witnesses.
and tending to show an intimacy be-
| tween himself and Mrs. Blume. He
| denied that City Marshal Tebo ever
| called for him at Mrs. Blume's house,
| and that he found him there. He said
1 there never were the least famfliarities
between himself and Mrs. Blume more
than such as would exist between a re-
| spectacle man and respectable woman.
In answer to a plain, pointed and un-
vanished question Mr.. Orton said:
| mo, never" f
1 Mr.. Hamilton, who was examining
the witness, wanted to show that In
| 1884 there were other Vans" I'm town
besides Van Orton, but the court ruled
/ IL out.
4 On cross-examination Mr.. Mcbride
asked Mr.. Orton If on last New Years
eve. in the presence of William Wise
and four others, he had not spoken oi
Mrs. Blume and boasted of his init
macy with her in vulgar terms.
81 never used that kind of language
on New Years eve," said Mr.. Orton
and when requested to give a direci
answer, he said he made no such re
mark and did not think he was in the
presence of the men mentioned on tha
night.
The disclosures, or insinuations. wer,
too much for the defendant. and fol
the first time during the trial she los
her admirable self-control and begaI
to cry and the tears flowed freely. /
was some minutes before she could re
gain her composure.
| David Miklejohn, who gave his oc
cupation as deputy sheriff. deput,
United States marshal, ETC.. and wh'
has lately appeared in several cases a.
| an impeaching witness, was called TO
the purpose of impeaching the testi
mony of Oliver Humphreys. AS tn
evidence sought to be impeached hat
4
nation of Humphreys, the court sus
tanned an objection to Mr.. Mikeljohn'
testimony, and IL was all shut out
On cross-examination he said he ha'
been doing detective work in the cas-
for the defense, on request OF one o
the attorneys.
Mrs. Dingley was the next witnes
and was asked regarding her knowl
edge of the Van letters. She prove'
| disappointing She said Mr.. Blum
had told her he could show her let
ter written to his wife by another maj
who called her MY Dear Wife" Nj
Haldorn asked the witness what sh
understood by 1t and the court prompt
ly interrupted the attorney and tol
him that he should know that such
question was improper. The witnes
was excused.
Mrs. Van Dusen testified that sh
had an extensive correspondence wit
Mrs. Birme and was familiar with he
handwriting. She offered letter sh
received from Mrs. Blume and Mr.. Hal
dorm wanted to introduce IL as evi
dence, but II was ruled out.
Mr.. Van Dusen, husband OF the pre-
vious witness. was next called and ties
titled that oliver Humphreys once tol
him that he knew nothing about Mr'
Blume. and that she was good won
an On cross-examination Van Duse
said he was interested in Mrs. Blume'
case and had looked up certain MAJ
tiers in IT.
DIR. w. II. Hall, correspondent No.
was the next witness. and testifie
that in July or August, 1894. he frs
| became aware that Mrs. Blume wa
having some work done in his offic'
but was treated by his assistant, ID
Sanberg. She was up there on on
Sunday during DIR. Sanberg's absenc'
and he (the witness) treated her teet
on that occasion, the time required bs
ing but a few minutes. She was ID
Sanberg's patient and DIR. Hall treate
her teeth only two or three times dul
ing the absence of his assistant. tn
doctor said he did work for Mr.
, | Blume and made no charges becaus
| previous work on the same teeth ha
been unsatisfactory. Other work Il
her was always paid for either by he
, | or Mr. Blume. The doctor said ths
| Mrs. Blume's connection with his o
| fice was strictly that of a Datient an