The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1896-09-18
he DREW A PISTOL
Sensational Testimony in
the Kastendiek Di-
vorce Case.
A JOURNEY TO NEW YORK
The Defendant Claims That a Con-
spiracy Was Formed to
Catch Him.
A JOURNEY TO NEW YORK

Vice Chancellor Gray of Camden sat
in the Court of Chancery this morning
and heard testimony in the suit for d.
yorce brought by Mrs. Richard HASTEN
dick. Mr.. Kastendiek has been for many
years prominently identified with the
steamboat business, and was generally
known as Commodore Kastendiek.
Mrs Kastendiek was the first witness
She is strikingly handsome woman
and was modestly attired in black tailor
made costume. Questioned by Senator
William d. DAILY, her counsel, she told
of her marriage seven years ago. About
two years ago her suspicious of her hus-
bands fidelity were aroused by finding
letters addressed to him which were writ
ten by a woman. One in particular
spoke Of his past life. Mrs. Kastendiek
showed the letters to her husband and
asked him what they meant He re-
piled that they were for the purpose of
blackmail, and at his wife's suggestion
agreed that with his wife he would con-
front the writer and make her confess
to the falsity of the letters. That, how
ever, he did not do.
William Rhode, the next witness, testi-
fed that one day last fall he received a
note from friend named Breame asking
him to meet him at the Duke House, Ho-
boken. Rhode went there and met
Breame. Kastendiek was with Breame
The latter told the witness that he and
Kastendiek had an engagement to meet
some ladies, but unfortunately he,
Breame, could not go and wanted Rhode
to take his place. Rhode consented and
he and Kastendiek took a Washington
street car to the Fourteenth street ferry.
At the entrance to the ferry-house they
met two women with whom they crossed
the ferry and walked down West street
New York. to the Palace Hotel. at CHS
topher street. There they had supper,
after which each couple registered as man
and wife. A half hour afterward Breame
came up to Rhodes room, where he was
soon Joined by Kastendiek and the woman
he was with Some wine was drunk in
the room and then the party came back
to Hoboken, leaving the women where
they found them, at the Fourteenth street
ferry-houSe.
The defendant charged that the entire
proceeding was conspiracy against him,
and Corporation Attorney James e. Min
turn of Hoboken. who represented Mr..
Kastendiak, cross-examined the witness
in the line OF that charge. All he brought
out, however, was that Kastendiek said
once while going up in the Washington
street car that he was afraid of the af-
fair and felt little shaky. Nevertheless,
he Went on. met the women and went to
he would not eat with the rest of the
party, but remained in the Darroom until
they registered.
Herman Sus, a slim young man with
red mutton chop whiskers and an exceed
ingly nervous manner, was the next wit
ness. He nervously twirled his fingers
and beat a TATTOO on the leg of the Vice
Chancellor's table with his foot while he
testified. He spoke so low that the Chan
cellor had to frequently admonish him to
speak up. He began by saying that on the
night in question he was watching at the
Palace Hetel. At that the Vice-Chaneel-
lor pricked up his ears and questioned
him closely as to why ne happened to be
watching there at that particular time
After much hesitation the witness finally
said that Mrs Kastendiek had hired him
to watch her husband, who she suspect
ed was running with other women. She
told him to watch Dukes Hotel Hobo
He corroborated Rhodes testimony and
said that when the party disappeared
from the office he examined the registry
and saw ~. Kirker and wife" registered
in what he thought was Kastendiek's
handwriting from the manner in which
Mrs. Kasterdiek had told him her hus-
band wrote AS he was not positive he
evidence was stricken out.
On DISCRIMINATION he said that his
brother was in the employ of Breame.
ne QtIiSQ lndl any OuS IOlu MIN 80
to the Palace Hotel that night.
Julia Hart, the next witness, was for
over TWO years a domestic in the HASTEN
dick family She testified that the con-
duct of Mr. Kastendiek toward his wife
was not affectionate, and he often came
home intoxicated. One night when he
came home he pointed pistol at the
witness and and threatened TO shoot them.
Mrs. Kastendek was then recalled and
told about the time that her husband met
with business reverses and his allowances
to her became very small. Her parents
were obliged to help her But she made
no complaint at that, and would have
cheerfully helped her husband all she
could if he had treated her well. But
he used to come home at night intoxicated
and '.act beastly.''
Kastendiek was the only witness for
the defense. He denied treating his wife
sbeastly." or of being guilty of any wrong
doing He admitted the revolver episode,
hut said that there were no Cartridges in
it and he only pointed it at the women
for fun.