The San Francisco call., 1896-09-12
.HUDELSON'S DEPOSITION
He Denies That Any Alimony
Can Be Due From
Him.
Because, He Alleges, He Was Never
Married to the Woman Who
Has Sued Him.

The deposition of B. F. Hudelson was
taken yesterday afternoon at Reel B.
Terry's Office in the Parrott building in
connection with the suit. previously re-
ferred to, which has been begun against
him for alimony and attorneys fees by
the woman who claims to have lived with
him and to have been acknowledged By
him as his wife. She calls herself Mrs.
Hudelson. He says that he knew her as
Cora or Millie Webster, by both of which
names she was called; and also as Mrs.
Mile Johnston. Counsel present were
Reel B. Terry and w. H. Jordan, the last
named being attorney for Mr.. Hudelson.
The deposition was begun with the state
ment of the age, occupation. etc of the de-
ponent. The remainder was princlpallycon.
fined to Mr.. Hudelson's recital of his rela-
tions with the woman who claims alimony.
The recital was long, occupying the better
part OF the afternoon. He testified that he
was never married to her; that he never
introduced her as his wife to any one; that
during the period when he was associated
with her, which period ended in 1885. he
was living fast life; that she kept or was
an inmate of disreputable house at Mo.
desto during the period referred to. and
tnat he was fully aware OF her character
ahA OSSAPobiOh WuACn were NOTORIOUS.
She also lived with him in a cabin which
he built for occupation in connection with
| cattle business at Oak Flat.
he acknowledged that she had visited
| his fathers house once In his comnanv.
but said that he was under the influence
OF hquor at the time. She also visited the
home OF his parents once when he was
there. He told his mother that he did
not want anything more to do with the
! present plaintiff, and his mother or
dered her to leave the house. He was
asked whether he had not introd need her
| TO many persons, who were individually
mentioned by counsel, as his wife. He
| answered en.phatically that he had not.
his relations with her were intimate, but
| ne nad never proposed that they should
! DE married, nor did she ever suggest such
thing.
On cross-examination Mr.. Hudelson said
| that be became converted 10 Christianity
IN 1881. He was then living in Modesto,
and there he was subsequently, ordained
/ as Baptist clergyman, and he preached
IN Modesto between two and three wears
| before he went to Golden Gate. in Ala
media County, where he has since resided.
HIS marriage to the lady Who bore his
name was publicly announced, and was
publicly celebrated at Modesto The
/ woman who now claims to have been his
wife, and who is the plaintiff in the
present proceedings was living at Modesto
at the time that he was publicly married
to the lady whom he publicly recognized
as Mrs. Huielson, and she neither at that
time, nor previously, nor at any other
time prior to the beginning OF this suit, so
far as he knew, ever claimed to have been
| his wife.
Once he saw her in his congregation
while he was preaching in the BAPTIST
church at Modesto. 1t was his custom as
preacher, after the sermon, to go to the
'front.' OF the church and there shake hands
with all the congregation as they passed
out. In observing this custom he thought
II very probable that when the plaintiff
was IN his congregation at Modesto on the
occasion mentioned be may have shaken
hands with her as she passed out OF the
front door. That was the only occasion
upon which he has met her since he
hnaliy gave up her society in 1885. A
poem was introduced which he said he
wrote. 1t was written for a lady in Mo-
desto who is now dead. When the plain
TIN discovered the verses she was angry.
and he accordingly changed the form of
the verse, which was an acrostic TO dedi-
cate 1t 10 Millie instead of MoIlie. The
particulars of Mr.. Hudelson's early life
weregone into in much detail. He was
sure that he had never introduced the
plalntItf 10 any one as his wife.