The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1897-12-22
VIFE'S HONOR In PERIL
Joseph P. Lutes Accuses
His Wife Of Habitual
lnfidelity.
MET MEN In THE STREET
Husband Played Spy and Heard
Nothing pleasant-Fem-
mime Temper in
Court.
let MEN In THE STREET


Chambers, Jersey City, yesterday after
noon. Mrs. Lutes was present with num-
Der of her witnesses, most of whom were
women. She and two of the women sat
within the railing which encloses the
space reserved for the members of the
bar. Vice Chancellor Pitney had difficulty
in keeping them silent while Mr.. Lutes
was on the stand. They would frequently
interrupt his testimony with such express
sions as you lieI" Its not so,' and
Tell the truth, Mr.. Lutes.'
Mrs. McGoogan, a particular friend Of
Mrs. Lutes, brought several balls of wor-
sted and her knitting needles along and
knitted almost incessantly while the pro-
ceedings were going on. Mrs. Lutes' eld-
est son, Almerion, thirteen years old, ac-
companied her into the court room and
was present for some time before Vice
Chancellor Pilney noticed that he was
there. When he did discover him the
Vice Chancellor ordered him out of the
ROOM and upbraided Mrs. Lutes for per-
mitting her son to listen to the testimony.
Mrs. Lutes sat in chair near the wit
ness-stand while her husband was testi-
flying, and made frequent demonstrations
as If to assault him. Sergeant-at-Arms
Haggerty sat between the two, and was
Kept busy quieting Mrs. Lutes and pre-
serving peace among her friends. Mr..
Lutes told of his wife's misconduct. He
first noticed it in the fall of 1896, when she
was in the habit of staying out late at
night. He accused her of wrongdoing and
threatened to leave her. She confessed
to having been intimate with George w.
Robertson, at Bayonne, and asked her
husbands forgiveness saying:-"Papa,
won't you come home? If you will come
home promise I will be good and vir-
tuous wife to you and a good mother to
your children
What assurance have I that you will
do as you say?" asked Lutes
ssBy my having confessed all to you,"
she replied.
Mr.. Lutes went home to his wife in
October, and all went well until January
25 of the present year, when, he alleges,
Mrs. Lutes began to go out at night and
remain until a late hour. She always
gave as an excuse that she was going
calling or to the store with a friend
ION April II said Mr.. Lutes, things be-
gan to get dark around the house, and
pleaded with my wife. Don't you
KNOW l said. that you are wrecking our
home by the way you are acting? You
are carrying things too far; you can't
make me believe that any stores are open
until II and II o'clock at night. If you
don't think of me, think of the children
I am not doing anything wrong she re-
Piled"
In the latter part of April Mr.. Lutes
said his wife told him one evening that
she was going to see her sister-in-law
Maggie, who was sick and who had sent
for her. She started away while Mr..
Lutes was eating his supper. The sister,
in-law lived on Grove street. After sup
per Mr.. Lutes thought he would call for
went to the house and finding it in dark
ness thought that she must have left and
started back to. his home. On the corner
of Newark avenue and Grove street he
stopped, as he said, to mediate on his
wifes actions. Presently he saw her come
along Grove street with her friend, Mrs.
WertZ. Mrs. Lutes was constantly turn
ing her head and looking beyond her.
lowing the women. Mrs. Lutes and her
companion stopped half way between
Grove and Erie streets, on Newark ave-
nue., and permitted the young men to
catch up with them. They stood talking
with them for some time and then passed
up the street, and at the corner of Erie
street stopped to talk with another young
man, who walked with them to Jersey
upbraided his WIFE She said that she had
done nothing wrong, and that she knew
the young men. Shortly after this Mr..
Lutes had a friend of his follow his wife
when she went to visit a friend on the
west side. This man reported that Mrs.
Lutes met man on Montgomery street,
who accompanied her on her visit.
On July 10 Mr.. Lutes went home several
hours earlier than usual. When he arrived
his wife was out. He concealed himself
beneath the bed In TIE room adjoining the
dining room. Presently his wife came in
with her friend, whom she had invited to
take tea with her. Lutes tells the story
of what occurred as follows:-
'As they were eating supper they talked
of young men whom they went with.
Here one of Mrs. Lutes' friends inter-
rupted with "Tell the truth, Mr.. Lutes."
Vice Chancellor Pitney had to rap loud
1y for order before he could get the wo-
man to keep STILL
"They did not mention the young men
by name" continued Mr.: Lutes, "but they
spoke of one of them as the doctor. My
wife said:-sWhat do you think, / received
two letters from him. She said:-'He
wants to take us carriage riding to Rah-
way. don't care to go to Railway. Too
many people there know me- After that
they talked in low tone, and could not
hear what they said. Finally my wife
said:- Blanche, 1 believe he has got me
fixed. Blanche, I want you to swear for
me. Swear, swear, swear for all you are
worth that no man ever touched me-.
came out and said-'This is great bust
ness Blanche said to me:-sMr. Lutes,
don't make this public. III do anything
if you won't make scene My wife said
1 said:-I am going to leave
you; it is impossible for me to live with
you in this way. I remained with her un-
til July Is, when started with my boys
for the country.
'I left my boys in Elizabeth with my
sister, and told her where to take them.
This was on Saturday. On Monday told
my wife that / was going away. She
said:-I hate the sight of you and I'm
glad you are going. After this she came
to my office and pleaded with me to come
back to her. told her that / could not,
and then she asked nH for money I
said 81 cannot help you. 1t takes all the
money I have to keep the boys. Shortly
after this she called me up on the phone
one day and asked me to come over and
see her, as she wanted to talk to me about
the children. went over. Her mother
was there. Mrs. Lutes wanted to sit on
my lap" (Here Mrs. Lutes jumped up as
she was forced to take her seat again by
Sergeant-at-Arms Haggerty.) "She said
Pop, amt you ever coming home again?
I'll tell you all if you'll only come back.
She then confessed. to having been inti-
mate with Gus Wakefield, of No. 81 Coles
street.
Here Mrs. Lutes jumped to her feet
again and said, "Its lie
vice Chancellor Pitney said:-"No dem
onstrations here; you women must behave
yourselves Sergeant-at-Arms must see
that you behave yourselves; this must not
occur again
Mr.. Lutes further testified that on Aug.
~ his children returned from the country.
He kept the two younger ones with him