The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1897-06-01

The Griffin divorce case bobbed into
prominence again yesterday when the
taking of the dispositions Of Mrs.
Thurston of Minneapolis was completed
in behalf of the defendant, Mrs. Crit
fin.
The proceedings were of a somewhat
sensational nature, and Judge Hiles,
before whom the dispositions were
taken, ordered the doors closed and the
affair began to assume the shape Of a
sensation about to be sprung. The at
torneys present were Judge LIE Grande
Young and his partner, Oscar w.
Moyle, in behalf of Mrs. Griffin. and
Judge LoofburIow for the plaintiff
Mrs. Thurston is the lady who, to-
gether with her daughter, Grace, occu-
pied a room adjoining Mrs. Cora e.
Berkman in the Harmon block. There
was glass door between the two rooms
and that was why the defense thought
Mrs. Thurston might know a thing or
two concerning Contractor Griffin's fire.
quent visits 10 Mrs. Berkman in the
Harmon block last summer.
SEEN THROUGH A GLASS.
Mrs Thurston, in her deposition,
swears that she stopped in the Harmon
block together with her daughter who
is a clerk at Walker Bros, from July
to November last year. Between the
room occupied by Mrs Thurston and
daughter and the adjoining room occu-
pied by Mrs. Berkman there was a
glass door covered by a curtain. On
one occasion Mrs. Thurston said she
looked through this partition and saw
the Berkman woman sitting in Mr..
Griffin's lap. They appeared to be very
friendly but she did not see any COM
ism he ART Of ia
two apparent lovers while she peeped
through the curtain. On the following
day she remarked to Mrs. Berkman
that she ought to put heavier curtain
over the door and be more careful in
the future. Some one might be treated
to a fine exhibition.
A LITTLE GAY.
Questioned concerning the Berkman
woman Mrs. Thurston said she thought
her a little gay and the frequent Wis
its of Contractor Jacob Henry Griffin
was often talked about among the lodg-
ers. 1t was an everyday occurrence TO
hear Mr.. Griffin in the woman's room
and after a while the roomers became
accustomed to it.
SCANTILY CLAD.
One night Mrs. Thurston alleges that
the Berkman woman came into the
formers room having nothing on but
a pair of slippers and night dress.
Whether or not Mr.. Griffin was in Mrs.
Berkman's room at the time Mrs.
Thurston could not say, but she was
quite certain of having heard his voice
in there that same evening.
Mrs. Thurston gave no direct testi-
mnoy of criminal intimacy between Mr..
Griffin and Mrs. Berkman, but related
from which the public
must draw its conclusions.
ONLY A CLOSE FRIEND.
In this connection it may be stated
that Griffins defense will be TO set up
that this Mrs. Berkman, so much asso-
ciated with the case, was only a close |
friend, d cousin as it were. 1t appears
that she formerly resided in MinneapO-
lis and there married a cousin of Mr.. |
Griffin. Her husband got into trouble /
with another woman and Mrs. Berk- |
man secured a divorce. When she ,
came to Salt Lake she and Griffin got |
into the habit of calling each other /
cousin" and while they were to-
gether a great deal there were no re-
ations but those of two intimate I
friends. In other words Mr.. Griffin will |
contend that he treated Mrs. Berkman
IS a respectable relative and that there
was nothing improper between them,
% say nothing of the charge of adul-
cry.
Mrs. Thurston was brought out here
oy the defense and will now return to
ler home in Minneapolis.