The sun., 1897-12-22
SHE SHEHATESRATCLIFFENOw
AoToR,S WIFE SAYS SHE WANTS HL1r
PUNISHED FOR BEATING HER. :

Lawyer Towns Quotes laEo About Her ana
Calls Her Father. Peter ne Lacy, Nephis-
topheies who Must Nave nis Found OF
2 Elesh-Prosecution VIII sum Up To-day.
Tho case of Edward J. Rntcliffe, tho actor,
who 10 charged with beating his wife, Peter De
Lacy's daughter, viii 20 to tho jury to-day.
Ratcliffe. in the General Sessions Court room,
before the trial was resumed yesterday, laughed
and joKed with his counsel and II was evident
that he was highly pleased with the testimony
given by his witnesses, the men and women who
ate the ducklings over which Mr.. and Mrs. Rat
cliffe had quarrelled. Lawyer Towns recalled
tho actor to the stand and asked him this ques-
tion:
( Before you and your wife separated on juno
IL did she show you any bruises on her person
and toll you how she came by them T.
"YcP, sir," answered Ratcliffe. Two or three
days before that my wife showed me a large
bruiso on her hip. She said that she had fallen
against the icebox and knocked herself against
the dining room table,"
Assistant District Attorney Lloyd asked Rat
cliffe about the bruises which Mrs. Ratcliffo
told her doctor were the result Of G. beating her
husband gavo her at Larchmont. The witness
said that he never know his wife had any
bruises while they were living at Larchmont.
Lawyer Towns asked Ratcliffe whether his
wife was oxtravagant, and Rntcliffo answered
TINT previous to their marriage she owed q
dressmakers bill to Nine. Sharp. The bill was
for $500.
John Chambers who in 1885 was treasurer
for tho Mary Anderson company playing in
London, was called, and began to testify to tho
effect that Ratcliffe had told him that he had
wife and child living in London, but Judge New
burger ruled tho testimony out.
Police Sergeant Charles o. Sheldon was called
In rebuttal by the prosecution to show that when
Mrs Rntcliffe applied for warrant for her hus-
bands arrest she had a black eye.
Assistant District Attorney Lloyd as follows:s
Odd your husband send you fifteen, twenty
he he's says he did While he was playing at Boston
Alt is false.
whst amounts did he send END AA A few
and Was in the hsSit Of taking back The change.
Mr.. Towns-I object to the revival of finan-
Judge Newburger-.You opened tho door for
Mr.. Towns-I have opened no doors, your
Honor, except tho doors Of yonder jury room.
clitfe said that her husband had pawned her
diamond earrings and had then gone to Man
two women whom he treated to supper. She
denied her husbands sta statement that she was
drunk beer with the janitor's dinner party at
her fat TWO days after ter the alleged ass assIHnlt She
that they saw her face and that she had no
Did Mr.: Ratelilfo ever threaten you with
He diu." said Mrs; katcliffe. when was
Feb. IL he told me that he would leave me on
my fathers stoop and blow my brains out. On
DOWN BY threaten threatening % mo with eS reSoiver ip anu '''
has been snS hat here se
o.NYou have no wish TO return to your hus:
band7 :A.-No; have stood his brutal conduct
Q.-Have you any love or affection left for this
man A-No.
o.gntil when did you love % hint A.-Till ho
.Q--Did he kick you with boots or slippers
An Ratclitfe tie never M T. had any slippers ,
yopi And you hate him now, don't youf
Q..And you want to see him punished, don't
o;.h.S, o.XeSr would ysiv give good deal to have him
o..-You would make any sacrifice to have him
poAd p'o.9And you feel very bitter toward him
aThomss 4. Church. 2 clerk in the YorkyilIe
called at the court for warrant her face was
bruised and discolored.
ming up. He compared Peter De Lacy to
MePhistopheles. ana said that De Lacy was the
would would do % for N Mr. Del Dc Lacy thirst for revenge.
Gswysr a fu e has
her husband to prison. Her story has been OK.
aggerated into a monstrous lie. Shakespeare
mover spoke u truer word than when he said of
certain women: Pictures out Of doors, bellies in
your parlors, wildcats in your kitchens devils,
Mrs. Ratcliffe. Where is womanhood, where
Is sisterhood. when to-day q woman can come
into a court of justice and say. NO sacri-
1ce Is too great to gain revengef Let
us look at some of the facts in this
case. Why didn't the Assistant District
Attorney produce Miss Henderson. the young
woman who went to Janitor Farleys house with
Mrs. Ratcliffe on the Monday night following
the quarrel Why didn't he produce Mrs. Ire,
boardedl He did not want these people to come
theml 1t was his duty, and when he fails in
that duty ho Is disgrace to his Office, an Office
which he has but short time to occupy"
Assistant District Attorney Lloyd at this
juncture interrupted Ratcliffe's counsel by re-
marking in an undertone: /" 1t seems to me that
Mr.. Towns is disgrace to his profession"
Mr.. Towns replied by referring to Mr.. Lloyd
as " a Darwinian specimen"
Zone moment, Mr.. Towns" shouted Judge
Eewburger, IL would suggest that you get
through with this case without villifying and in
q good humored way"
Mr.. Towns stroked his beard. straightened
himself up. and said: Your Honor; am in good
humor in the best OF humor; a better humored
Assistant District Attorney Lloyd will sum up
this morning, and tho case will probably be
given to the jury some time this afternoon.