The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1897-06-10
BelmOnt'S Story to Mrs.
Smith About a Piano.
Her Husband and Witnesses
Came and Left With Him.
Woman's Testimony Unshaken by
Severe Cr0ss-ExaminatiOn.

surprises yesterday In the trial before
Justice Garretson of the Supreme Court
In Brooklyn, Of the suit for abso-
lutte divorce brought by Melvin, better
known as Diamond" Smith, against
Kate M. Smith.
The first was occasioned by the an
nouncement that former District Attor-
ney James w. Ridgway, chief counsel for
the plaintiff, had Withdrawn from the
case. No reason was assigned but it Is
said that MIR. Ridgway's action was due
To the sorry figure cut on Tuesday by
George g. Grant, the PLAINTIFF s chief wit
ness. Mr.. A. r. Carroll, Smiths other
lawyer, asked for permission to abandon
the case for the present by Withdrawing
"a juror, but he was not allowed TO do SO.
The second surprise came when the de-
fendant took the stand in her own behalf.
She is mIddle-aged woman, with
sweet, though careworn face. Her young
est son escorted her TO the witness stand.
After telling how "a man named Bel
mont made her acquaintance byrepresent-
ing himself as piano agent, who wanted
To sell her piano which belonged TO
friend of his, Mrs. Smith said;
"On June 80, while in All elevated rail-
road station, Belmont approached me, and
asked me to go with him To his friends
house to look at the piano. l went with
him To New York. When we arrived at
Forty second street and Lexington ave-
nue., he told me that was where his friend
lived. / thought it was an apartment
house. / was ushered into a reception
room. Belmont excused himself To SEQ
IL his frieEd was in. He remained away
for nearly 40 minutes. When he returned
he said he bad just met man who had
owed him $500 for long time
Caught In a Trap.
"We stepped into an elevator and were
carried up The elevator boy started TO
precede Us, but Belmont said To him,
Never mind know the way, and whis-
pered something to him. In the hall Bel
mont again excused himself, saving he
wanted to talk with his friend before i
saw her. As he left he said: These
rooms are all open. You may step In and
wait for me there.
Several persons passed me and looked
at me suspiciously, and i stepped into ono
of the rooms, leaving the door wide open.
While looking out of the window heard
the clink Of glasses. l looked around and
saw the bell boy put tray with three
bottles OF beer and some glasses on the
bureau Belmont was behind him.
1.-The boy iert the room and Belmont
turned the kew. 1t dawned upon me that
/ had been trapped. l commanded Bel
mont to open the door at once. lie
help, and he placed his back against the
electric button.
~ was almost frantic. There were two
other doors of the room. i tried them, put
both were locked. / told Belmont would
shout for help. He told me would bet
ter not, as that would arouse all the people
in the house and my husband would be
sure TO hear of IT, This, he said, would be
very disastrous TO me, as MIR. Smith
wanted n divorce.
Her Husband at the Door.
81 pleaded with him to let me out. I
told him 1 had an old mother and four
children to take care of. He smiled. l
asked him whether he had wife or
mother or sister and begged him for
their sake To spare me- He took n bottle
from the tray and poured out some beer.
"Then came knock at the door. Bel
mont turned the key and threw open the
door Walk in, gentlemen, he said
Nv husband and Grant stepped In. Doo-
little stood outside.
"Mr. smith asked, where is she?'
Belmont pointed to me- i asked. What
is IL you want of me?' Mr.. Smith struck
me and called me names Grant whis-
pered to Belmont, who shouted, SIZE is
my wife!' Belmont threw Grant on tho
bed, where they struggled for several
minutes.
Grant finally said TO Mr.. Smith, Leave
her alone Mr.. Smith stopped hitting
me. Belmont advanced toward me- /
pulled out my hatpin and told him
would stab him II he laid a finger on me.
All three men then left the room. fol-
lowed and heard them laughing and jok-
ing as they wen5 down stairs. L hurried
home and told my children about tho
affair Several months afterward l learned
that Bclmont's real name was Laporte
and that he was private detective.
Mrs. Smiths testimony was not shaken
by a long cross s-examination.
Said He'd Trapped His Wife.
Sarah Turner, ofClinton avenue Brook
iyn, testified that Smith admitted To her
last summer that no had trapped his wife.
Other witnesses established the identity
Of Belmont, alias Lamb, alias Laporte, and
his intimate acquaintance with Grant
Mrs. Annie O'Connor, Of No. III Gates
avenue Brooklyn. testified that Smith,
in 1894, visited young girl known as
Miss Keith, who occupied a furnished
room with the witness at No. 402 Putnam
avenue Brooklyn. Miss Keith had said
that Smith was her uncle. The witness
heard Mr.. Smith urge Miss Keith to ac-
company him TO Canada.
The case will be continued today.