The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1898-05-18
LOVED ACTOR SERV|SS.
Vice Chancellor Reid Hears
the Walling Divorce
Case.
DEFENDANT VEEPs IN COURT
The Philadelphia Detective
Gets in His Fine
Work.
DEFENDANT WEEPS IN COURT

Vice-Chancellor Reid his morning In
the Court of Chaneery heard testimony
in the application OF David Clarence Wal
ling for a divorce from his wife, Julia
Walling. The parties live in Middletown,
Monmouth county. where the complain
ant at certain seasons of the year dis
tiils Jersey tanglefoot. He is not a par
ticularly prepossessing young man, and
his most prominent feature is his large
ears. The Wallings were married Sep
tember 5, 1896, by the Rev. Mr.. Slater,
of Mattawan. They lived happily to-
gether for some time, and then MI. Wal
ling began to talk of Harry Serviss, an
actor. in the Fanny Davenport Company.
On January 8, 1898, Mrs Walling left
home saying tina she was going to visit
her sister In Perth Amboy. Something
awakened her husbands suspician and he
went to Philadelphia and consulted a de-
tective agency. He told them that he
thought his wife might be with Serviss,
whose troop was playing in Philadelphia
at the time
A Philadelphia Hawkshaw located Ser
viss at a theatrical boarding house on
Walnut street. He went to the house and
asked for Mrs. Serviss saying that he had
a letter for her. The lady who kept the
boarding house called Mrs Serviss, and
Mrs. Walling appeared. Milman reported
to Walling and recommended that war
rants be secured for the arrest of the
woman and the actor. This was done,
and James H. Nixon and John ]. Dean,
two Philadelphia constables, accompan-
led by Walling went to execute the war;
rants. At the Walnut street house they
went TO Serviss' room and asked for Mrs.
WalEng. Seryiss said that there was no
woman there but his wife. He was ask
ed to produce his wife, and said she was
in another room. Just then Mrs. Wal
ling came out of a room at the other end
of the hail., and Walling Immediately said
thai was his wife. She vas scantily at
tired, n had a coat thrown over her
bare shoulders. The constable directed
them to dress and come to the police sta
ton. Mrs. Walling cried and Serviss
said this is a bad fix we have gotten
into They were locked up for the re-
mainder of the night, the arrest having
been made at one O'Clock. In the police
court, the next day, they We're dis
charged, Walling saying that all he
wanted was a divorce.
The defense was. a general denial of all
wrong doing, and if there was any wrong
doing it had been condoned by his sub
sequellt conduct After Walling, the de-
tective and the ~constables had given their
evidence the defendant took the stand.
All women who appear as complalnanTs
or defendants in the Court of Chancery
are young and beautiful. Mrs. Walling
was no exception to the rule. She said
she would be twenty-one years old in
September. She has pleasant features.
dresses well and becomingly, and has q
general lady-like appearance. She told
of her marriage, and then skipped over
to the morning in the police court. Size
had nothing to say Of events up to that
time. Her husband asked her # she
wanted to get her things; he then gave
her s. and told her what train to take. Al
the Pennsylvania station Mrs. Walling's
sister met them and said to Walling: Il
don't know whether you are to blame for
this, Clarence, or whether Julia is, but if
/ were you | would overlook it.
According to Mrs. Mailing. her husband
said he would, and asked her if she wart-
ed to go home with her.
Yes, Clarence / replied, If You
can overlook what happened last night"
At this point Mrs. Mailing, who up 10 this
time had spoken in a clear, firm voice.
buried her head in her handkerchief, ard
wept hard and silently. The Vice Cnancel-
lor came to her rescue by ordering a re-