The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-06-09
BUTTE News.
GAVE 1 SEALED VERDICT
Jury Makes It's Return In the
6isgel Case.
IT WAS OUT FOUR HOURS
NJ Mature Of the Verdict Will Not Be
lHodo Known Until Judge Clancy's
Court Convenee This
Morning.

The result Of the trial of the suit Of
ELIAS Siegel against his ex-wife. Phoebe
Siegel. over the possession of some prop
erty standing In her name. will be
known when Judge Clancy convenes
Els court this morning. The jury at
1880 o'clock last night brought in a
sealed verdict. after having been out
about I'VE hours. The last Of the evil
dence was introduced yesterday morn
ing and the arguments took up all Of
the afternoon session of court.
Mrs. Sieeel. the defendant. was on the
witness stand yesterday morning and
testified tha when she first came to
Butte with her husband she earned
money Of her own by teaching husic and
keeping boarders. She said they all paid
their board. Mr.. Siegel paid into the
household fund $50 a week n she paid
an the expenses OF housekeeping. She
bought property and sold II again and
made a profit. She gave the money to
her. husband to deposit In the bank and
he afterwards assured her hat the
money was on deposit in her name ana
was drawing interest and that no one
hut she could draw IL. She had money
ON deposit in both h First National
and Hoge-Brownlee banks. and also had
$40 in Salt Lake City. all of which she
saved from her boarders and music
scholars. Mrs. Siegel told about the
purchase of the property in controversy
and said her husband didn't put up any
Of the purchase money and made no
claim to the property. 1t was an invest
ment on the part of herself and brother.
When II was decided to uild she put
her own money into II and borrowed
more from a Salt Lake building and loan
association and Mr.. Siegel said IL there
still was a shortage he would make IL
up. He never made a claim to the prop
erty until she left him. In regard to
the purchase of her brothers interest in
the property. Mrs. Siegei said she pro-
posed TO buy It and Mr.. Siegel said he
would buy II and make her a present of
, Il IL she wished to build on IL. Mrs.
'Siegel said she never received a letter
from Mr.. Siegel demanding that she
reconvey the property to him Mrs.
Siegel tried to explain how she came to
write to Mr.. Siegel and ask him to give
her the Butte property and certain
money which Mr.. Oppenheimer owed
them, but Judge Stapleton objected and
said the letter was plain enough and
needed no explanation. and the court
sustained the objection. Mr.. Corbett
then wrote out an offer to prove as fol-
lows:
Defendant being on the stand. "a
sci for defendant offers to prove by the
witness that that certain portion of a
letter introduced i'm evidence by the
plaintiff and as a part of the testimony
of Elias Siegel. I'm which letter the Ian
guage. Give the house and furniture
and the money Joe has to me- is In fact
q portion OF a continuous correspond
ence. and the defendant offered to the
court and jury to show the said corre-
spondence, so that a full explanation of
the meaning of the said words should be
made to the jury, and the defendant Of
fered also to explain by said corre-
spondance and orally she meant by
{ h use of the expression above quoted
The plaintiffs attorneys objected to
fhe offer to prove and the court sus-
-sained the objection.
You have agreed to keep out all this
correspondence" said the court, but IL
you now want TO open the door for IL
that is a different proposition"
Mr.. Corbett said he had no such in
tention. and he only wanted to show
. that the letter referred to was written
by Mrs. Siegel in answer to one she had
received in an effort to adjust their diff
ferences through a compromise.
Mr.. Campbell insisted that such a
proposition, II entertained, would result
in the introduction of all the CORE
spondence which both parties desired
should De Kept out. Inc court again
referred 20 the alleged agreement be-
tween the attorneys to avoid bringing
out the private matters contained in the
correspondence.
II think" said Mr.. Corbett, your
honor is making the agreement for me.
j made no such contract"
Il understood IL So" replied the court,
and ruled the offer out.
Judge DE Wolfe. who, Mr.. Siegel had
testified. never boarded at his house and
had never paid anything for himself or
sister, was called to the witness stand.
and testified hat both he and his sister
had boarded with the Siegels for some
time and that he paid board regularly
by check for himself and sister.
Mrs. Siegel was recalled and said
Judge DE Wolfe always paid by check
TO Mr.. Siegel and the latter turned 1t
over to her. Mr.. Corbett asked the wit
ness IL she had ever held any property
in trust for her husband. The question
was objected to and MIR. Corbett said
he wanted TO show that at one time she
held in trust an SIS. 900 stock of goods
for him and turned it over to him
again. The objection was sustained. A
lot Of papers were introduced in evil
dence. some to contradict the state
ments of Mr.. Siegel that his wife had
never owned any property n never
had q cent OF money of her own.
II practically testified that he o
her put of the poor mouse and we want