The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-11-14
MRS. HARRIS TESTIFIES
SHE ALLEGES THAT HENRY. WHILE
HER HUSBAND. ABUSED HER.
Pretty Mrs. Faulkner Brings People
to Her Standing in that Town.

In Room 2 Superior Court, yesterday. it
was difficult az one time 70 tell who was
trial-William Henry Harris for alien
ating the affections of Oliver Henry's wife,
or Mrs. Dorothy Faulkner, a pretty. dark
eyed widow of Greenviile o. Mrs. Faux
me- and Mrs. Harris. who was formerly
Mrs. Henry, have been friends since girl
hood. Last week Mrs. Faulkner was called
TO the witness stand and was asked some
questions by counsel for the plaintiff which
were not well received by her. Some Of
them she Indignantly denied.
One of these queries related TO a letter
which Henry's attorneys expect to intro
duce and which Mrs. Faulkner has denied
writing. After she had testified, however,
Attorney Charles Barrett went on the wit
ness stand and asserted that Mrs. Faulkner
had admitted to him that she wrote the
letter. Mr.. Barrett also testified that he
had occasion to visit Mrs. Faulkner once
on legal business. He found her at Dayton,
o., at the Poney House. he said. This hotel,
the witness explained, was a combination
hotel, restaurant and saloon. Mrs. Faux
ner was staying there with the proprie-
tors family.
When Mrs. Faulkner left Indianapolis
last week she said TO one OF her friends:
IF they attack my reputation, wire me
and I'll come over here with the whole
town of Greenville." Whether her friends
wired her or not. Mrs. Faulkner in a meas
ure kept her word. She appeared yesterday
at the head of her forces, which consisted
of the mayor Of Greenville, a former
sheriff of Montgomery county. Ohio, and
several other leading citizens of Greenville
and Dayton. Mrs. Faulkner brought these
truthfulness and to her general standing
in the community. The witnesses were all
eager enough to go on the witness stand
and all were asked if they knew Mrs.
Faulkner. They were not permitted to tes-
tffy as to her reputation, but were allowed
70 describe the Poney House at Dayton.
They said ii was a 'first-class house." Mrs
Faulkner was put on the witness stand to
contradict the evidence given by Attorney
Barrett. She denied that he ever showed
her the letter which she is alleged to have
written.
MRS. HARRIS ON THE STAND.
Mrs. Dollis Harris, the woman whose af-
fections are valued at $4,000 by Oliver
Henry, her former husband. was on the
witness stand yesterday afternoon. She
was called by the attorneys for the
defendant after Judge Leathers had
decided that she might testify. An
attempt to put Mrs. Harris on the
witness stand yesterday morning was met
with a vigorous protest from the counsel for
the plaintiff. They based their objection TO
Mrs: Harris's testimony on a statute enact
ed by the State Legislature, which says
mat In q case where husband brings suit
Tor the seduction of his wife, the husband Is
competent witness, but the wife is not.
Judge Leathers heard argument all morning
ruling. He held that Mrs Harris would be
competent TO testify TO any fact that was
her and her former husband; also that she
might testify to any conversations that took
place between her and her former husband
In the presence of q third party. Mrs. Har-
ris was then called.
The purpose of Harrs's attorney in call
ing his wife was TO show by her that Hen
ry mlstreated her and made her unhappy,
and that 1t was his own conduct that alien
ated her affections instead of any act Of
Harris. Mrs. Harris, in telling of the quar-
rels she had with Henry while she was his
wife, was confined TO those that took place
when some one else was present Accord
ing to her story, one of the worst affairs
she ever had with Henry was at Green
vile, o., while they were living there. She
said that Henry had borrowed 500 with
about the store s'9 and
the money in the bank. One Saturday night
Henry came home late. and he and his wife
quarreled about something he was TO have
purchased. He finally told her that he had
failed to get some money he expected to
get. She asked him why he did not draw
said he then replied that he lost the money
at faro" She said she innocently asked
Where IL Faro?' She said he replied.
Faro Is gambling, d YOU"
SAYS HE KNOCKED HER DOWN.
The witness said she then began to cry
and Henry knocked her down. When she
revived she was lying on couch and her
| friends were attending her. AS a result of
/ this treatment, she said, she was confined
| to her room for two weeks. AS soon as she
| recovered she went back to her grand
mother at Cambridge City with the inten-
| ton OF never returning to Greenville. Hen
| ~, she said, soon came TO her at Cam
| bridge City and expressed regret at what
| he had done, telling her that he never eX-
| pected 10 touch another card" They made
UP their little differences and returned to
Greenville. The witness said that while she
was Ill as the result of Henry's treatment
| on the occasion related by her he induced
whom he had lost money playing faro.
The witness gave the details of another
domestic row that occurred after she ac-
companied Henry back to Greenville She
| said Henry left the house one day and did
not return for three or four days When
| he did come back he said he had been
| camping with some Of his friends. She up
\ braided him for his conduct and he became
| very angry. She said he caught hold of a
lace curtain and tore IL loose from its
| fastenings with the threat: III clean this
| place out and quit you. She said he next
/ tackled a chair and broke that. The wit
ness said that while her husband was tear
| ing about the place breaking up the furni-
| ture she and her sister made their escape
from the room and locked themselves IN
| their rooms.
Mrs. Harris was still on the witness stand
\ at the hour OF adjournment. The attorneys
| expect to begin the argument some time
] tomorrow.
I