The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-07-16
John Masury, OF the Much Married
Family, Wins Divorce suit.
NeW York Press.

view IOEh IItSS.
John NJ. Masury, who inherited about
S2,So.CW Of the 100000 which his grand
father, John NJ. Masury, made in the manu-
facture of paint. never married the woman
VINO sued him for divorce, Ii was shown in
court yesterday. Hamilton Odell, the ref
cree, reported TO Justice Scott, in the SUI
preme Court, that Masury and Helen Felt
nam, the singer, were not married on Sept.
!, 1885, nor at any other time, and Justice
Scott dismissed the action for divorce
brought by her. She had been trying TO
establish her dover right in his fortune.
All the papers were sealed by order of the
court, thus continuing the procedure IN ev-
cry step OF this case since the action was
brought, in the fall of 1896. Testimony was
taken before a commission in Washington
and sent here, and Justice Smyth ordered
Hamilton odell, on Dec. ID. 1886, TO hear
expeditiously as possible" j. Noble Hayes,
OF No. 40 Broadway, is Mr.. Masury's attor-
ney.
Wilson G.. Reade, a Washington lawyer,
testified that he had known the plaintif
when she was Helen Feltham. He first
h met M Lay on GhT r pia day lsSS, at the
enrolling clerk of the Senate. whose wife
was a sister of Miss Feltham. Masury was
introduced as the husband of Miss Felt
secert. as Masury did not want his family
70 know he was married. Reade said Miss
years Masury's senior. Masury told Reade
of a trip on his yacht. which had been
wrecked in the sound in 1898. Miss Felt
nam Na5 on DOdtu at ine TIME. rNeduS
heard Masury address her as Mrs. Masury.
Benjamin F. Plat said that Masury was
at his home in Woodmont. Conn. He
had heard that Miss Feltham had been his
housekeeper at Riverdale in 1894. She had
been a singer in a church at Schenectady,
and before that was with the Bostonians.
Mrs. Platt, the plaintiffs sister, testified
that she introduced Masury to several per-
sons as "Helen's husband" but that she
did not know the time or place of their
marriage. and never had seen a marriage
certificate. She said she had a premOnitiOn
that he sisters position was not secure,
and advised Helen to have her marriage
recorded.
Masury is known among his intimates as
doc" and is a great yachtsman and
sportsman. He belongs to the New York
Yacht Club, the Atlantic Yacht Club and
the New York Athletic Club. During the
war with Spain he was on his yacht. the
Brunhilde, with a party, and a Spanish
threatening to capture the yacht as a prize
on the high seas. Masury wrote to Presi-
dent Mckinley about this. and receiving no
reply threatened to forSwear his allegiance
10 the United States.
John NJ. Masury, the elder, married one
of the girls from his paint factory, who was
twenty-five years his junior, and succeeded
in keeping the marriage secret for ten
years. She was Grace Hawkins, and her
father. Daniel Hawkins, was an East river
lighterman. She is living still, and Is vice
president of the paint corporation. The
two grandsons, Frederick l.. and John NJ,
contested the will of the elder Masury, and
John M. took $1,000, 900 in settlement of his
claim. Frederick L. Masury married Miss
Olive Lake, who was the first wife of James
j. Corbett. the pugilist.