The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-05-03
ATTORNEYS HAVE A TILT
GREW OUT OF THE TRIAL OF DE
RUITER DIVORCE CASE.
The Photograph of a Michigan Hotel
Register Produced In
Court.

The evidence in the De Ruiter divorce
case which went TO trial in Room 2, Superior
Court. Monday afternoon. was of rather a
sensational character yesterday. dramatic
incident took place just before court ad-
journed yesterday evening. in which Horace
f.. Smith and Alfred r. Hovey attorneys
in the case. nearly came to blows.
Part Of the day John o. Moore. brother
in-law OF Mrs. De Ruiter was on the wit
ness stand. Moore's wife was found muir
dered and her husband was subsequently
indicted by the grand jury. but has never
been tried. He was a witness yesterday for
Mrs. De Ruiter. her attorneys attempting
TO show by Moore that De Ruiter annoyed
and prosecuted his wife. 1t appeared from
the evidence that in 1896, prior to the De
Ruiter divorce suit tried In Room ]. Super
Ter Court, in which a decree was used, IL
was necessary for Mrs. De Ruiter to make
trip TO Lansing. Mich, in the interest
of the approaching trial. Her side of the
case was being looked after by the law firm
OF Harding Hovey and the latter men,
Der Of the firm accompanied Mrs. De Ruiter
to Lansing. While there they stopped at a
hotel. A daughter of De Ruiter by form
er wife was living at Lansing at the tin ;
and a few weeks after Mrs. De Ruiter's
trip her husband had occasion TO go there
to see his daughter. The evidence shows
that while De Ruiter was in Lansing he
visited the hotel where his wife had stayed
and examined the register. He asked per-
mission Of the hotel people to have a GER
tain page of the register photographed. He
brought the photograph back to Indianap-
oils and according to the evidence showed 1t
10 his brother-in-law, John Moore. 1t was
produced in court yesterday. Moore testi-
fed that De Ruiter said to him, in exhibit
ing the photograph, that he believed this
was evidence of his wifes unfaithfulness.
In the evidence yesterday nothing was
brought out that indicated anything but the
most proper conduct between Attorney
Hovey and his client.
Attorney Hovey was very indignant over
the photograph incident and yesterday
evening during brief recess he exchanged
some hot words with Attorney Horace
Smith, who, with X. o. Hawkins, repre-
sents De Ruiter in the present suit. Some
time ago it appears. Attorney Hovey went
to the Office of Hawkins & Smith and some
thing was said about the photograph which
page. Attorney Smith was not present on
the occasion Of this visit and yesterday At
fforney Hovey made some some reference re5 to this
Smith, in an angry voice, land it's good
thing wasn't present" Both attorneys be-
came neateQ ana Judge IeatnerS attempted
to quiet them. Attorney Hovey sprang up
and addressing the court, remarked: I'm
tired OF this mars sneers and insinua-
tons
Mr.. Smith. Mr.. Hovey" exclaimed Judge
feathers, You must sit down; this scene
cannot go on in this way" Both attorneys
then became quiet and the trial proceeded.
At the adjournment of court Mr.. Smith and
Mr.. Hovey accompanied Judge sLeathers
into his private room and talked the matter
over. They apologized to each other and the
affair ended tremendously.
Mrs. De Ruiter. while on the witness
stand yesterday testified that her husband
sometimes objected to some of her relatives
visiting her. She said he particularly OBJ
jected to her sister, Mrs. Moore, who had
testified against him in the former divorce
trial. Mrs. De Ruiter said her husband told
her that Mrs Moore must keep away from
their house or he would shoot her. The trial
viii probably last throughout to-day and
perhaps tomorrow.