The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1900-12-12
BOY INVOL WE'D
In DIVORCE SUIT
Love Letters Caused Quite asensa-
ton in Court.
ONE. CALLED 'DREAm LETTER. y
Written by Mrs. Monrort to Young
smitl,-It Was Filled With Express
sions Of observation-disclosures
ted His Lack of Funds.


ted His Lack of Funds.
Spicy iove-letters, pretty girl wife and
two boy correspondents figure in the suit
for divorce which Frank K. Monfort. prin-
cipal OF the BaysiGe O.. ID Public School.
has brought against Mrs. Hattie Monfort,
The proceedings were begun before Judge
Garretson, of the Supreme Court, in Long
Island City, yesterday, and lasted through
out the day. The case went to the jury
at half.past O'Clock In rqe afternoon. and
r sealed verdict viii be handed in this
morning.
The case has caused a sensation IL
Queens Borough, and the courtroom Wae
1iiied before the doors had been open l,ee
minutes Edward de Il. Smith ana C!iaiies
Germeinder. who are named as corespon,
dents. were formerly pupils IN t,le senoo.
of which Mr.. Monfort is principal.
Mrs Frank Anderson, of Baysioe, Was
Inc first witness. She tesuiea .iial s.ie
lived within a short distance OF me WI" vi.
fort homestead. She said tnat rom .t.s
windows of her house she haa oAlei' 80
Gcrineinder enter the Monio,' i,ousS 49,
Mr. Monfort had gone to school, ana ll,a'
she had seen Mrs Monfort and Germelh-
der together in a hammock in the yaFa on
several occasions. .;s,
Frank q. IIaak, "a carpenter ,
that for several months he was d. NJ
,,pon a building in the vicinity OF t'ie -
fort house. and had frequently seen .ni o
Mpnfort and HerIneiilhei
hammock.
RENTED y LETTER BON
Miss DAISY Johnston, assistant to the
1,oSt,-sster Of Bayside. testified that SlS
fad rented letter box 10 Mrs Mohiort'
who told Miss Johnston. she wanted "
receive f1er brother Ira 5 .ndai pm
as he ana her husband mad auarTeileu -,
After several other witnesses iiao 80
examined. Mr. Rounds, counsi LOT INC
,,i,fntin c,,1se5 a sensation By reading
a letter written by Mrs. Monfort TO smith
The youth, who sat near MIS-. hohioi.
listened with crimson fate 10 me aea"i''s'
nut Mrs. Monfort showed no signs " pe,
1urbation. The missivc, wflcn NJ nou.iu.
referred to as the dream le'ter' vac
IN part as follows:
BAYSIDI. L. l., April 10, lsn-
NV Dear Eddic:-I had quite an expert
elcc with you III u dream last night we
were in a trolley car il some place VIZ.
mamma and Ira, and when we Sp' o,i
you said: Walk with me, which u'o'
of course, aill we AL went TO "A lovely o.s
l,a3Ise. When we got inside You Sdia:
Now NO can lose them. and we hurfieu
from oIle room to another and up STAIRS
Fuaily We we're in a hall alone, ana l
cave Won a letter and you gave me tshdii
! tell you?) A kiss, Then mamma APP
g1cared and as we were getting ia'te'
loving she broke US up.
Srw III ring off ] shall send you some
love and a kiss or two Your SISTER,
HATTIE.
SAID HUSBAND MAS JEALOUS.
Mrs. Mcnfort took the stand in the al
.ernoon. She admitted that Smith ana
tiermeinder had been frequent visitors al
The house. She testified that aheE We're
friends. of herself and of her husoaho.
She said her husband was very lealous Oh
her and had often treated her brhtaliS.
Mrs Monfort., mother. Mrs. Vale. testl-
fled that Mr.. Monfort had often treated
rs wife cruelty and had used brutal IAN
guage in her presence, Upon cross-eXam-
ination Mrs. Vale. when asked to specify
MIR Monfort's brutality to his wife, could
not do So hut said he had Just sad ana
done mean things to her.
Ira vnle, a brother Of Mrs ''fort. was
called, but his testimony VIZ of no I'M
portance. He has been very friendly with
the two correspondents.
Edward de F. Smith testified that he
had often visited the Monfort home. He
said he was so friendly with every one
that he had been considered "a memcer OF
the family. He said that in the corre.,pon-
dence between himself and Mrs. Monfort
he was mercy advising her as to the best
course Cor her to pursue when MIR. Mon
fort treated her urkindly.
WOULD MAKE UP A CODE
Charles Germefnder testified that he had
also been very friendly with the Monforts.
lie said he had often gone out with Mr..
Monfort and that the school principal had
given him to understand that he was al
ways welcome at his home. The witness
said that his visits We're always Of 4
merely friendly character.
Another furry of excitement was raised
when this letter from Young Smith TO
Mrs. Monfort was read:
No. 22i East S xty-first Street,
New York, May 90 1900.
My SweetheafT:-Once again / sit me
down to pen YOU a few lines. Ira is
lying here on the bed reading. but ] am
lawfully lonesome for YOU / broke my
promise yesterday. but probably it turned
out all Q. X. as it Was raining SO thought
his nibs'' would not go down to the city.
And then, again, ! did not have the
money TO go cut, or to send You any
cigarettes wont SO out without bring
ing you something. and when the first of
The month comes l will make UP for
lost time.
/ suppose YOU looked for me all Satur-
day afternoon in vain. l would have sent
u telegram had ! not thought the profess
sor was home and would see it When |
see you-which I hope Will be next SAT-
urday--we will have to make up a code
by which we communicate with each
other.
Now. Hattie. don't think ti.at l disialt
want TO go yesterday ] did. and you know
nj. but circumstances alter cases. Just the
same as noses alter faces, and really it
was iInr5oSsibie for me to come out
The letter bore this postscript:
Just got back; had a little beer, SO am
not accountable for what 1 say. except
that / love you with my whole heart and
soul: YOU know the old saving. that whats
IN you when you're sober will come out
when you're not Oh. how wish I could
kiss Sou tonight. but as ] can't will say
Good night. and send you the kiss by 4
letter,
Your own EDDIE.
II Stewart Mcknight summed up for
Mrs. Nonfprt. and air. Rounds reviewed
the testimony -agains; her. During Mr.
aJcknight's appeal Mrs. Vale. who sat
close to the jury box. sobbed bitterly. Mrs
Monitor; stood the ordeal unmoved.
Z Mr. and Mrs Moufort were married five