The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1900-11-20
HUSBAND WEEpS
Joseph Fetter Sobs in Court
as He Testifes Against
His Wife.
ONCE SHE SHOT HIM.
Some Very Peculiar Evidence
in a Peculiar Di-
vorce Suit.
ONCE SHE SHOT HIM.

lbefore Vice Chancellor Emery, yesterday
broke down and wept Mr.. Fetter,
through his counsel, Leon Albeit, filed a
bill for divorce naming more than one
CORRESPONDENT. He and his wife were
| married on June S, 1880, at Kingston, NY,
| by the Rev. Lewis T. Watson and moved
from there to Union Hill in October, 1898.
The offenses alleged in the bill were COM
mitted at Kingston, in West Hoboken and
Long Branch. Mrs. Fetter, through
George Ryerson, her counsel, filed a bill
denying the charges and fought the case
| desperately.
Mr.. Albeit opened the case by putting
Mr.. Fetter on the stand. There were tears
in the complainant's eyes when he was
sworn, and it was some moments before
he could answer Mr.. Abbett's first ques-
ton, and when he did finally start to
speak he had to pause frequently and
wipe his eyes. He testified to his mar
| riage in Kingston and his removal to
Union HILL He made no charges against
his wife and was only on the stand a
short time.
Mr.. Albeit then read some testimony
given by John Whitaker in Kingston.
The witness stated that he was employed
ooodt tCitCi pldC6 III EluSStOu ouo
evening in July or August, 1885, he was in
Fetter's barn when he saw man and
woman under the grape arbor in the yard
acting improperly. When they parted the
woman went into the house. He was sure
that the woman was Mrs. Fetter because
she went into the house. He was not close
enough to the couple to identify them and
the only reason that he thought the wom-
an was Mrs. Fetter was because she went
into the house.
Mr.. Albeit had considerable trouble
with his next two witnesses and explained
to the Court that they were hostile wit
nesses. They were Mrs. Elizabeth Vetter
and her daughter Katie. They lived next
door to the Fetters in Union Hill and
were apparently intimate. Mr.. Abbett's
object in calling them was to show that
Mrs. Fetter in conversations with them
practically acknowledged her guilt But
the ladies had a remarkable lapse of
memory and their answers to all of Mr..
l.Abbett's questions were, II don't renem-
ber," "Yes, SIR No, sir.'' Mrs Vetter
was asked if she did not receive a letter
which was meant for Mrs. Fetter and
after opening it did not send it to the de-
fendant. She remembered that all right
enough, but did not know that the letter
was from young man named Larry
Washburn. When questioned about the
alleged confessions of Mrs. Fetter the
witness did not remember and very little
much better witness for Mrs. Fetter than
for the complainant.
Katie Vetter, pretty girl about six
. n 1f,,f
questioning admitted that Mrs. Fetter
paid her to keep her little nephew over
night while she was away on one occa-
sion. In answer to Mr.. Ryersons ques-
tions she said she understood Mrs. Fetter
to say that night that she was going to
the theatre with her cousin. Although
Mr. Albeit cornered the girl in many
tight places by his questions concerning
the conversations she had heard between
her mother and Mrs. Fetter over her
doings, the girl always wriggled out of
them by saying she did not remember.
Augustus Teitze, of Kingston, testified
that he was once employed as a piano
player and bartender in a roadhouse on
the Saugerties Road, about five miles from
Kingston. The hotel was a resort for
men and women and its reputation was
not of the best. The witness testified that
he often saw Mrs. Fetter there, but
whether she came there with her hus-
band or another man he could not say.
He was positive, however, that she was
there He also saw her in another SINH
| lar resort outside of Kingston.
Mrs. Della Johnson a sister of the COM
plainant, gave some unimportant evidence
and then the complainant rested his case.
Mr. Ryerson for the defense then called
the defendant as his first witness and
examined him at length as to the possi-
| bility of man standing in the barn as
| Whitaker swears he did and see what
was going on under the grape vine
Photographs of the yard were produced
and the witness drew diagram, but with
| all his close questioning Mr.. Ryerson was
unable to shake the witnesses assertion
| that every thing could be seen just as
| Whitaker testified.
| Then Mr. Ryerson called the defendant
| She is a little woman with large gray eyes
! and mouth which snaps close like steel
/ trap She wore vivid pink waist and q
big grey picture hat with feather that
| lowered away above her. She was visibly
/ agitated when she took the stand and arr
| swered the questions put to her in a low
! tremulous tone. She related the circum-
/ stances of her marriage and told of her
removal to Union Hill. She aroused her
| self when questioned about her husbands $
| charges and denied most emphatically
every allegation against her. She was on
| the stand when the Court adjourned for
! the day.
| When the court took up the matter
again this morning Mrs. Fetter resumed
her testimony Most of it was unim-
portant and the rest was unpublishab,e
On cross examination Mr.. Albeit asked
her If she once visited Mrs. Benner's
hotel at Union Hill. The witness replied
that she did.
What happened?" asked Mr.. Albeit.
Til did something. I didn't realize
what I was doing then but I do now
sobbed the fair defendant
Some other questions brought out the
fact that Mrs. Feter saw her husband and
Mrs vetter and another woman going in
4 to the hotel and had shot him. The
wound she inflicted was only slight and
both sides evinced q strong desire to let
the matter drop This episode may ex-
:splpin me extreme reluctance Of Mrs. vet-