The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-02-28
DRAWING % IN End
TESTIMONY IN THE CUNNINGHAM
DIVORCE TRIAL IS NEARLY
ALL IN
DEFENDANT TAKES THE STAND
Denies All the Allegations Made by
His Wife, and Says That
They Lived Very
Happily.

Today should see the finish in the Cum
ningham divorce trial, which has been
occupying the attention of Judge Lewis
and a packed court room for the past
three days. The case is now up to the
defense, and as practically only Mr..
Cunningham is to be heard on that side,
it should be completed this afternoon.
The close of the trial yesterday after
noon found the husband William Cum
ningham on the stand. His testimony
was one continuous monotonous No
to every question put by his attorney,
and in substance, was an emphatic de-
NAL of every accusation made by his
wife, or the witnesses who represented
her side of the case. He denied the
charge of drunkenness, saying he sell
dom drank, and that when he did, it was
very moderately. AS to mistreating his
wife or causing her agony by occasion
ally running her from the house or US
ing his fists on her person, he smiled at
the ideA and remarked: Our married life
was one of happiness, we never quar-
relied. I treated her like a husband
should" He denied taking the pledge,
was ignorant of any violent assaults on
his wife at the times specified in the
complaint, and intimated as absurd the
statements made that he was of an I'M
governable temper.
Mrs. Cunningham was called to the
stand Yesterday to tell of her money af-
fairs and of property that she was sup
posed to own. The latter imputation she
denied. but said at one time she dill
own some property which her husband
had induced her to relinquish, that his
creditors might be appeased. When she
left her husband last September she had
81 600 in cash, but this had dWindled down
now to $780,
OF the witnesses yesterday, Mrs. Ann
Cleary told of Mr. Cunningham signing
the temperance pledge, anG how in the
event of breaking il he haG made a pro-
vision in the aerC cment whereby he
would turn all his property over to his
wife She knew nothing of abuse on
either size.
Mrs. Amelia Haugen, at one time
employed as servant in the Cunning
han! family, saw Mrs. Cunningham with
a 1iscolored eye, but saw no blows
ST. uck. She had also heard pounding
and shortly after saw telephone, bad
ly smashed, lying in the back yard.
She admitted that Mrs. Cunningham at
times ragged her husband and this made
him. angry. Two letters were presented
iii which the plaintiff had asked the wit
ness to help her at the trial as she
proposed to put Cunningham through
At the opening of the trial yesterday
afternoon a testimony of Mrs Sexton.
was sick and the attorneys and court
reporter took her testimony at the
house. 1t was principally directed at
showing that Mrs Cunningham in her
night gown and with her two little
children thinly clad, had come to her
house late one night and were given
shelter. Mr. Cunningham in explaining
the difficulty to her, had said that it was
due to the presence OF one Calvin who
had called at unrea SOnab b01rS nd
when he was away. He said that he
had run Calvin from the house, and
threatened his wife with a revolver.
Yesterday Mrs. Sections children had
been given some money by strangers,
and this led to an inquiry on the part
of the defense. 1t finally came out that
Mr.. Dement,, the attorney for the plain
tiff, had called at the house and while
being shown to the door by one of the
little children had given the child a
quarter to purchase some little trinket,
that was spoken of in childish pleasure.