The times., 1901-04-07
RESENTED HIS TESTIMONY
An Angry Woman Attacks a Wit
ness i'm a Divorce Case.

Mrs. EIizubeth Griffith Throws an
lax Weu at Ti,omas Sweeney and
Strikes Attorney }. {. Gftfings. Her
Counsel - Quilted With Difficulty.
a sensational scene was enacted in
the office Of Attorney Rutledge Wilson.
4e6 Fifth Street northwest about noon
yesterday, when Mrs. Elizabeth Griffith
took exception to statement Of one Of
the witnesses against her in a divorce
case and struck him in the face with
her fist. In attempting to strike the
witness with an ink well Immediately
afterw ard. Mrs. Griffith struck her at
torney John c. Cuttings. severely lacer-
ating his face
The affair was a chapter in a divorce
suit instituted by Mrs Griffith against
her husband, George NJ. Griffith, a
watchnan in the Interior Department,
over month ago. The bill for divorce
was filed in the Equity Court. charging
Mr. Griffith with cruelty and with
threatening the life Of the plaintiff.
Mrs Griffith alleged that Immediately
after their marriage. December %, 1899,
the defendant began to abuse her, ac-
cusing her of infdelity, and finally
beating her and threatening her life.
Mrs Griffith alleged that treatment Of
that character continued until the be
ginning of the present year, when she
sued for q. divorce. John {. Cuttings
was retained as her attorney.
When the case came up in court Judge
Bradley appointed Attorney Rutledge
Wilson a special examiner in the case
and directed that testimony should be
taken by him. Griffith had in the mean
time fled a cross bill making several
charges against his wife, alleging that
on one occasion she turned him out Of
her house 1t was this cross bill that
was being heard yesterday when the
trouble occurred.
Griffith. with his attorney. w. Preston
Williamson, and his witnesses. repaired
10 the office of Examiner Wilson shortly
before noon. Soon afterward Mrs. Grif-
fifth and her attorney arrived Several
witnesses were examined. and finally
when Thomas J. Sweeney, who lived in
the same house with Mr.. Griffith. was
called. the plaintiff is alleged to have
become agitated- Attorney Williamson
made a searching examination of the |
witness, during the course Of which he |
asked a question which is said to have !
aroused the plaintiff TO such a degree |
that she struck Sweeney a blow in the |
face. Before she could be restrained. |
II is said she threw an inkstand at
Sweeney, just as her attorney stepped /
HTr
the fun force of the blow just below
his right eye, cutting and bruising the
side Of his face and bespatterng him
with ink
Several Of the witnesses and the at
tOrneys attempt to quiet Mrs. Griffith.
She was finally subdued and conveyed /
TO another room, where every effort was
made to quiet her.
Mr.. Wilson notified Mr.. Williamson |
that # would be Impossible to continue /
the hearing until Mrs Griffith became !
quiet. and at the suggestion Of the at
torney the case was postponed. In the
meantime. under instructions from his
lawyer. Griffith left the building with
his Witnesses As Mr.. Williamson was
leaving, Mrs. Griffith is said TO have
threatened the witnesses, who were
gathered on the sidewalk The attor-
neys again intervened and the woman
was prevailed upon TO remain in the
Office until she had become calmer.
Attorney Cuttings was removed 10 a
nearby drug store, where his injury
was dressed. He then proceeded to his
home His partner. John Shields, said
he could not account for the affair. He
said that the firm Of which he IS a mem
Der had been retained by Mrs. Griffith |
10 prosecute her claim for a divorce |
early in February They had filed their
bill in court. he said.
Special Examiner Wilson has not yet
decided when the hearings viii be re-
--'''"0d, as ne does not know when MI |
lgs viii be able to attend The |
was not seriously hurt, although |
ounds are painful Sweeney, the
IS, still carried the marks of Mrs.
his knuckles when ne left the
where the proceedings were held.