The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1901-07-13
Lawyer MysT Says He Rendered
Her Legal Services.
WIFE TRUSTEE OF ESTATE.
Husband Charges Fraud and Alleges wife
Diverted $400,000 Of Trust Funds
10 Her Own Use

New York. July l3.-Isaac Meyer, law
yer and author of a treatise or arhaeol-
ogy. says he believes that hypnotic In
fuence, exercised over his wife by her
sister, has shattered his home life, and.
in consequence, he has brought suit In the
Supreme court against his wife for $780,
600. She is Mary III. Meyer. a daughter of
the late James Abbott OF Philadelphia,
and when Mr.. Myer married her she was
the widow OF Clark l.. Sharpsteen.
Mr.. Myer demands the sum for legal
dered the Sharpsteen estate. OF which his
wife is the sole surviving trustee
In his complaint MIR. Myer alleges that
his wife misappropriated trust funds and
diverted 10 her own use nearly 100000
which constituted part of the large estate
that had been left by Mr.. Sharpsteen In
trust for his only daughter. Mary IL
Sharpsteen, until she should become OF
age.
COMPLAINED OF ExTRAvAGANCE
Forced by what he describes as the ex-
travagance and cccentricities OF his wife
TO eXpend nearly his entire patrimony,
Mr.. Myer asserts he has been driven by
necessity TO take legal action against Mrs.
would never have enforced had his wife
consented 10 live within his income and
reside with him in their home, at No.
q East SiXtieth street.
Mrs. Myer, in her answer, accuses her
husband of having lived for many years
upon her income and Of failing 10 properly
provide for her. She says he assumed the
legal responsibility OF the Sharpsteen es-
tate in return for the privilege OF living
In her residence in this city and at Chest
nut HID. near Philadelphia where she
owns handsome summer home.
This Mr.. Afyer denies. lie says that
never was there any agreement between
himself and his wife in regard 10 either
the care OF the Sharpstecn trust or the
proportion OF their living expenses which
each should contribute.
when j married the widow OF Clark
Sharpsteen. in 1899, said Mr.. Myer last
night at the l<nickerbocker Athletic club.
I'VE were both living IN Philadelphia. AS
thedaughter OF James Abbott had known
her since childhood and I had loved her
She went 10 Paris 10 marry Mr. Sharp
steen, and after his death returned TO her
fathers home with her infant daughter.
There / wooed her. and I'm 1889 we were
married I'm ST. stephens church by
Bishop Whitaker
CAUTIONED WIFE TO BE SPARING
"Our married life was untrammeled by
quarrel or outside Interference in those
days and we lived together in perfect
unison. My little stepdaughter was my
pride, and IL was for her interest that |
cautioned my wife TO be more sparing
OF the trust estate. Ii was this caution
that impeled her first sharp words TO me-
II do not believe that Mary. who has
nearly reached her majority. even now
knows that she is an heiress, or would
have been had the Sharpsteen estate re-
mained intact. Almost tie last time i saw
her the girl told me OF a rhinestone neck
lace she desired, but considered herself
too poor to buy.
" 1t cost me $780, she said 10 me In
plaintive voice. and you know, papa, /
could not afford &C..
Efforts have been made by those I'm
closest communion with the child 10 keen
from. herts knowledge of business affairs
and the extentof hsr fathers fortune.
Dependent upon my wife's income I
truly was but only because she refused
TO live within my income which was then
ample TO supply the wants OF a woman
not schooled TO extravagance
Il wished her 10 live I'm Philadelphia
when my salary as chief counsel i'm the
real estate department of the Pennsyl-
vania railroad would have enabled me.
with my private income TO live with her
In comparative luxury. She would not
consent, and insisted that we should come
TO New York and also maintain summer
establishment at Chestnut Hin. To please
her Iseonsented and ten it was. nec6s-
sary for use TO combine our incomes in
order TO I've according to her taste.
VISITED BY MRS. MICHAEL.
while we were living at Chestnut nm.
Mrs. Myers sister. the wife of Professor
Arthur Michael OF Tufts College. visited
US each summer. Mrs Michael is n very
peculiar woman. she is Versed In the oc-
cult, and seems always surrounded by an
atmosphere Of superior penetration. In
1893 my sister-in-law seemed 90 exercise
an inexplicable influence over little Mary
Then my wife at frequent intervals vis-
tied Boston. Mrs. Mlchaeis home. re.
naming there for weeks. Alter her return
from these trips she Invariably treated
me with coolness and seemed unna ttiral
We had not quarrelled. l stin love her
and had reason Y believe that while I'm !
her own home her affection for me was !
unchanged.
~ have some knowledge Of hynnotisn, |
and can only believe that Mrs Michael /
has used her influence 10 turn my wife
and stepchild against me.
"Throueh Boston lawyers. after she had |
been living near her sister for several /