The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1903-06-13
WAS CLERGYMAN
TOO FRIENDLY?
Jury to Consider Matter In Watt
Divorce Case.
THE COMMODORE SAYS YES
vesty Of Minister'S Church Recorded as
DIsbslIsvlng the Allegations Against
Him.
THE COMMODORE SAYS YES

New York. June 13-Filed away by the
chief clerk in the supreme court Is the
answer OF Commodore Archibald Watt to
his wifes suit for separation.
II Is a request for an absolute divorce,
two men being named.
One name is that OF the Rev George
X. Van De Water. rector of 81. Andrews
Prostestant Episcopal church, Fifth ave.
nue. and One Hundred and Twenty
seventh street. chaplain to Columbia
university and formerly chaplain of the
Seventy-first Regiment. he having served
in the Cuban campaign.
Neither OF the names was mentioned
In the court proceedings yesterday, when
the lawyers for Commodore and Mrs.
Watt submitted issues to Justice Blanch-
ard for the trial of the counter-snt be-
fore jury instead OF by a Judge sitting
alone in special term.
This is the first time that the Rev.
DR.. Van De Water has been specifically
named in the marital troubles OF Archf-
bald and Adele F. Watt, but In July last
when Mrs. Watt asked for q separation
Mr.. Watt filed an answer in which a
| clergyman. unnamed. was accused Of
calling on Mrs Watt at unusual hours
and OF meeting her on and OF the yacht
American, owned by the Watts. and
drinking with her many high balls and
other liquids.
AFFIDAVIT OF A sTEwARDEss.
Matte H. smallwood. the negro stew
ardess Of the yacht. made the affidavit
with the sensational charges. Dr. Van
De Wate- married Mr.. and Mrs. Watt
and Mrs. Watt is a member OF his con-
gregation.
The reference TO the clergyman was
so marked that six members of the ves-
statement to the public. which, after re-
viewing the subject, summed up as fol-
lows:
/ I'VE deem II our duty to say that from
| our knowledge OF the relations of the
rector with Mrs. Watts we believe such
relations to have been simply those that
would naturally exist between any rector
and one who was a member OF an active
committee OF the guild OF the church.
If the statements I'm said affidavit re-
fer TO DR.. Van De Water, we most en-
phatically do not believe that they are
true wherein they charge or insinuate
any wrong on his part
At that time DR.. Van De Water was
In Europe and the vestry saw no occa-
sion for requesting him TO return from
his vacation. When he arrived home
late in August. 1902 he told reporter
that he could not discuss the matter.
Mrs. Watt made an answering affida-
Wit in which she denied all the asser-
tions made by her husbands witnesses,
closing:
II brand as outrageous and baseless
calumnies the insinuations made in the
| affidav.ts OF the said Matte Smallwood."
FRAMING THE ISSUES.
/ There the matter rested until the case
OF Watt VS.. Watt appeared on the CAL
endar OF the Supreme court yesterday
on a motion to have the conflicting issues
framed. David May. Of Howe e. Hum
mel, appeared for Mrs. Watt. and John
c. Shaw for Commodore Watt
Lawyer Shaw made the first motion
before Justice Blanchard.
This application he said. 'ls to frame
certain issues and submit them to a jury.
Mrs Watt has brought an action against
her husband for a separation. In which
she alleges cruelty and inhuman treat
ment
The defendant. replying, denies her al
legations of cruel and inhuman treatment
and makes a counter claim against the
plaintiff OF improper conduct with certain
persons, on account OF which he asks for
an absolute divorce"
Mrs Watts lawyer in reply said IL was
the practice to submit all the issues on
both sides TO the jury. and he wished to
nave MS client 3 Slue OF the case passed
on at the same time.
He said that Mr.. Watt had named two
men. one a certain clergyman of the
Protestant Episcopal church in this city.
whose name do not now desire to men,
tion, and the other a man whose name
do not now wish 20 disclose
Justice Blanchard said the case could
not be framed In both the separation and
divorce cases for disposition at the same
time
On Mrs. Watts side among issues
which will be submitted to the jury are:
Whether the defendant for a number OF
years before the action was brought did
neglect and ill-treat his wife.
AS TO IRENE's LETTERS.
Whether Mrs. Watt found in her hus-
bands possession a number OF letters
written by a woman named Irene, and II
he did not admit his relations with her
and say her name was Mrs Rice"
| Whether Mr.. Watt has not abused his
wife while he was intoxicated. swearing
at her and insinuating that she had been
TO improper places and was unchaste, and
whe ther he did not attempt to strike her
when she inquired n a woman speaking
over the telephone was not Mrs. Rice. .
Whether the commodore did not give
his wife letter TO mail TO the woman
mentioned In which he said he regretted
their past relations and that they would
have 90 be discontinued.
Commodore Watt has answered thu
question, saying that the letter was writ.
ten by him at the dictation OF his wife
at the point OF a pistol.
The papers In the counter-suit brought
by Commodore Watt were filed withou
being read In court. While the opposinl
lawyers were reticent. neither would deny
that the Rev. DR.. Van De Water viii
figure In one OF the questions the jur,
must decide. The years 1900. 1901 and 100
are mentioned. and the ground In thu
query covers the city OF New York. tho
state OF New Jersey or elsewhere.
In all 81 questions. commonly called
Issues OF fact, will be submitted 10 the
jury.