The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1903-02-27
AdlrOndackS Resort a Place Of
Torture for tho Young wife.
HUSBAND DENIES CHARGES
He Declares the Entire Trouble Arose From
the Habit Of Ills Wife Of Insisting
She Was Always Right.

suit for separation from her husband
Charles Burnel Duryea. drew a number OF
fashionable people TO the supreme court.
Curiosity seemed to centre In the hap
penings Of the Duryea camp in the Adj
rondacks in the summer of 1901 II was
expected that testimony would be hear rd
on that subject. but by consent OF both
not 10 examine witnesses on this phase
Of the case.
SO the fashionable audience that faced
Justice Blanchard heard nothing OF the
doings IN the Adirondack camp. and as
a result went away disappointed. The
story. however is told with wealth Of de.
tail in an affidavit which has come al
the way from Cairo. Egypt. II bears the
signature of Leila Wotherspcon -Asser
wife OF the United States vice consul
evidence was taken under an order made
by Justice Gldersleeve.
WAS ONE OF CAMPING PARTY.
She was one OF the party entertained
at the Adirondack camp OF Gen. Hiram
Duryea. the defendants father. at the
time complained OF by the wife who is
now battling for a separation. Others
there were Chester Burnell Duryea and
wife. Harry II. Duryea and wife. Elery
%. Anderson and his wife. who In a sister
of the defendant; Bert Rollins. Mrs. Don
Barber and Miss Natalie Hatch.
Mrs Asser says in her atfldavit that
she witnessed ingenious and adroit cru
city from Chester y. Duryea toward his
wife, before others. and for which she
gave not the slightest cause"
The rgoIngs on at Camp Duryea. as
described by deponent. may be briefly
summarized as follows:
Chester r. Duryea and Mrs. Don Bar
Der were seemingly as devoted as en-
gagged lovers. They sat together. strolled
together and went boating by moonligh,
together.
Mrs Asser swears that the defendant 6
sister in law. Mrs. Harry r. Duryea
seemed 10 be in the game to exasperate
the helpless wife. One scene In particu-
lar is described as occurring when the
defendant was leaving camp. Mrs. II.
II. Duryea is depicted as embracing her
brother in law and calling him my darl-
ing Teddy"
REPEATS ALLEGED CONVERSATION.
This is the conversation as given in the
affidavit:
MY darling Teddy, are YOU sure you
love me as fondly as ever?'
Yes. dear. ! love you as fondly as
ever"
All this with impudent glances at
Nina.
Flat and emphatic denials have been
made In affidavit form by Mrs. Don Bar
ber. Mrs II. II. DuHea and other mem
bers OF the camping party. But the fash
ionable and curious crowd at yesterday =
session heard nothing OF this. Their
curiosity. however. was rewarded I'm part
by the evidence Of Gen Hiram Duryea
in his sons behalf and by the tcsti-
mony of the defendant himself
Mrs. Duryea took an active part in
the proceedings. Seated beside her total
ly deaf mother she stared stonily into
the face Of each member with worn and
tired eyes.
Gen. Duryea produced the letter ne re-
ceived from his daughter in-law com
planning Of her husbands cruelty. 1t
read in part
wIFE's LETTER TO GEN. DURYEA
Dear Dad; The following revelations
may not be entirely n surprise TO you.
They are not written under hysterical i'm
pulse. but are the result of three years
careful consideration. So firm is my
faith in your sense OF justice and fairness
that can refer TO you as TO the merits OF
the case. For three years I have
dragged my ball and chain with a SEEM
ingly smiling face, trying to get away
from an uncomfortable situation. Love.
pride and adherence OF public mortiica-
tion nerved me to keep up the farce OF
happy married life.
My powers Of endurance are now at
an end and have decided 10 end my
wretched life with Ted lie has outraged
my life and destroyed the last atom OF
respect for him by his senseless rage
and abuse and his unnecessary insults.
which have been carried Ia an extent
which | believe 10 be unparalleled among
people In our station Of life.
"Yor will be amazel 10 know that the
trouble began on our honeymoon. At
Sioux City his temper and violence In
public and private were such that twice I
packed my trunk 10 leave him. lie de-
clared to me. 4 am master. and my COM
mands must be obeyed'
by the continuation OF his conduct he
has destroyed all chances of our being
happy together. had learned 10 dread
his coming footsteps at this early stage
o! our married life
DEFENDANT CALM ON STAND.
with an air of perfect self possession
Chester II. Duryes the defendant,
charged with calling his wife liar" IVA
tering cart" and cat" took the witness
chair He Is a tall. well built Young man
whose tailor Is obviously one OF the best.
In low. pleasantly modulated voice he
denied the charges OF abusiveness and
cruelty and went into explanations.
From the start" said he. my wife
was we'll aware that I did not like her
mother. I SO informed her before we
were married. At that time 7 expressly
stipulated. and my wife agreed. that her
mother should pass not more than two
months each year with US"
Ks 70 Tne cnarEr TINT hu hud chokCf
and pushed his wife Mr.. Duryea very i'm
pressively voiced dental. He admitted
however that she did threaten 20 leave
him n few months after their marriage.
hut not az n result OF cruelty or even un-
kindness on his part. The trouble was
.V ~ vzcf g.