The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1903-07-16
Luther +. Imboden'S Daughter
Half of Whose S5n0.000 Estate
Miss Lille Belle Pierce Claims,
Will Postpone Hearing of
Case to Resume Honey
moon Trip.

Mrs John G. Parrish If. daughter of
Luther +. Imboden and heir To his $,H0,O1l
estate. played an impromptu part as an at
torney yesterday afternoon in defending the
| suit which involves half of her estate.
Miss Lille Belle Pierce. the plaintiff. who
| claims to be Mr.. Imboders widow by
son of an alleged secret. common-law mar
riage. remained passive during the proceed
| ings which at times became dramatic.
When one of the witnesses became tangled
| In his testimony at the office OF Joseph
| Wheless in the Carleton building. where the
| taking of dispositions WAS continued. Mrs.
| Parrish obtained consent of counsel and
| asked few questions.
At another stage of the hearing the at
torneys. J. ID. Dalton and y. c. Stewart
for Mrs. Parrish and Mr.. Wheless for Miss
Pierce. INDUCED in sharp repartee. Their
| arguments became somewhat personal and
| brought the men to their feet.
Leaning forward in her chair, drawn close
to the table. Mrs. Parrish said. with a bright
smile and conciliatory tone. to the attorney
| opposing her:
| Mr.. Wheless please be seated. like to
| look at you better when you are sitting
| PLAINTIFF Is SERIOUS.
y
attorneys seated beside her and her bride
grocm. Doctor Parish. and the incident
closed with a laugh in which every one
| joined except the plaintiff.
| Miss Pierce again appeared in half-mourn-
ing costume. and not once did an intensely
| serious expression leave her face. She bare
| " glanced at The witnesses. whispered TO
her attorneys only a few times and though
| the room was small and she was less than
| six feet away. across a table. from Mrs
| Parrish. she looked straight ahead without
seeming to notice Mr.. Imboden's daughter
or any one else in the room.
Throughout the hearing. in which former
Police Sergeant George Pierce testified that
his daughter had married Mr.. Imboden ard
other witnesses gave evidence regarding the
intimate relations between the couple.
Mrs. Parrish was as busy as any one con-
nected with the case. Her manner indi-
Gated an absolute conviction that her father
could not have been secretly married. and
with girlish enthusiasm she had set about
TO prove this.
Mrs Parrish discarded the pad of pre-
scripton blanks her husband had given TO
her on the previous day and began to take
many notes big slips of yellow paper.
| Occasionally she would pause in setting
down the questions she desired should be
asked and would remark aside to her at
torneys Here's a good one
BRIDE CATCHES WITNESS.
The examination of Oscar ]. Conrad OF
| No ABB Morgan street. a grocer, had been
finished and the witness had retired about
the same time Mr.. Whcless left the room.
! Conrad had said that he sent groceries for
| Mr. Imboden to the Pierce home ut No. iiiS
| Evans avenue at time previous to the
| Pierces removal to that address.
| Good good. we've got him. Mrs. Parrish
| remarked in an undertone, her eyes spark
linz; and face showing heightened color. She
had detected the break and become more
than ordinarily vivacious. Her slender
hands frightened in excitement and delight
| like school girls when big box of candy
comes from home.
Just as she was whispering to her hus-
band the witness returned to correct his
testimony When he had finished she asked
If she might ask question, and for the
first time since the hearing began some
what stern expression played over the sof-
tened features of the young bride:
| Why did you remember that it was the
| Evans avenue address she questioned.
Did Mr.. Wheless prompt your" To which
both Conrad and Whcless answered in the
negative.
| Apparently the explanation was satisfac-
tory, or at least is was soon passed over by
Mrs. Parrish. who found something else &c
interest her. She resumed note taking and
/ soon had many pages filled that difficulty
was experienced in keeping track of them
especially since a strong breeze was tossing
the sheets.
,,n,, , .;I,.nr ,,o1,,r
thing to weight down these papers?" Mrs,
Parrish asked her husband. lie replied tina,
he had a quarter
ONLY HAD a QUARTER.
81 have quarter myself. but that won't
be any good" remarked the bride, who was
soon supplied with numerous real paper
weights to hold the notes. which may he OF
Importance in settling the question OF
| whether she shall or shall not give up hall
of her $4,000 to the woman who claims tc
be her legal stepmother.
Miss Pierce was to have gone on the
stand yesterday afternoon. but the cross
examination of Mr.. Pierce took up so mucf
time that the hearing was continued unit
this afternoon.
After to-day probably no dispositions vii
be taken for several weeks for the reason
that Doctor and Mrs. Parrish are anxious
70 go to the Northern Lakes for continue
ton of their honeymoon. Both say tina
they are satisfied that their estate will b,
kept intact and the claims of Miss Pierre.
| shattered.
THE only trouble about it, said Mrs
Parrish, ''is that it is a trifle warm t
stay here now and bother about sucl
things when there are so many nice place
to CO."
In the course OF few weeks deposition
l vii, he .aIxen nj French irl Strings wher