Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-03-14
DESCRIBED ELOPEMENT
JULIA BOVINE TESTIFIED IN
CoRDOVA TRIAL.
Wife of Deposed Clergyman His Ac
cuser in Court and Girls Father
Intercessor.

Intercessor.
Julia Bovine. who sang in the choir of the
Methodist Church at South River, N. j.,
when the Rev. J. f. CordOva was its pastor,
and who ran away with the deposed clergy
man twice within a period of less than a
year, was a witness against him when he
was placed on trial before Judge Wood
| bridge Strong and jury at New Bruns-
| wick, N. j., yesterday, on Indictment charg-
| ing him with abandoning his wife and as
sault and battery. Cordova's wife is the
prosecuting witness.
| The crowd jeered and hooted when Cor
| dova was first brought into the court room,
| and it was only after the chief disturbers
| had been elected that order was restored
! The girl was heavily yelled as she came
| in and walked through the crowded court
room past Mrs Cordova. She gave her
answers in an almost inaudible tone, ex-
cept when, the girl having evaded all ques-
lions that would implicate Cordova, Prose-
cutor Berdne in desperation, asked her.
Have you banished from your mind all
memory OF this man, as you have BAN
! ished what we want to know the answer
was a defiant and emphatic negative.
Girls Memory at Fault
| wv mere were you between MAY IL ana lie
| latter part of July, last year?" the prosecu-
| tor asked.
| q can't remember" said the girl, almost
| Whispering
The question was pressed. and she finally
| replied AT home"
| .At home ali the month of May?' asked
| the lawyer.
! Il don't remember" said the girl.
| Did you not see Cord0Va IN That time r
| Yes, sometimes.
| Did you not see him at police head
quarters in Washington
| Il did
| Were you in Washington with him prior
| to that?'
Did you go from New York to Washing
| ton with Cordova?'
Did you go from New York to Mexico
| with him?''
| Yes"
! Cordova's Wife a Witness.
| Mrs Cordova told of her marriage to
| the defendant on May o. 1891 They had
| three children and lived together at va
rious places until May II, 1904 when Cor
| dova announced to her his intention of
! leaving her, and declared she would never
see him again. She did, however, see him
| the following July at the home OF MS
| brother-in-law in Brooklyn. CordoVa prom
| ised to make home for her. He gave her
| money, and in September he sent her $40
| and in October $40. Since the latter month
she received nothing from him. Cordova
salary as pastor of South River Church
| was 500. Two letters alleged to nave peen
| written by Cordova to his wife were lntro-
| duced in evidence. In them the writer
asked Mrs. Cordova to procureta divorce.
| Showed Husband No Mercy.
| The wife showed the faithless husband
| no mercy in her testimony. julia BOVINE
| on the other hand tried to shield the man
| with whom she had cast her lot. CorooVa
| himself was pale and nervous through al
| these proceedings When he went on the
stand his manner indicated that he did not
| at all realize the position he was In. Though
| discredited among his people, be gave MS
| testimony with blandness when clearly
| showed that he believed 1t would be taken
at its face value. When interrupted in his
| testimony by some cruel thrust of the pros
| ecutor he cringed and gave low cries OF
| Impotence.
Calls Wife Liar.
Cordova leaped to his feet during his
| wifes testimony and cried:
| You lie! That's q le!'
| Most of the time he sat calm but spirit
| less at the table with his counsel, Harry
B. Cook. But when Julia Bovine approach
ed in the custody Of the sheriff, on her way
| to the witness chair Cordova shook as
| though with an ague. AS the young girl
| passed his chair he turned a bewildered
| face toward her and clasped her hand for
an instant. When she was making her
| feeble attempts to resist the questions OF
| the prosecutor, Cordova buried his face in
! his hands and cried To say that he cried
like a woman would be doing womanlkind
| an injustice, for even Julia Bovine con-
trolled her feelings. But, bereft of such
| support as Cordova could give her. she
| was no match for Prosecutor Berdine, and
practically told all he asked. though trying
| hard not to.
| John c.. Bovine, Julia Bowne's father was
called to the stand. He was not allowed to
state whether not his daughter eloped
with the clergyman.
| The officer who arrested Cordova at Wash
| ington then testified.
Fathers Pitiful Plea.
Prior to the beginning of the trial Bovine
had pleaded with the prosecutor to annul
the case. On Bonded knees the father begged
| Berdne to induce the wife to let the former
clergyman go and save his girl from the ne
cessity of appearing In court to face her old
neighbors.
Let them go If she will not give him up, -
| begged Bovine, who Is a deacon In the
church of which Cordova formerly was the
pastor. God will punish them in His own
way; only save my girl this added disgrace.
She has broken her mothers heart; she will
not listen to our entreaties, but her future
| HuuSl De IltI greatest punishment, any way.
| Please save her this for her mothers sake
and mine
| Prosecutor Berdne referred the father to
Judge Strong, who wouldn't listen to with
| drawal of the charges, and, in fact, criti-
| cised Bovine severely for asking it.
Cordova Shields Julia Bovine.
Cordova himself went on the stand against
| the wish of Mr.. Cook, his counsel. He adj
mitted that he had left his home on May II,
| I
him to do SO. He corroborated his wife's
! testimony of their subsequent meetings in
| Brooklyn, and said that from November,
| 1904, to February, 1905 he had no work, and
could, therefore, send her no money. An at
| tempt was made to have Cordova admit
| that Miss Bovine had accompanied him to
| Mexico. To the direct question, asked by
the prosecutor, he replied: Il decline to an
swer." Asked II Miss Bovine accompanied
| him to Philadelphia, he made similar
| reply. He finally appealed to the court,
| saying to Judge Strong: II do not think I
| should be asked questions that would in
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