Los Angeles herald., 1905-02-03
WINS CASE, SUES
M0THER-|N-LAW
PROF. WOODBRIDGE RETAIL
ATES IN DAMAGE CASE
In the Meantime the Wife's Suit for
Divorce Is Pending-Peeuliar
Tanele to BE un-
raveled

In his contest with his mother-in-
law. Mrs. Eunice Groom, who charged
him with an assault upon her with a
deadly weapon, DR.. Samuel M. Wood
bridge director of the agricultural sta
tion of the Southern California Acad-
emy of Sciences, yesterday won the
deciding point, and he will now confine
his attention to his wife, Mrs. E. @.
woodbridge, who will meet him In the
divorce courts of Los Angeles county
within the next few weeks.
Within six minutes after his acquit-
tai on the charge preferred against him
by his mother-in-law. the doctor
walked into the county clerks office
and filed a civil suit against her,
wherein he charged her with malicious
prosecution and asked the court to
award him damages in the sum of
S20,15O.
Doctor Brings Suit
Not because he needs the money, but
because he says he has been insulted,
grossly abused and, figuratively speak
ing, whipped by his wife's mother, the
doctor askc for $4,000 damages by rea-
son of the action filed against him be-
fore Justice Glover of Pasadena on
January IL.
This case was subsequently dis
missed. Mrs. Groom instituted another
action against him before Justice
Pierce in the township court, and on
this occasion the doctor thinks that
the sorrow. pain, notoriety, ETC., etc.,
are worth at least another $4,000.
1t was the last case that was yes
terday dismissed by Justice Pierce, as
was the first charge brought against
him in the Justices court at Pasadena.
Mrs. Groom, the mother-in-law, is
nearly 70 years of age.
December 81, 19O3 Woodbridge, it is
alleged, called at his mother-in-law's
house in search of his spouse. Mrs.
Groom refused him admission, but
shortly afterward he returned and at
the next moment Mrs. Groom discov-
cred him with his head and shoulders
half through the window of the dining
room. Mrs. Groom said:
"'How dare you open that window in
that manner?' 1 demanded. He said:
Where is my wife?' 1 told him that
she had gone to South Pasadena, and
with that 1 walked over to the window,
and pushed him out and locked it. He
came back again about II O'clock and
tried to get in through the screen door.
He nearly kicked it down, but L pre-
vented it."
Justice Pierce apparently was not
satisfied with this testimony.
1T is all you have?" he asked.
Deputy District Attorney Rose, in
behalf of the prosecution, indicated to
the court that the district attorneys
Office was not in sympathy with the
prosecution of the case, and in du-
bious tone of voice he said:
I'VE have other witnesses who can
testify to the threats made to the COM
plainant."
John Peed testified he had heard the
doctor say several months after the
alleged assault that "he wished he had
got her."
Dismisses Case
This concluded their testimony and
without even permitting the defense to
put in it's case, Justice Pierce ordered
the suit stricken from the docket.
Woodbridge hurriedly visited the
county clerks Office and there COM
menced his $4,000 suit against his van
quished mother-in-law.
In a few weeks Woodbridge will
make his debut in the divorce court in
answer to the complaint filed against
him by his wife.
In the complaint Mrs. Woodbridge
charges her spouse with having as
sailed her integrity as his wife.
According to the story told by Mrs.
Woodbridge, it appears that her hus-
band made 1t rather difficult for her
to remain at home in peace and quiet,
and she asserts that she was compelled
to leave him.
Woodbridge has engaged Attorneys
Porter and Sutton of Los Angeles to
look after his interests in the case.
while Mrs. Woodbridge will be repre-
sented by an attorney from San Jose,
where the divorce suit originally was