Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-11-22
STATEMENTS BEFORE COURT
Review of Evidence and Arguments
Scheduled for Next Week.
HEARING TO BEGIN MONDAY
Attorney Colliday, Counsel for Plain
tiff, Outlines Basis of Claim for
Legal Separation.

The case of Charles C. Bassett against
| Fanny Rice Bassett for an absolute di-
vorce was called for a hearing before JUS
| tice Gould in Equity Court No. this after
noon. By order of the court and agree
| ment of counsel opening statements of the
| case were made but a review of the evil
dence and arguments will not be heard I'M
| til next week. The case will have prece-
dence before the court Monday next, and
| it will continue until settled.
In an explanatory way Attorney E. F.
| Colladay, counsel for Charles G. Bassett.
| reviewed the marital relations of the COM
painant and the defendant wife. Charles
| Chester Bassett and Fanny Rice were mar
| ried in Washington November IL, 1891, he
| said, and four children were born to the
union. These, Charles Chester, jr., in 1896;
| Rice, 1899; Francis, in 1900 and Benjamin
| F., in 1902, all in the custody and I'M
der the control of the defendant wife.
Ever since the marriage the husband,
Charles c. Bassett has remained faithful
to his vows declared Mr.. Colladay, but
he AYERS that his wife, Fanny Rice Bassett,
of adultery with the correspondent in the
case, Rev. E. Lawrence Hunt, at various
times in 1904 and 1905"
Attorney Henry E. Davis counsel for the
correspondent, stated the details of the pro-
ceedng brought in Douglas county, Neb.,
by the wife. Fanny Rice Bassett. seeking
separation from Charles c. Bassett.
Mr.. Davis referred to the fact that the
existence of another child of the union,
Lawrence Bassett. now about fifteen
months of age, is ignored.
The court then heard the full opening
statement by Attorney Coliaday, as fol-
lows:
Alleged Cordial Relations.
LAS early as October, 1903, relations be-
tween the two defendants had become
friendly and cordial. About this time the
defendant, Mrs. Bassett, became active In
efforts on her part to procure for the CO.
respondent the position OF chaplain either
of the Senate or OF the House. From the
commencement of such activity on her part
until the chaplaincy Of both the Senate
and the House had been determined, in the
early part of December 1903, 1t is admit
ted that she was constantly meeting and
In daily correspondence with the CORE
spendent. While Mrs. Bassett, during this
period. was in Washington the written COM
munications between the two were by mes
! senger. During portion of this period
when she was visiting at the home of Mr..
| Fairchild in Pelham. New York, these daily
communications were by special delivery
letters
| After the question of the chaplaincy had
| been determined in the early part of De-
cember, and until Mr.. Bassett left Wash
| ington for Ogdensburg, N. Y, where he
was engaged until the following Novem-
Der in Typographical field work for the
geological survey, the correspondents calls
upon Mrs Bassett at her apartment con-
tinued, and for almost the entire period
| from the first part of December until the
| eleventh day of May, his calls at Mrs. I3as-
sett's apartment. were almost daily, and
| always during the absence of Mr.. Bas-
sett
Says Hush Money Was Paid.
HE would call at the apartment shortly
after Mr.. Bassett left home for his office,
and would leave before Mr.. Bassett had
returned. Sometimes the two would lunch
together in the apartment. and frequently
they would go out together. During this
period the servants were paid money by
Mrs. Bassett with instructions not to tell
Mr.. Bassett that the correspondent had
called On one occasion Mr.. Bassett re-
turned while the correspondent was there,
and the latter was hidden. under instruc-
tons from Mrs. Bassett, by the servant
while Mrs. Bassett drew Mr.. Bassett into
the bed room and closed the door while the
correspondent made his escape. Also dur
ing this period. upon the correspondent
arriving at the apartment, the children
would be sent either out Of doors with the
servant or into the nursery, and instruc-
tons were given to the servant not to
bother Mrs Bassett under any circum-
stances. One servant also was paid by
Mrs. Bassett to hide the mail until Mrs
Bassett could have opportunity to see it in
advance of Mr.. Bassett.
For a portion of the period from the
time Mrs. Bassett left the Varnum, in
Washington, October a. 1904, until she
was finally traced to Atlantic City, July f.
| 1905, her whereabouts have been discovered
and appear in evidence in this case She
arrived at the boarding house of Mr. and
| Mrs. Morse, opposite the Johns Hopkins
| Hospital, in Baltimore, on January 2s 1905.
| Prior to that time, with the exception Of
several weeks at Little Rock her where
| abouts were unknown, excepting that she
| states that during such period she was
| twice In Philadelphia and twice in st.
Louis.
Institutes Divorce Suit.
Following the discovery of her where
abouts by her husband. Mrs. Bassett, with
the correspondent. left the Gibson house
about July 6. and on July 7. 1905, arrived
| at Mr.. Hunts home in Washington. After
remaining there one night Mrs: Bassett
left for the west. and after a short stay
In Denver she went to Nebraska and after
remaining in Omaha. Neb.. for a period of
six months. she there commenced an &C.
ton against her husband for q divorce on
the ground of desertion and cruelty
During the stay Of Mrs. Bassett at the
hospital from February l to March Is,
1905. the correspondents visits to Mrs Bas-
sett continued daily. 1t was here she was
| heard to address the correspondent as
dear
MRS. Bassett named the child born at the
Johns Hopkins Hospital Lawrence, in hon
or of the correspondent. as stated by the
correspondent In his letter to Mrs. Bas-
| sett. which Is In evidence.
THE letters from Mrs Bassett to her
husband from May H. 1904, when Mr. Bas-
| sett went to his field work in New York
state, to and including the last letter ever
| received by Mr.. Bassett from Mrs. Bassett
| are In evidence.
Letters to Husband.
All Of this correspondence keeps up the
| assumption of continued affection on the
part Of the wife to the husband, the first
| intimation of any criticism of his conduct
| toward her being contained in a letter dated
November 80, 1904. and postmarked at Bal
| timore, and the first letter which assumes
an attitude of open antagonism is the let
| ter dated at st. Louis, December To- 1904
after she had failed in her efforts to induce
him to acquiesce in her keeping away from
| Washington and from him, as outlined in
| her letter to him of Thursday, November g.
| 1904. but postmarked Washington, Novem-
Der 6, 1904.