The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-11-27
The WOMAN AND4HEN MINISTER
FIRST DAYS TESTIMONY IN
BASSETT RIIaRCE CASE.


Firth ChGu In ftcf itusDand's Absence.
WASHINGTON, Nov. 2s.-There wa com
paratively little public interest shown in
the divorce suit of Bassett against Bassett,
which occupied the attention OF Judge
Ashley NJ. Gould IN the Equity Branch Of
the Supreme Court of the District Of
Columbia to-day. Fewer than two dozen
persons were present, none of them women.
The statement Of oounse had been COM
plcted last week and when the court met
at II o'clock this morning it was to begin
the consideration OF the evidence pre-
sented in the form of dispositions. There
were forty-six OF these in all, the witnesses
including such distinguished persons as
John G. Carlisle. ex-Secretary OF the
Treasury; Ben l.. Fairobild, ex-Representa-
tive in Congress from New York; John G..
Tllotson, q New York lawyer, and many
doctors, servants, washerwomen, elevator
:. BOYS and nurses. Their evidence was all
read by counsel for the plaintiff, Charles
q. Bassett, in support Of his bill for absolute
divorce from his wife, Fanny Rice Bassett,
n naming the Rev. f.. Lawrence Hunt,
pastor of the Noble Street Presbyterian
Church, Brooklyn, az correspondent. Mr..
Hunt was formerly pastor of the Washing
ton Heights Presbyterian Church in
Washington, and it was during his pastorate
here that the acts complained OF by Mr..
Bassett are alleged to have occurred.
Neither the plaintiff, the defendant nor
the correspondent was in court, but each
was represented by counsel. There was no
oral testimony.
When the court adjourned at O'Clock
this afternoon the evidence submitted
by the plaintiff had covered the period OF
1904 and 1905 from the time Mr.. Bassett
left Washington on field work for the Geo
logical Surveyl of which he was an en-
ployee, and the alleged subsequent vista OF
the clergyman to Mrs. Bassett's apart
ments, her stay in New York. her illness at
Johns Hopkins Hospital In March, 1905.
Awhen she gave birth TO a male child, and
her subsequent movements
The evidence submitted tended to show
hat the Rev. MIR. Hunt was almost con-
stanty with Mrs. Bassett in Baltimore and
that he paid part of the fee for her medical
attendance. The point made by the nus
band Is that the child born in Baltimore was
ushered into the world ten months after
he had been continuously absent from his
wife. and that while she wrote to him fire.
uuently for money for support of herself
and the four children previously born
she carefully concealed from him in her
correspondence; Including about seventy
Ave letters, all information concerning her
visit TO Johns Hopkins Hospital and the
birth of the fifth child. Evidence was also
submitted TO show that Mrs. Bassett had
denied the birth OF the Hfth' chi3d.
The plaintiff seeks absolute divorce and
the custody Of the four older children,
hut ignores the fifth child Mrs. Bassett
has a suit for divorce pending in Omaha,
alleging deeertion and crueitys and claim
ing the custody Of her children.
Hattie Thompson, formerly a servant in
the Bassett household in the Abe
marie apartment house; testified that
the day after Mr.. Bassett lett home
for the field Mrs. Bassett was i'll. The
Rev. Mr.. Hunt called and went into Mrs.
Bassett's apartment and remained most OF
the afternoon. The testimony was that
the minister called almost daily and spent
much of his time in Mrs. Bassett's bedroom.
Later the witness went to work for Mrs.
Reeves, who lived in an apartment next
door. Going into the hall n afternoon
to get a newspaper she saw Mrs. Bassett
and the Rev. Mr.. hunt standing in the
hall and Mrs. Bassett kissed the minister
several times.
Hugh Dent, an elevator conductor at
the Albemarle, testified to several calls Of
Mr.. Hunt upon Mrs. Bassett during her
husbands absence. One night he took
the minister UP to the apartment and saw
him enter Mrs. Bassett's apartment. He
did not bring him down again from the
fourth floor. on which Mrs. Bassett's apart
ment was, the same night, but saw him
coming down the stairway the next morning.
The most interesting deposition was that
Of Julia Carter, a servant in the Bassett
household, who testified that she had ex-
tracted the mail from the letter box to keep
IL from falling into the hands of Mr.. Bas-
sett. Mrs. Bassett had given her money
20 say nothing to Bassett about Hunts
visits. She was n lookout by Mrs.
Bassett's direction during one of Hum
visits and rave a warning Of the approach
OF Bassett. Hunt hid behind a door until
Bassett had entered He passed into a
bedroom and then passed out without
Bassett seeing him.
til a blow when he raised an objection
70 the deposition of Julia Carter. He said
the story was improbable. MIR. Bassett,
tho plaintiff worked in the Department"
said the Court, "and his wife must have
known the hour of his return, and it would
haye been very easy for Mrs. Bassett to
nave asked Mr.. Hunt to leave. Besides,
there was no occasion to be alarmed. Hunt
was a neighbor. living in the same apart
ment. and there was no occasion to hide
him. The whole story looks improbable
70 me-"
Lottie Smith, a nurse, testified that she
carried notes between Mrs. Bassett and
MI. Hunt; that notes from Mrs. Bassett
were sometimes delivered to Hunts mother;
that Hunt frequently came to lunch with
Mrs. Bassett in response to these notes.
The witness accompanied Mrs: Bassett TO
visit Mrs. O'Rourke at High Bridge, New
York, In the month of July, 1904. During
the visit Mrs. Bassett remained away over
night several times. The Bassett children
remained at Mrs. O'Rourke's house in
charge OF witness.
Mrs. O'Rourke's depos ition was read.
She testified that she was a cousin OF Mrs.
FANNY Rice Bassett; that the latter visited
Mrs. OCRourke &C her New York residence
during the month Of July, 1901; that she
was sway over night four times during
her visit. One time she remained away
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