Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1906-07-20
EVIDENCE Of A Plot
Court Admits Evidence Sought
to Be Excluded in the
Hartje Case
TESTIMONY ON CONSPIRACY
Hartje's Lawyers Lose Point When
Court Decides to Admit Evidences to
Prove That He Had conspired to
Ruin the Character of His Wife
Witnesses Are Examined.

Prove lhat ne Tao SoHsPhoe
Ruin the Character Of His Wire
Witnesses Are Examined.
Pittsburg, July 2O.-Following SEN
sational attack on the character OIL
Augustus Hartje, in which 1t was al
legged that he had taken two different
women frequently to questionable re-
sort. the real sensation of the day IN
the Hartje divorce trial eliminated
Thursday, when Judge Robert S. FI'a-
ger admitted, under bitter protest OF
opposing counsel, testimony relating to
the charges of conspiracy against john
l.. Welshons, prominent merchant;
August Hartje, the libelant, and Cliff
ford Hooe, the negro coachman, now
in Jail on perjury charges for alleged
false swearing in the case.
Welshons, who was called by Mrs.
Hartje's counsel, told clear story OF
how the deposition was secured from
Hooe He said that Hooe then left the
city, and the witness told of having
given him various small sums of mon
ey at different times. This looked
like blackmail the witness said F[e
said he might have told Hooe that he
would be sent to the penitentiary for
perjury if he did not stick to the or
iginal story he told Welshon's story,
it is said, comedies very closely with
the statement of Hooe relating to the
case, which is in the possession of the
district attorney
This was the first attempt during the
trial to present evidence of an alleged
conspiracy which Mrs. Hartje's counsel
declare was formed to defame her.
Welshons is close friend of Augustus
Hartje. and is accused. with Hartje
and Hooe, on conspiring against Mrs.
Hartje.
Welshons' Story.
Hooe, months ago, made deposition
in which he said he had been intimate
with Mrs Hartje. He afterwards re-
pudiated it, and is now in Jail on Il
charge Of perjury. Welshons told the
entire story, and said that Hooe's dep'-
osition was taken in his store by At.
torney Edward G. Hartje, Augustus
Hartje's brother, and Attorney Andrew
Fisher, Hartje's brother-in-law.
Welshons detailed how he assisted
Hooe to get away from the detectives,
III New Jersey, and of the various
times that. he gave Hooe money on his
demand Welshons, however. declared
that Augustus Hartje knew nothing
of the fact that Welshorls was paying
Hooe money. and that he never spoke
to him about it.
welshons adhered steadily to his
story that Augustus Hartje knew Moth
ing of the fact that he had given Hooe
money, and admitted that Hartje's at
torneys had told Hooe that if he was
not telling the truth they would pros
ecute him.
welshons foiled every attempt made
to show that he had conspired- with
Hartje to get Hooe to make the de-
position.
In placing Mr.. Welshons on the stand
Attorney John NJ Freeman, for Mrs.
Hartje said that he did so to prove
that an attempt had been made to tam
per with witnesses.
Lawyers Fight Hard.
Hartje's attorneys made a desperate
effort to prevent the witness from tes-
tifying. Their protests We're of no
avail Hartje's attorneys announced
they would go into something of the
kind, also, and predicted that if that
branch of the case was opened, the
trial would continue ten months longer.
Nv.
Hartje, said they had a letter showing
that the defense had taken the deposit
ton of a. witness knowing that his tes-
timony was false, and that they also
would show that at attempt had been
made to- tamper with witnesses.
Mrs. Hartje's counsel opened up q
new line in the defense by presenting
evidence to show that Hartje had Wis
tied disorderly house and had met an
immoral woman there. The chief wit
ness as to this was a servant in the
house, and hot fight was made by
Hartje's attorneys against admitting
this evidence. After reading of Mrs.
Hartje's bill Of particulars and finding
that Mrs. Hartje's had accused her
husband of adultery, Judge Robert S.
Frazer decided to admit the evidence
Attorney Freeman, for Mrs. Hartje,
announced that Nadine is to corrc-
borate the testimony Of the servant in
the disorderly house.
More testimony on handwriting was
also taken during the day when Sam
uel C. Malone, an expert Of Baltimore,
was called for Mrs. Hartje. He testified
along the same lines as those on that
side which had preceded him. He said
the writer Of the Standards" admit
teddy by Mrs. Hartje, was not the au-
thor of the disputed love letters. He adj
mitted however that he had written
to counsel for Mrs. Hartje, asking that
he be employed by them and saying
that if Mr. Hartje was absolutely GER
tain his wife wrote the letters, he could
prove this for him.
TROUBLE AHEAD FOR MAYOR.