The San Francisco call., 1906-10-09
DUST BRUSH ST|RS
SMITHS WRATH.
Mrs. Hornet Makes Patient
of Husband Fear for
His Gums and Temper
DEFENSE OF DENTIST

OAKLAND, Oct. S.-If there is one
thing more than another that Civil En-
gineer ]. George Smith abhors it is
dust. This he admitted this afternoon
when he Yves testifying in the divorce
suit of Mrs. Elizabeth Hornet against
Dr. Simon c. Hornet, a dentist, who is
charged with extreme cruelty. Smith
was the first witness for the defense,
and Mrs. Hornet and her two comely
daughters laughed heartily when he
told how, while he sat in the dentists S
chair, the dentists wife piled her broom
in the room until he was almost suf-
focated.
I particularly object to dust, and I
advised the doctor not to have the
room swept while patients were in the
chair" testified J. George. and the
women in the courtroom giggled.
7 understand" said Attorney H. G.
Walker, who is conducting the defense,
without referring to what he under
stood.
1t was Horners nrst inning. All
day long testimony regarding Hornet S
alleged cruelty had been taken. and
about 4 o'clock Attorney ". G. OBrien
announced that the plaintiff would
close, with the understanding that 9TH
er witnesses might be called later.
whereupon Walker read the defend
ants ross-eomplaint, denying the
wife's allegations that Hornet had been
cruel in divers ways, and had shouted
Amen" three times when he threw her
family Bible into a garbage can. The
cross complaint further alleges that
Mrs. Hornet is of quarrelsome nature,
and that she scratched her husband
climbed on a fire escape and screamed
at the top of her voice. Hornet ad-
mitted that he could earn $500 month,
bat claimed that he had been incapaci-
tated and had twisted his fingers so
that he could not hold a mallet in his
hand.
Then J. George Smith was called. He
told about Mrs. Hornet sweeping
around the dental chair, and also told
OF a time when she objected to her hus-
bands work until both dentist and
patient were trembling
He was trembling so that 1 feared
he might hurt my gums said J.
George.
On cross-examination Smith told
O'Brien that Mrs. Hornets reputati
for peace and quiet was bad, but ad-
mitted that a DR.. Schmidt and DR..
Schmidts son were the only persons
he could recall who had made that ac-
cusation.
Those who testified today for the
plaintiff were Mrs. Ada Vennum and
Mrs. Georgia Vennum, daughters of
Mrs. Hornet, who married brothers;
DR.. J. j. Leek, George Cross, Mrs.
b. NJ White. Mrs. Ina Hanson, Mrs.
Fannie Thelin and Mortimer Vennum.
Mrs. Rosie Schroeder today sued
George T. Schroeder, a bartender, for
a divorce and 500 a month aIimony She
says he beat her ana called her vile
names. There is one child.
Although John A Reichert, a grocer
Of East Oakland. insists that his wife
called him fool and a scoundrel," /"
and said she would rather live with
a dog" he denies that he ever beat
her. as she AYERS in her complaint for
a divorce on the ground of extreme
cruelty.
Mrs. Rosie Reichert, the unhappy
wife. says that on one occasion her
husband, in a At of anger, choked her.
knocked her down and smashed her
head against the wall. Reichert denies
all this in an answer he filed today
and he makes counter charges in a
cross complaint in which he prays that
she take nothing by her action. He
says she wounded his sensibilities by
saying she wanted nothing more to do
with him.
The ill-mated pair married in Oak
land in 1892 and have two children.