Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-12-03
TAKEN UP BY COUNSEL
Arguments Begun in the Bas-
sett Divorce Case.
ATTORNEY COLLADAY OPENS
Outline of the Evidence in Behalf Of
the Plaintiff.
CORRESPONDENT HUNT PRESENT
Court Denies Motion for Reopening of
Hearing for Introduction of
New Evidence.

New Evidence.
For the first time since the hearing began
in the suit for absolute divorce, brought
against his wife by Charles c. Bassett, in
Equity Court No. 2, one of the principals
was in the court room today. Rev. E.
Lawrence Hunt of Brooklyn. N. Y the CO.
respondent was in Washington day or
two ago and in conference with his at
torney, Henry E. Davis, but he did not come
to the court room to listen to the proceed
ings in which his name has been so freely
mentioned in connection with that Of Mrs.
Bassett.
Attorneys Colladay and Fulton petitioned
Justice Gould today to permit Mr.. Bassett
to go on the stand to refute statements
made by Mrs. Bassett in her deposition
taken in Omaha and Bassett was in the
room ready to do so. Particular points were
cited upon which it was wished to have
Bassett testify, and it was declared that
Mr.. Bassett's statements would be largely
corroborative of the deposition of former
representative Benjamin Fairchild of New
York.
Justice Gould, however, decided that the
case should not be reopened for the intro
auction or evidence. and Attorney Cola
day Immediately began his opening address
for the complainant. Using a sort of topi-
cal abstract of the testimony for reference
Mr.. Colladay first dwelt upon the alleged
intimacy between Hunt and Mrs. Bassett
while the Bassetts resided in the AIbemarle
apartment house, and extensive citation of
dates and hours of Hunts visits to the
Bassett fiat were made from the deposit
tons OF former servants in the family.
Mrs. BassettS movements from the time
her husband left Washington, May II, 1904,
IN onf y ala
the geological survey were carefully
traced, to show that Mr.. Hunt was almost
constantly with Mrs. Bassett from that
time until July 6, 1895.
Continued His Visits.
After Mrs. Bassett came from the Johns
Hopkins Hospital, after the birth of the
baby Lawrence, there was no earthly
reason for DR.. Hunt to call upon this wom-
an so frequently" declared Mr.. Colladay
She was out of all danger, yet their own
witness has testified that Hunt called upon
Mrs. Bassett so frequently that letters were
not necessary.
II think that the records Of no church
will show such an uninterrupted series of
visits by pastor to any member of his
flock" Mr.. Colladay continued, land all
these visits by Hunt to Mrs. Bassett after
Christmas in 1903 were against the specific
wishes oe the husband.
Coming to the time when Mr.. Bassett
was about to return to his home in the fall
of 1904, and Mrs. Bassett was in such condi-
ton that she did not dare face her hus-
band" Mr.. Colladay said, the evidence
clearly shows the part the co-defendant,
Hunt, played in conceallng the wife's
whereabouts from her husband Letters
written by Mrs. Bassett and evidence Of
fered by the Washington post office officials
indicate that Hunt knew all the time where
Mrs. Bassett was. though her husband did
not. A lock box was rented in Washing
ton most office in which of MrS Poc
sets mail was received by Hunt.
Mrs. Bassctt would not testify to her
whereabouts during the summer, fall, win
ter aud spring of 1904-5, and Hunt was
afraid to go on the stand SO that we could
ask him about his movements.
Attention was called by Mr.. Caliaday to
the fact that Mrs. Bassett taught her son,
Charles Chester Bassett jr:, to call Mr.
she has admitted that Hunt is not her
adopted brother, half-brother or any re-
lation whatever.
Their relationship was such that Mrs
Griffith, Mr.. Gibson and other Atlantic
City witnesses stated that they thought
Hunt and Mrs Ba asset to be man and
wife," Mr.. Colladay said. land actions
surely speak louder than Words
After Recess.
At 12:45 o'clock recess was taken until
1:40.
When court reconvened Attorney Colo
day resumed his argument, and again re-
ferred to the visit Of Mr.. Hunt and Mrs
Bassett to Atlantic City, and said that a
number of persons, whose dispositions ap-
pear in the case, knew the codefendants,
as they represented themselves to be-
namely. brother and sister.
Speaking of the first charge of the Illicit
relations between Hunt and Mrs. Bassett,
alleged by Mr.. Bassett to have been May
~, 1904, the day after Bassett left the
city. Mr.. Colladay declared the evidence Of
fered in rebuttal to have been flimsy and
i'll founded.
'As a matter of fact" he said, 1.-The evil
dence offered to indicate that Mrs. Bassett
had been present at an afternoon May
party and poured tea does not prove that
the co-defendants were not alone in the
Bassett fat from o'clock until nearly or
about o'clock.
THE medical testimony may fail to show
conclusively that the child, Lawrence, is
not the son of Hunt, but it also equally
fails to show that 1t is the child of Bassett
Mr.. Colladay continued. If we take into
consideration the actions of the couple in
concealing Mrs. BasSettS whereabouts and
OF her condition from her husband and in
later denying to former friends in this city
that she had another baby, It Is convincing
to us that the boy, Lawrence, Is the son Of
Rev. E. Lawrence Hunt.
All the evidence on the point shows that
Mr.. Hunt paid all of Mrs Bassett's ex-
penses in the hospital, and that he took
apparent pride in describing the child as
the finest, strongest baby boy in the
world, to whom his mother has given my
name.'"
Attorney Davis Begins Statement.
Mr.. Holiday concluded his remarks at
Pas o'clock and Mr. Davis, attorney for the
correspondent, Rev. L. E. Hunt, in state
ment Introductory to the closing argument
for his side, said he would devote the re-
mainder of today to review Of what the
law requires in the way of evidence in
such a case as this. Mr.. Davis said he
would leave it until tomorrow for the posi-
tive presentation of the defendants side
of the controversy.