Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-12-04
SPEAKS FOR Mr.. HUNT
Attorney'sPIea for Correspond
ent in Divorce Case.
CONCLUDING OF ARGUMENTS
Discussion of the Evidence Gathered in
Baltimore.
vERACIIY OF THE SERVANTS
Comment Regarding Deposition Of q
Former Representative in Congress
Atlantic City Occurrences.
CONCLUDING OF ARGUMENTS
vERACITY OF THE SERVANTS

| SOnCluuiIlS III peHdil VI NV
E. Lawrence Hunt. named as correspondent
| in the suit for absolute divorce brought
! against his wife by Charles c. Bassett Of
! the Geological Survey, Washington. were
| made before Justice Gould in Equity Court,
| No. .. today by Attorney Henry E. Davis.
Taking up the phase of the case, which
rests upon evidence gathered in Baltimore
| covering the period of Mrs. Bassett's resi-
| dence in that city before and after she was
| taken to the Johns Hopkins Hospital, At
| torney Davis opened his argument this
! morning with an attack upon the veracity
| of statements made by servants in the
| Morse and McCracken boarding houses, re-
| spectvely.
Take the witness Belle Mitchell as
| typical" he said. The record in this
| case indicates positively that Mrs. Bias.
| sett spent only three days in the Morse
/ house before she went to the hospital,
yet Belle Mitchell-who testified to en-
| tering the room where Hunt and Mrs
Bassett and the boy Chester were to-
gether. and to seeing Mrs. Bassett in
| the act of putting on a gauze underskirt,
and who further declared that Mrs. Bas-
| sett lived at the Morses for as long a
\ time as two or three monthS-is it pos
| sibie that the testimony OF witness whose
| recollection of period of time is so de-
| fect.ve. can be taken of value as reiat-
ing to a specific occurrence?
Similar references were made to the evil
dence offered by the other colored witnesses
in Baltimore.
! Davis regarding the deposition of Benjamin
| Fairch:ld. former representative in Con-
gress from New Yor--. which was placed in
evidence in rebuttal to the testimony of
Mrs BasSett. Il do not care to waste time
with the statements of Fairchild. said
Mr.. Davis, who goes on record with
categorical denial of the truth of every
thing offered in Mrs. Bassett's deposition.
rs 1t comprehensive that a woman of
Mrs. Bassetts in.elli gence could or would
invent such an amazing series of occur
rences If there were no basis in fact?'
Regarded as Improbable.
Another thing you asked to believe
in this case" Mr.. Davis said, lis that Mrs.
Bassett practically carried on in the pres
e2ce Of youthful negro servant girls her
criminal relations with this man, who was
| not her husband; that she bribed these tat
Ting children with pttances of 10 and Is
cents not to tell Mr.. Bassett about the
frequent visits to her by Hunt This would
mean that the couple placed themselves
entirely in the power of these irresponsible
negroes, who might naturally be supposed
to carry the story about the whole neigh
borhood.
Speaking of the occurrences in Atlantic
City, Mr.. Davis said there was nothing
upon which to hang a charge of adultery
against Mrs. BaSSett and Mr.. Hunt except
| that they occupied adjoining but not COM
municating. rooms the same fi6or for
| one, two, three or more gifts.
| The law requires. to convict on charge
| of adultery, that mutual lasciyiouSness and
mutual opportunity must be proved against
| the principals. Authorities in the decis-
ions of the courts, in taking up the ques-
ton OF lasciviousness. give most weight
to previous character of those concerned.
Yet this court is asked to convict this
man of God, the professed mouthpiece of
his Maker. against whom there was never
lora g. 80 lor
woman. who moved in the best circles in
| this capital. upon mere inference which
the law does not recognize
Before you leave the question Of op-
portunity, Mr.. Davis and concerning the
| Atlantic City episode" Justice Gould in
terrupted 'ff I understand you correctly,
you base your argument of the lack of OPP
| portunity upon the fact that Hunt and
communicating rooms in the Gibson
| House, and Mr.. Davis answered. in ef-
| feet. that such was the case.
why was Hunt running around the
| country with this woman? Why did he
| conceal her from her husband?'
These are the questions counsel on the
other side will endeavor to let stand as
unanswera ble,'" Mr.. Davis resumed II
| wish 1 could relate to your honor the stand
| ing up l gave this man Hunt before
would consent to touch his case. l put
| him TO an oath that will blast him to
| nethermost hell If he lied / do not seek
| to defend the thoughtless acts Of these
| people-they piled indiscretion upon indis-
cretion-but is 1t to be assumed that love
| is always guilty thing?'
Quotation From Hunts Letter.
| At this point Mr.. Davis read the much
quoted extract from Hunts letter to Mrs
Stone. Mrs. Bassett's friend, in which the
neutrality-suspicious. characterized 1.-The
alleged adulteress of his own debauching"
as 1.-The purest cleanest gold on earth and
heaven. which has been refined by fire,
where poorer stuff would leave only ashes"
This is either the product of a pure.
clean mind, showing the veneration Of a
man toward a woman whom ne deeply
loved with none but honest motive" said
Mr.. Davis. or it is the veriest rot of such
senseiess sort that 1t seems inconceivable
to lmpute its authorship to such a man."
Mr.. Davis closed with an appeal to the
court not to blast the baby, Lawrence Bas-
sett, with the stigma OF LEGITIMACY upon
nothing more substantial than the circum
stanttai evidence offered In this case.
At 12:4O o'clock the court took a recess
until LEO O'Clock, when Mr.. Fulton began
| the closing argument for the complainant.
Session This Afternoon.
When court reconvened for the afternoon
session Attorney Greed NJ. Fulton for the
complainant. Mr.. Bassett, Immediately be-
gan the closing argument in the case
Counsel for the other side would have
us believe that the evidence Of all of tie
colored witnesses in the case should he
disregarded simply because OF inconsistent
cies so slight discrepancies in time. in
the location of doors and other inconse-
quential things" Mr.. Fulton said.
Speaking of one particular instance the
occasion of May II. 1904, when the COM
plainant first alleges commission of adul-
terry. Mr.. Fulton declared that the evidence
of Hattie Thompson, the colored cook was
absolutely uncontradicted i'm that it placed
Hunt in Mrs. Bassett's bedroom from
O'Clock in the afternoon until nearly g.
Two witnesses were produced by the de-
Tense who testified that Mrs. Bassett at
tended a May party that afternoon" said
Mr.. Fulton, but these very witnesses de-
| ciared that Mrs. Bassett reached the May
party when 1t was half over, or about $50
| O'Clock in the afternoon. The defense has
| commended that there was no evidence of
| opportunity. Was this opportunity?
rs he priest Of Go?
rs he discharging his duty to his flock?
rs he discharging his duty to his brother
| mann? These questions were asked in
| rapid-fre succession by Mr.. Fulton as he
/ referred to the defendant Hunt as "a wolf
| In sleeps clothing"
Hunt could not have discharged q more
| solemn obligation toward God or man."
| continued Mr.. Fulton. than to have come
| forward and submitted himself az q wit
| ness to deny such statements as those made