The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-11-29
mrs. BASSETT'S SIDE OF IT.
THE STORY or HER UNHAPPY
MARRIED LIFE.

~ AFNsA LIE ~ ~ "a8 - AhC
Much Of Her Domestic Troubles Her
Husband Insanely Jealous and without
Cause--Dr. Osler Figures In tho Case.
wAsHNoros, Nov. 7s.-The reading OF
testimony In the case of Charles c. Bassett
against Fanny Rice Bassett for absolute
divorce was concluded to-day before jus
tice Gould in the Equity Branch OF the SUI
preme Court OF the District OF Columbia.
Arguments Of counsel will be heard Mon
day. Nearly the entire day was consumed
In reading the long deposition OF the re-
spondent. Mrs. Bassett recited a series OF
alleged acts OF cruelty inflicted by her hus-
band, due, she swore. 10 his intense jeal-
ousy and ungovernable temper.
H never controlled his temper IN his
life" said the wife. She testified to the
warm personal friendship that had existed
between her husband and their pastor,
the Rev. DR.. Hunt, named as correspondent,
and how Mr.. Bassett had invited DR.. Hunt
TO spend some time with him in the field
while he was working "a an agent OF the
Geological Survey.
Mrs. Bassett deposed that she took up
the work Of aiding DR.. Hunt in his cam
paign for chaplain OF the senate at the
request OF her husband. Later the green
eyed monster appeared. and the husband
threatened the lives Of the pastor and his
wife, and she finally sought an escape from
domestic sorrows by an attempt at suicide.
Incidentally Mrs. Bassett's testimony
was severe on ex-Representative Ben Fair
child Of New York, to whom Mrs. Bassett
ascribed much Of her family trouble.
Asked IL she loved the correspondent, she
---NI. - -. - 30 pay Aau0 mind
formulated anything that I could call love.
nor would I have anything In mind, any
thing Of that kind toward any man while
I am still the wife OF another"
DR.. osler of anti-longevity fame figured
in the case to-day. He deposed that he
had explained to Chester Bassett, the little
son OF the Bassetts, while his mother was
i'll at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore
that ababy auction was to be held and sug-
gested that Chester might wish to purchase.
-Four infants were exhibited. according to
Mrs. Bassett's deposition, one colored,
and Chester selected his new brother as
the pick of the lot, not realizing the rela-
tionship when he did so. He paid a dollar
for his new purchase, the money having
been supplied by the Rev. DR.. Hunt, who
was present at the baby auction. Chester
was asked to name his new acquisition and
proposed that I'VE call him Lawrence, for
Uncle Lawrence, who gave me the dollar"
This, the respondent testified, accounted
for the fact that the baby had been named
for the parson.
One interesting point in the wife's teeti-
monv was the fact that after the stormy
interview at Atlantic City, previously told
about, Bassett repented and begged his
wife to return to him, declaring that he
loved her and did not believe the stories
gains her, and he severely rebuked ex-
Representative Fairchild for having asked
Chester Bassett If he had seen his mother
and the Rev. DR.. Hunt In bed together.
Fairchild was bitterly criticised by Mrs.
Bassett.
Mrs. Bassett in her deposition said that
her husband and Hunt became close friends
and it was at Bassett's suggestion that she
undertook to use her acquaintance with
public men to aid Hunt IN his candidacy
first for Chaplain OF the House Of Repre-
sentatives and later for Chaplain OF the
Senate. Mrs. Bassett testified that her
husband had said:
I'VE are small contributors TO the church
and IL your friends in public life can help
the doctor to the chaplaincy 1t will supple
ment his small salary as pastor and we will
be thereby assisting the church"
She thereupon wrote letters in DR.. Hunts
interest and when the replies came they
were sent up to his apartments or he called
to get them. Once Mrs. Bassett was i'll
three weeks and DR.. Hunt and bis mother
| cared for her. Her husband was neglectful.
After a while her husband began to twit
her in the presence Of the servants and
elevator boys about that preacher who is in
love with my wife,
Once he told the negro girl to watch
the preacher, for -heis inlove with my wife.
He bribed the servants, she said, to report
on DR.. Hunts visits. Once he remarked
that she was beautifully dressed. You look
sweet; / wish your preacher lover could
see you now, he is alleged to have said.
Her family physician, DR.. Mckay, called
her to his Office and warned her that her
husband was insanely jealous and in such
a mental and physical condition that he
was threatening her life and DR.. Hunts.
When she reached home from the Doctors
Office she found her husband in a rage.
DR.. Hunt had called in her absence. Her
husband brandished a revolver n declared
he would kill Hunt and her. He frequently
struck and beat her, she said, and used a
whip on her once.
Mrs. Bassett declared that Ben l.. Fair
child was at the bottom Of much of her
domestic trouble. He had been a gossip
bearer between her husbands relatives
and herself. she said. Mrs. Bassett de-
clared thai she instinctively disliked Fair
child but tolerated him for her husbands
sake.
NJ paaa.tt told ~ having uiveo a dinoar