Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-07-09
TIE HARTJE SCANDAL
OTHER PARTIES GAIN MOTTO
RIETY-FoRTUNE IN CASE.

FERROUS blonde woman who met Hartje in
Schenley Park and was driven to his house
during the absence OF Mrs. Hartje accord
ing to the story told by Tom Nadine, the
coachman. on the stand. Is the direct
cause. The indirect cause is the allega-
lions made by Augustus Hartje that his
wife visited the Hotel Lincoln with a man
whose name has not yet been presented in
court. 1t soon became known to whom
Hartje referred-an Allegheny business man
who has many friends both in and out of
his own class.
But It is his wealthy friends who are
egging on the latest sensation. They de-
cided Hartje had done an ungentlemanly
thing In introducing the AEeghenian into
the scandal. 1t was also felt that they
must stand together When the blonde
learn the woman's identity. Ihere are
many blondes In Pittsburg, both in and
out of society, but the wealthy detectives
finally decided that 1t was the wife of a
weil-known man. 1t was promptly agreed
to keep the alleged discovery quiet but
the story finally reached the husband OF
the suspected blonde.
Husband is Angry.
He is Infatuated and will not believe his
wife's denials and says he will not accept
Hartjes promised denial on the witness
stand. He threatens suit for divorce, with
Nadine for his chief witness In the mean
time the Allegheny millionaire is still dis
satisfied. Notwithstanding Hartje's an
nouncement that the Hotel Lincoln incident
is not to be brought into the case.
He threatens civil and criminal suits to
clear his character, feeling that all the
persons whose good opinion he covets
know of the implied accusation and that
further publicity cannot hurt him.
Hartje's attorneys announced today that
they had made a mistake in introducing
Clifford Hooe. the negro coachman. into
the case, but promise other correspondents,
If necessary, to win their case. Hooe is
still in Jail on charge of perjury in max
ing an affidavit that he had been criminally
intimate with Mrs. Hartje, and he is also
a defendant in the criminal suit for per-
jury.
This suit is brought because of the find
ing of young woman who Is alleged TO
have forged Mrs. Hartjes handwriting at
her husbands instigaton George B. Per-
kins superintendent of detective agency,
says he will not only show that the letters
in the case are forgeries. but will produce
the forger in court. She Is said to be
stenographer who lives in another city.
Fathers Fortune in the Fight.
John F. Scott Mrs. Hartje's father, is
a former railway president and has been
prominent a contractor. He Is COM
paratively wealthy man. and his friends
say the case will sweep away his entire
fortune, but If 1t should there will be
money left to fight Within forty-eight
hours after Hartje had started the case
Mr.. Scott had been rendered more than
81, 900. GOO by rich men of Pittsburg as
fund to be used in the fight. Frederick
Gwtnnan president of the Empire National
Bank, offered to turn over his entire for
tune to John A. Scott II 1t were needed.
Mrs. Hartje's father declined the loans
and proceeded to spend his own fortune IN
clearing his daughters name OF the slime
that had been flung at It,
The cost Of this case to both sides mas
been enormous. Each has professed TO
fear tampering with its witnesses. and the
result Is that certain witnesses are guarded
constantly by detectives. When the trlai
first began Mrs. Hart1e's father said:
II will spend every dollar l have In the
world. This is not contest FOR my daugn-
ter: 1t ia a battle for the honor OF Amer
lean womanhood 1t Is not a case In when
l and my family alone are interested; every
man in America is concerned.
Woman "Jim, the Penman."
Now the defense has brought forward
what promises to be the trump card In the
case. Mrs. Hartje's lawyers allege that
they have found pretty woman, jim
the Penman' in skirts, who is charged with
writing the famous ten letters purporting
to be from MRS. HartJe to Tom" Nadine,
the coachman. They promise her arrest
on a charge Of forgery this week and de-
clare that she will be put on the witness
stand to tell who were the other figures in
the plot. Her testimony, If 1t Is obtained in
the way the defense AYERS 1t can be placed
before the jury. Is expected to be the turn
ing point in the case.
Mrs Hartjes counsel stood sponsor Tor
the statement that the woman had tried
to excuse her forgery Of the Nadine let
tiers by saying she thought they were to
be used in melodrama: District AttoIney
the arrest Of Hartje and Welshons woulq
be only the beginning~that other men
prominent in Pittsburg's social and bust
the slanderous plot against Mrs. Hartje.
Probably no plaintiff in the history of
civil trials in this country ever found HIM
self in 60 many different pickles. SO much
hot water in the space Of six short months
as has Hartje. Here Is the list in Its
sequence:
Wanted to Withdraw.
Hartje sued for divorce, making the most
startling allegations against his wife's
honor and habits. Then he wanted to with
draw his suit on the ground that II all the
facts came out the scandal would besmirch
too many prominent people. His wife filed
a cross-suit charging cruelty, drunkenness,
infidelty, chokings and beatings
He named negro in his suit. The negro
owned up that he had been paid to accuse
Mrs. Hartje. Hartje then put forward the
name of Tom Nadine. Nadine declared
that not only was Mrs. Hartje innocent,
but that he had been approached with
offers Of money by agents of Hartje pro-
viding he would join Hooe in swearing away
Mrs. Hartje's reputation.
Hartje put much hope in the evidence of
Susie Wagner servant girl, who testified
to seeing Mrs. Hartje and Nadine exchange
caresses The attorneys for the defense
forced Susie Wagner to. admit that she had
stated she knew nothing against Mrs.
Hartje and that Hartje had given her
money for an ocean trip.
Mistake in W omen.
Hartje in a supplementary petition charg-
ed that his wife had been traced to
hotel with a wealthy merchant. His law
yers have had to practically withdraw this
charge, as It is now admitted that there
was a mistake in the identity Of the wo-
man who went to the hotel.
Hart1e's detectives testified to following
Mrs Hartje about and seeing her In the
company of various men, 1t developed
that the woman they trailed was not Mrs.
Hartje, but her sister. whom she greatly
resembles.
Hartje banked heavily upon his staff of
paid detectives The head of the detective
bureau which he employed has just had
his license taken away from him the
foe oxy{do m