Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-03-19
HE MEANT NO HARM
J. E. R00sevelt's Defense in the
Andrews Case.
COUSIN OF THE PRESIDENT
Relative Declares Missives to Bankers
Wife Were Brotherly.
HE CALLS ACCUSATION ABSURD
Legal Tangle Grows Out of Manage
ment Of Property Of Woman
In Sanitarium.
COUSIN OF THE PRESIDENT
HE CALLS ACCUSATION ABSURD

the litigation over the property of Mrs.
Constant A. Andrews, wife Of the president
of the United States Savings Bank, when
John e. Roosevelt, cousin Of the President,
was accused yesterday, in an affidavit in
troduced before Judge Vernon M. Davis, OF
making love to Mrs. Andrews, who Is his
sister-in-law.
Letters alleged to have been written by
Mr.. Roosevelt to Mrs. Andrews were in
cluded in the affidavit. Two Of them, writ
| ten from the Metropolitan Club, asked per-
mission to call on her and the third was
addressed to her while she was at Stock
| bridge.
my Dear Birdie" 1t read, at must be
charming at Stockbridge this perfect
| weather. How 1 wish 1 were with you
We would have such times If 1 could only
have nv way. Why should We be SO FAR
apart? Mamma arrived. but l miss my
sister-in-law. Affectionately. Jack.
Mr.. Roosevelt denied that there Is the
| slightest foundation for placing an I'M
proper construction on the letters. he &C,
knowledged having written them ana salo
he probably wrote many others ten years
ago of a similar character. His relations
with his sister-in-law, ne safd' naa peei
close up to a few years ago, both In
business and personal way, and ne asserted
that the letters were only such as any man
might write to a sister-in-law OF whom ne
was very IOnQ. IL L toulu ohiy h"'S A'S
own way" he explained by saying he meant
that he was unable to leave his business
in New York to join her in the country.
Says She Feared Him.
Miss Cornelia Van Wagenen, who for
twenty wears was a companion to Mrs
Andrews adds to this feature of the htiga-
ton a statement in an affidavit that in 1877
Mr. Roosevelt was frequent caller at the
Andrews home, 1877 Madison avenue, after
Mr. Andrews had left the house to go 10
his office. She declared that Mr.. Roose-
Welt often remained for an hour, ana tnat
Mrs Andrews complained to her that ne
professed love for her. and that his con-
duct was such to cause her much alarm.
Mrs. Andrews she said, had asked her
and maid not TO be beyond call whenever
Mr. Roosevelt was in the house, and mad
freuuently mentioned receiving letters from
her brotherin-law. . ,
II do not care to call any woman liar.
said Mr.. Roosevelt in speaking OF TINS
charge but Miss Van Wagenen must have
misunderstood some remark of Mrs. An
drews At any rate, she is trying to re
peat conversation which took place ten
wears ago. The whole story is absurdly
false, but even if it were true 1t could
have no bearing on the present litigation
1t Is scandalous and outrageous 70 prine
it into the case, and l am dumbfeunded
that a law firm of the standing of Parker,
Hatch & Sheehan would lend itself to SUCH
a proceeding. ,,
Mrs. Andrews is a most charming wom-
an l have known her for thirty years
and as my wife's sister it is not remark
able that our relations should nave peen
close l have walked and ridden with her
a great deal-my wife and land every
body intimate with US knows that we are
fond of each other.
with Mr.. Andrews the relations both OF
my wife and myself were quite olnerent.
We could not approve or the manner IN
which he treated his wife, but until the
facts were published in the newspapers
last spring we were not aware that ne
was to be named in connection with a
suit for divorce brought by the huspand OF
his housekeeper. 1t may be that we nave
since that time taken that charge into con-
sideration in trying to protect the prop
erty Interests of Mrs. Andrews.
Frank Klemme was arrested last May on
q charge of having abandoned his wife and
children He retaHated by accusing his
wife. and named Mr.. Andrews as the cause
of his domestic unhappiness. MT ANDREWS
declared that Mrs. Klemme was engaged
as housekeeper by his wife
Gives Letters to Husband.
Mrs. Andrews was adjudged incompetent
IN 1903 and was committed to Bloomingdale
Asvlum. She was afterward released on
parole and was permitted to return to her
home. While visiting friends in Hudson, n.
Y last July she wrote a letter to her hus-
hand which, according to the papers In the
case for the first time made known to him
the correspondence with Mr. Roosevelt. Sne
had 1t appears, preserved the letterS anu
given them to her husband IN a sealed pack
age before she was committed to Blooming
dale. nv.
.Mv darling Consie," the letter reads, IF
you are obliged to appeal to the courts from
Mr. Notmans and Mr.. Roosevelts unk1nd
treatment of me, hereby release you from
confidence in the matter of sealed package
of letters given to you previous to my III
ness. Jacks letters from the Metropontan
Club, with Cousin Cornelia's confederation,
would illustrate the adage that people who
live in glass houses should not throw
stones
Roosevelt Yesterday was that he had failed
to keep an agreement to turn over 10 MRS.
Andrews his salary as president of the Elk
horn Valley Coal Lands Company, IN which
Mrs Andrews held controlling interest. 1t
was asserted that Mr.. Roosevelt fulfilled
such an agreement one year, and paid over
half of the salary the year following, but
that since that time he had made no such
payments. -
''There was no such agreement" Mr.
Roosevelt said. Mrs. Andrews asked me to
be a director in 1893 to look after her inter-
ests She was taken in after that and was
Virtually the head of the company. Her con-
ttnued illness made it imperative to- elect
new president. / was at first made president
pro tenn. and then, when 1t became appar-
ent that Mrs. Andrews was incurable, as
sumed full charge. Under my management
the company has been made to earn 10 per
cent dividends instead of one-half of / per
cent which it was paying when took hold
of it,
In Sanitarium Now.
Mrs. Andrews property is worth about
500, OOO When she was adjudged incompe-
tent, in 1903. a committee of her property
was appointed consisting of her husband,
Mr. Roosevelt and the late John hoffman.
The management of the property was har-
monious until 1906. when conflict arose. Mr..
Andrews last November petitioned for the
appointment Of a trust company to manage
the property in place of the cammittee, and
there was a counter petition for his removal
as committee Of her person. The matter was
reopened yesterday on two motions, one by
Mr. Roosevelt, to have Mr.. Andrews power
restrained as a member of the committee
Of the estate and as the committee of the
person of Mrs. Andrews, and the other by
Mrs Roosevelt to regulate the time and
manner of her visits to her sister.
Mrs. Andrews was taken i'll again last
month and was committed to DIR. Packers
sanitarium at the Knobs, Broadway and
261st street.