Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1907-10-10
HARTJE SAY HIS
WIFE TRIED TO
POISON HIM
PAPER MAeNATE's PETITION
FOR A REoPENING OF SUIT
PROVES ANOTHER SENSATION.

Pittsburg, Oct. e.-The browning
sensation of the Hartje divorce case
developed when Augustus HartJe, the
paper magnate, filed with the state
superior court in Philadelphia papers
and an affidavit asking that his d.
vorce suit against his beautiful wife,
Mary Scott Hartje, be opened for
further evidence.
The attorneys submitted at the
same time copies of new evidence
which will be submitted to the lower
court If permission is obtained. The
divorce asked by Mr.. Hartje was re-
fused by the courts of Allegheny
county. His appeal is now pending
before the superior court at Philadel-
phia and will be heard today. This
opens the most extraordinary chap
ter in the tangled case.
The two young sisters of Mrs.
Hartje, Ida and Helen Scott, have
been whirled into the limelight and
it is also admitted by Mr.. Hartje that
he has purchased letters from Miss
Ida Scott to her intended husband,
Howard w. Lappe, bearing on the di-
vorce case.
Father Blackma'l Victim
The missives, if genuine, would in
dictate that the two girls blackmailed
even their own father in order 20
help out the divorce defense. A let
ter. purporting to be from Ida Scott
to Lappe, tells how they. the sisters,
could win the case for Hartje, If he
but knew, and how they would go TO
Hartje with their information, unless
Mr.. Scott. the father, agreed to pay
them SO much per month. That this
sum was forthcoming Is indicated in
letter signed to Ida" to Lappe.
Nor is it denied by John F. Scott.
father Of Mrs. Hartje that his sixteen
year old daughter, Ida, did demand
Of him monthly allowance, not only
for herself but for Lappe-the same
young man who is allege by Mrs.
Hartte to have sold Ida's love letters.
Mr.. Scott will not talk of this phase
of the affair, but said regarding Mr..
Hartje:
81 am not surprised at anything Mr..
Hartje does or says. A man who
would hire seven attorneys to defend
a negro would do anything"
| Mrs. Scott said she could not speak.
of the letters. because she did not
know whether her daughters had
written them or not Miss Helen
Scott refuses to be seen. and Ida
Scott is at boarding school in New
Jersey.
Charges Poison Attempt.
Mr.. Harris said that his wife tried
| to poison him in Paris and cites let
ter purporting to have been written
to Nadine by Mrs. Hartje from Lon
don In part this letter reads:
Dear Tom-While was out yes
terday Mary l.. was in the room alone
with sher papa. He seemed well all
day and had just taken one of his
large pills when he tainted and fell
! to the floor. Men came from the Of
! flee and he was in spasm. We all
thought every minute was his last.
The doctor came and said it was just
from his nerves. He was very sick
all night, but seems better today The
doctor got nurse, and he will be in
bed a week or so. He was nearly
dead, as he was cold all over.
Now. if anything should happen
/ will send for you to help me, and u
he gets better / will be home in two
weeks. l am not sure you will get
J this or | would write the feeling In
my heart this minute. | am living on
your promise Try again l did my
part and will do again. | will send
!. you some money, and this is what yor
must do: Bring home some of that
, have in my box or another kind.
did not have enough. | hope you un
derstand. l am sorry did not bring
, the other kind, too. When
left the room yesterday night NJ
! H. took sick put my hand on my
t locket and said, All for the one
/ want and love- must tell you | pu
$ the pill in his mouth, and it is all 81
e hard. the way it turned out. | vii
: tell you all when we are at home
: but do not come without what said
Please burn this, as you know VIVA
it means for us both.
S "Why. or VIII. aid it not work?
am wild to tell you all about it. Poo
0 NJ. L. saw it all. (The daughter
Mrs. Hartje, who was with her in Pal
Q is, is named Mary Louisa). Try 7
{ get what l tell you. Get them in tel
: or fifteen of grain.
a This letter is one which Hartje
O leges was received by Nadine ine Ire
land, and had for more than yea
oI lain in the family clock at the Madin
t, home there According to HartJe, ]
d reached Pittsburg about two month
iago, being sent here by his mother