Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1907-02-20
LETTERS TELL OF Her LOVE
Ep'stlsS from Ku Bassstt to Husband
Refute Der statsntnta
GIVE EVIDENCE or BURNING PASSION
women who Attend Divorce Trial
Are Rewarded for the Curiosity
by Precious MOrseIs
OF Sensation.


tain letters written by Mrs. Bassett to her
husband while the latter was away from
home engaged In geological survey field /
work
The attorneys for Mr.. Bassett found In /
the letters a refutation Of Mrs. Bassetts
testimony that she never really loved her
husband and that even from the time of
the honeymoon she ceased to respect him. (
The letters were written about four years
after the couple were married and are in /
the most passionately afIectionate terms.
IF you were here tonight" says one. Il
would kiss you. hug you. dance for you and
tell you you are the dearest husband in all
the world" Il do worship YOU" says an
other.
Much time was spent during the morning |
introducing letters and other documents !
The defense has now lis exhibits on file, !
most Of these being letters written by Mrs.
Bassett to her husband. The defense in
PRODUCED also a number of papers bearing
the signature of Mrs. Bassett and Rev.
DR.. Hunt. These papers were orders to
have mail forwarded to Mrs. Bassett's ad-
dress after she had left her husband and
he was not cognizant of her address.
Point to E1travagaBce.
Some points were brought out which in
dioated extravaganza on the part Of Mrs.
Bassett Though her husband was send
ing S1S a month OF his salary. she had to
| borrow at times. and one letter showed
that she had borrowed from Ben Fairchild.
the man who she testified, she always re-
garded as her enemy.
The attorneys made a spirited fight on
the admission of evidence regarding the
time OF Mrs. Bassett's confinement in
Johns Hopkins hospital in Baltimore. when
her youngest child. Lawrence, was born.
| II am aware that counsel would like to
avoid questions on this subject" exclaimed
| Mr.. Stout but we want to show who it
was that attended to her and got doctors
when she was in that hospital at that
time"
We throw down the gauntlet to Mr..
Stout" said Mr.. Baxter. I'VE stand ready
to meet this issue, but it's proper place is
in the case of the defense and not IN cross
examination"
The court took this view of it. Certain
questions. however, were admitted. Mrs.
Bassett answered that she did not know
whether her husband knew or not of the
anticipated birth of Lawrence, who was
horn on March II. 1905. She said she had
never notified him of the child's birth.
The court also sustained the objection of
Mrs. Bassett's attorneys to Mr. Stout s
question regarding who supported her
during this period, she having left her
husband number Of months previous
Preacher still Present
Rev. E. Lawrence hunt was in his place.
as he has been during every moment of the
trial Neither BENJAMIN Fairchild nor Mr..
Bassett were in the court room in the morn
ing.
1t is now apparent the case will not be
half finished by the end of the week. Three
very important witnesses are yet to be
called after Mrs. Bassett and she prob
ably will remain on the stand all of We'd
nesday.
The cost of the trial is amounting up to
high figures. A man in position to esti-
mate such costs said the litigation at the
Omaha end of the affair including all ex-
penses of Witnesses etc, will come near
the 5000 mark. Leading attorneys are en-
gagged on the case, witnesses whose time ia
worth considerable money are here from
distant points. The trial is proceeding with
a thoroughness that takes no cognizance
; of time. The record is being kept by two
: stenographers, who work nearly all night
in getting up a complete transcript Of one
| days evidence for use for the following
day. And all this is only preliminary 10
determining whether or not the Omaha
NOuIl any III the matter
| at all.
Mrs. Bassett signs for Relief.
The searching cross-examination of Mrs
Bassett by her husbands attorney, John
F. Stout, was completed yesterday after
, noon. The cross-examination had con-
tinued more than three days. much time
being lost by the peculiar perchant OF the
witness for wandering OF the family hit
tory as Mr.. Stout expressed IL. When
the ordeal was ended Mrs. Bassett sank
back in her chair and murmured, 1T is
possible"
Mr.. Stout devoted the final two hours OF
: his cross-examination to bringing up a few
= miscellaneous matters, most OF which were
ruled odt by the court on the objection OF
Mrs Bassett's attorneys. Among ques-
lions so ruled out were these
ibid not you and DIR. Hunt take a sleeper
E at Philadelphia for st. Louis in the fall
Of 1902"
Didn't DR.. Hunt have a secret signal &c
L let you know he was at the door Of your
9 apartment. house in Washington
HAS DIR. Hunt contributed to your sup
, port since May II. 1904. when you deter
mined you would leave your husbandT'
When asked why she did not stop In Den
yer where his sister lived II she wanted e
get divorce, Mrs, Bassett said she wantet
J 10 De In a city Hnere ner husband WOulC
not discover her. She denied that on tn,
occasion when she tried 70 commit suicid,
with an overdose OF digitalis she alsa tried
10 shoot herself
what About That Love.
On the redirect examination Mrs. Bias
setts attorneys brought up again the ques
ton as 10 whether she loved her husband
/ when she married him. Mr.. Stout inter
posed the most vigorous objections 10 thii
and protested against allowing her 20 ex
plain the denial Of love for Bassett which
she had given Mr.. Stout. Upon the strength
OF this denial the defense mad introduced
| more than 100 letters from her TO Basset
expressing the greatest affection. TIT
court, however. permitted her TO answe
and she did 50 by stating that she hat
been a little mad" al MI Stout when IN,
question was asked and then she explained
away her denial OF love.
The defense also tried to introduce tn,
letter OF Rr. Hunt TO Mrs. Stone in which
ne says, II am going to give love the right
of-way and when she Is free I'm going 4
ask her 10 become my wife" The objec
/ Teuu -