Los Angeles herald., 1908-03-20
TELLS OF
AGREEMENT r
WIFE SAYS HUSBAND THREAT
ENED LIFE
PROMINENT PASADENA FAMILIES
APPEAR IN COURT
Charges Made Against Woman and
Physician to Be Investigated
Before Judge Renders His
Final Decision

-Four persons prominent in the social
life OF Pasadena figured yesterday III a
divorce suit in the superior court, and
startling charges of cruel treatment,
threats to do bodily injury and the en-
ployment of detectives to shadow her
every movement were made by Mrs.
Rose L. Barnhart against her hus-
band. w. Earl Barnhart, who, at the
death of his father, wealthy type
founder of Chicago, four years ago. be-
came possessed of a fortune estimated
at $15O,O00
Not the least surprising part of the
story told by Mrs. Barnhart was that
in which she accused her husband with
forcing her to sign an agreement TO
remain away from him for year, re-
ceiving a certain amount of money each
month during her absence, and at the
end of that time not to oppose an ac-
tion to be brought by him for divorce,
the grounds to be desertion on her part.
Mrs. Barnhart said she was married
to Barnhart in Milwaukee ten years
ago. After they moved TO Pasadena
more than four years ago, she SAID, ne
frequently absented himself from nome
for days at a time and refused to give
any explanation OF ms movements. rs
Following his return from one OF these
trips, she said, they quarreled and he
said she did not trust him.
Threatens Wife
''He said any one who distrusted him
should suffer- she said. I'VE quarreled
about money matters and he grasped
me by the throat and then by the wrists
and tried to make me kneel to his God.
He said his God was Justice and he
wanted me to bow to his, and not my
God.
HE unjustly charged me, in May,
1906, with being intimate with physl-
clan and called me names when 40
not care to repeat. He wanted me 10
sign a paper stating that loved some
one else, but l refused.
"One night in June 1906 he came
home with a dagger in his hand anu
held it over me, saying: I Whoever Is
an enemy of mile shall suffer.
Later he showed me a gun which
he said was noiseleSs and could be dls-
charged without any sound. Fearing
what he said might be true, slept on
the floor several nights. He also
claimed to be possessed of secret
power which enabled him to tell at all
times Just where 1 was and what l
was doing.
covered L was DSIllS AoiiO"Co ~
tectiyes. One man would ride on the
same car with me down town, and
there would be relieved by another. l
told nv husband about it, but he said
he knew nothing about the men. Later.
however, he told me he dld know OF
their work and that it confirmed what
he had suspected. He said the detec-
tives were a id poor pair or they
would never have been discovered He
also said he was playing with me as d
cat does a mouse.
Woman Signs Paper
On July -, said Mrs. Barnhart, her
husband induced her to sign paper,
saying if she did so he would not make
it unpleasant for her by informing a
woman of her alleged intimacy with the
Woman's husband. This paper, she
said. was drawn up by John w. M1tcn-
ell an attorney, and stipulated she
should leave her home for year and
not contest a divorce suit which he
expected to file charging her with de-
sertion at the end of that time.
81 signed the paper in Pasadena" she
said land next day sWore to my sigma
ture before Louis p. Tappeiner, no.
tary at 126 West Third street. My nus
band. Mr.. Mitchell and myself went to
the Bank of Southern California ana
the paper was read to the caShler ana
S575 was placed to my credit. The
cashier was told that $75 would be
placed to my account each month for a
year and then $50 every thirty days.
This was in July, 1906, but the pay
ments ceased in February of last year,
and since then I have received moth
ing except 800 given to me after L had
seen an attorney in regard to this
divorce action.
Visits Physicians Wife
Mrs. White, wife of DR. S. Trowbridge
White of Pasadena, said she counted
the BarnhartS among her dearest
friends. I'm October, 1906" she said,
''Barnhart came to me and made
charges against his wife's and my hus-
bands characters. I did not believe
what he told me-"
Dr.. White said he had known Barn.
hart from boyhood up and always re-
earded him as a friend. In Pasadena,
he said, the Barnharts belonged to
the same social organizations, such as
the Shakespeare and other clubs, as he
and his wife were members Of He de-
MED any improperly in his relations
with Mrs. Barnhart
Barnhart admitted he had called
upon Mrs. White and told her she and
himself were lin the same boat"
she said she had been afraid of it,
TOO" he said, land she cried a little
l think l asked her to keep everything
quiet, so the newspapers would not hear
of 1t. We had pleasant conversation
but I don't remember anything more
about it,
Denies Making Statement
He declared he had not made a GER
tain statement Mrs. White said he did
Judge Monroe reviewed the evidence
saying there was need of corroboratiVe
testimony in some parts of it. "But
ic oil CT - said
(refeTring to a charge which Barnhart
is said to have made against his wife
in his talk with Mrs. White) is one OF
the most serious [ ever heard in
court room. and Notwithstanding hi:
denial, | believe he made it,"
An interlocutory decree of divorce
was granted Mrs. Barnhart and Marcl
26 was set as the date for hearing ar
guments on the distribution Of prop
erty.
OIL WELL PUMPER is