The San Francisco call., 1908-08-23
CHAUFFEUR IS HERO
OF MACNFVIN CASE
DIscreetIy Fails to identity
Woman Companion of Wife
on Escapade
Husband Chagrined at Being
Called ''0rientaIist and Fakir"
by Father in Law

In q mystic maze Of their mutual
contrivance the MacNevin family Is
lrresolutely eirciing. One exit from
tne labyrinth IS the divorce court. the
otler IS a happy hreside with q cozy
family party grouped at a trustful
angie, and on the edge OF the maze now
ST the attorneys for the husband and
VIE, tossing up oracular coins TO see
y the game VIII end IN & fee or a recon
ciliatfon.
one hero only has so far appeared in
NAe case He is Walter Jones. 4 dis
Greet cha utfeur. who drove the fateful
automobile that took Mrs Gertrude
Aiken-Pi per- -MacSevfn and her friends
te -Uncle Toms Cabin on the inopper-
tune evening that William V Mac
NeFin- the husband, chose also 10 90
tnere with another and possibly gayeT
eoterie. Jones was traced afterward by
AacNeVin and asked by him TO identify
the wife as one Of the women he drove
10 the roadhouse on the night IN Ques-
ton. Docilely. but with mental res
erVation. Jones went with .iacNevin 70
Mrs MacSevin's home. The chauffeur
was silent when confronted with his
former fare
MAKES ERROR OF JUDGMENT
hut Mrs. NacNevin made a grave
mistake. an error in judgment. II IS al
legged she believed that the young
man had told the facts OF the case and
50 she became remarkably frank.
Do you know this young man.
asked MacNeVin OF his wife.
Yes" he took ne 10 Uncle Toms
Cabin. replied Mrs. MacNevin.
The cat vas cut OF one bag.
But NacNevin had another yet un-
opened He wanted positively 70 dis
cover the woman who was with his
wife IN the escapade. He took Jones
70 the house OF a young married
woman he suspected But this woman
did not rush bIfndly into confession
and self incrimination and the chauf-
feur took his cue like & gentleman and
declared that he had never seen the
woman before He was rewarded with
rsvishing smile and MacSevin went
on his way
Uncle Toms Cabin was not the only
lily met haphazsrdly- They are said TO
have encountered each other at Dib-
ble's resort on the ocean beach and
& nash ot repartee was exchanged.
TRIES TO PATCH UP QUARREL
Dibble tried 10 patch a peace be-
tween the two You're IN no position
70 raise q fuss" he said IN q sage tone
% the husband. and so hostilitiez were
averted-
While Mrs MaoNevin Is stiiI IN COM
mand of the family citadel in san Ma
teo. she braved the siege yesterday
afternoon and came 10 the city 70 have
s-conference with her attorney, Stephen
Y. Costello. She was not wearing the
ssckcloth and ashes OF contrition. IN
stead her beauty and grace were TT
tingly displayed IN q fashionable suit
q natural. pongee with q three-quar-
ter length coat topped with a pic
ture hat Of generous proportions.
HACNETIN'S MOTHER HAS CHILD
Whatever may have been the result
OF the conference no action was taken
yesterday in court BY either party, and
1LacNevin has the nominal custody OF
the child. Ruth. who Is now with her
grandmother. Mrs. NacNevin, al So
Steiner street His attorney. Charles W
Slack. was seen BY J. h Dockweiler and
refused 20 discuss the case
MacNeFfn is said 70 have talked very
bravely OF his purposes He IS quoted
as having said that he would xiii his
wife rather than let her have the con-
troll of the child. and in the same
breath 10 declare his purpose 10 with
draw the statements he had made in
the newspapers"
He was reported yesterday 10 be
sorely perplexed over the way he was
characterized BY Mrs. MacNevin's step
p
ing expert Dockweiler out OF a re-
sourceful vocabulary declared that
AfacNeFin was an ,orientaiist and q
lakirT
I was willing 10 make up with my
wife" MacNeTin is reported 70 have
said. but when I saw The Call with
the words that DockWefler used about
me decided / could not DO so. What
30 those words mean2r
BROTHER ADVISES DROPPING CASE
Harry NacNevfn. brother OF William,
the husband. was with him yesterday
advising him 70 drop the case he had
threatened
Neither Of the 8facNeyIn brothers
visited the home at san Mateo yester-
day. The property IS leased from vii
liam Diczie and is on Tilton avenue,
ia q fashionable quarter OF the town.
Mrs MacNevin was not at home TO
fntervieWers- She had q conpanioa
with her who denied herself 10 news
naperuen- The sristocratic section OF
San Nateo Is quite disturbed over the
torrfd developments In their neigh
hers household and Is as much at sea
IS are the attorneys over the probable
outcome OF the tangle.