Los Angeles herald., 1908-07-23
LETTERS
PENNED BY MAYR
PLAINTIFF TESTIFIES TO ACTS
OF CRUELTY
CLAIMS DEFENDANT BEAT HER
REPEATEDLY
Cross-Examinatio ELECTS the Fact
That Wife Employed Male Mas
seur on Advice of Her
Two Physicians

Mrs. Eta Irene Mayr occupied the
witness stand in Judge James de-
partment of the superior court yester-
day from the time court convened in
the morning until it's adjournment in
the evening, and passed through try
ing ordeal while telling her story of
the treatment she received at the hands
of her husband, Walter A. Mayr, from
whom she is seeking to secure di-
Vorce.
In the letters written by Mayr to
his wife caustic, sarcastic, bitter and
penurious tn lights were frequent.
According to Mrs. Mayr's testimony
she made it a rule to take a course
in music every year, and in addition
to that study received instruction in
various other branches of art. For this
instruction she paid from the money
she earned by teaching music, and she
declares all it cost her husband was
$40, which he paid short time after
their marriage in 1894.
In the letters from Mayr to his wife,
which were introduced in evidence by
her attorneys, the writer invariably
called attention to her extravaganza,
and in closing one letter wrote: ooh,
Lord, you are the limit, whichever way
l look"
In a letter dated July 81, 1905, adj
seph Mayr, the father refers to the
alleged extravaga of the babes
mother, and censures the infant for
being obliged to have nurse, and
also makes reference to its being the
issue of nervous parents.
Mrs. Mayr testified regarding the
manner in which her husband treated
her, and stated that upon one occasion
Mayr became angry at his wife and
exclaimed: why the HI don't you
take up the entire bed 2" He then
kicked her out of bed, and, although
the weather was cold, she passed the
remainder of the night on the window
seat.
Witness referred to the trouble aris-
ing over her keeping mittens on the
boby's hands to prevent it from suck
ing it's thumbs. She also related an
incident when Mayr refused to allow
her to approach the couch where the
infant was sleeping, and said Mayr
had thrown her to the floor several
times. When he went into another
room, she locked him in, so that she
could attend to the baby, who was
| fretting. She said her husband beat
on the door and threatened to kill her
when he cot out. She became fright
| ened and went to the home of her
maid, who lived about a block away
| When she returned he had smashed tine
| QOOT ana DIOhel d pair VI CullllfS lOli5s
| In trying to force the lock. She de-
clared that he would shove her aside
when passing, call her vile names and
use strong language toward her.
Mrs. Mayr said her husband fire.
quently struck her, generally about the
body, but she had no recollection of his
ever having struck her in the face.
Locked Out of Room
Referring to the occasion when he
| excluded her from their apartments,
Mrs. Mayr said she returned at 11:40
o'clock one evening, after visit with
friend, and found the door locked.
She knocked but received no response,
and was obliged to have one of the
hotel employees open the door. When
she entered her apartments, she says,
she found Mayr in bed. She asked him
if he had not heard her knock, to which
he replied that he had but you will
never get in when you come home at
this time Of night"
She told of another occasion when
she was sitting in chair in front of a
couch on which the baby was lying.
Mayr threw her to the floor, and while
she was there and was putting on her
stockings he remarked: you had bet
ter sit on the floor; that is the only
place left for you"
Attorney Britt for Mayr began the
sion. He went into minute details re-
garding the various instructors Mrs.
Mayr had studied under, and the length
of time and number of lessons. This
examination revealed the fact that
Mrs. Mayr pursued her studies in addi-
ton to attending to her household du-
ties, and that she paid for these in
structions with her own money, or in
exchange for music lessons.
The cross-examination brought out
the fact that Mrs. Mayr had the serv-
ices of a male masseur, whose bill,
which had been sent to her husband,
was offered in evidence by Mayr's at
torneys. 1t developed that she would
have her entire body massaged, but the
witness stated that the man was en-
ployed by two physicians; that her
husband did not object to her being
massaged by a male nasseur. and that
she did not think it was improper. The
introduction of this massage bill was
objected to by Attorney Rogers for Mrs.
Mayr.
The trial will be resumed at 10 o'clock
this morning.