Los Angeles herald., 1908-08-04
DECLARES MAYR
MODEL SPOUSE
SISTER WITNESS FOR BROTH
Err IN DIVORCE SUIT
ASSERTS WIFE HAD PHOTOGRAPH
OF CALM
Question of Allowing Infant to Suck
Its Thumbs Again Comes Up
in the Superior
Court

Anxious mothers, careful and ever
watchful for the welfare and health OF
infant offspring, will view with new in
terest the question Of thumb-suclOing by
their children and it's effect upon their
tender insides when it is known that
this matter is receiving full attention
by the superior court, before which the
divorce suit of Ann Eta Mayr against
Walter A. Mayr, the wealthy chi
cagoan, is now being tried.
Miss Marguerite Mayr, sister or the
defendant, was on the witness stand
during the greater part of the after
noon session yesterday, and reiterated
statements that baby Mayrs hands
not only had been encased in mittens
to prevent its enjoyment of the luxury
OF thumb-sucking, while meditating on
the strangeness of mundane things, but
to further hinder the little one from
this infantile pleasure its hands were
securely fastened to coverlet with
safety pins.
Pictures Brother as Model
Miss Mayr also denied generally many
statements made by Mrs. Mayr regard
ing the treatment of her by her hus-
band, and pictured her brother as a
model of husbandly virtues, and one
who gave as much attention to the m
tricate affairs of domestic life as the
DuS1uGSS III WHICH, 4iC WcS
Washing dishes, sweeping the hoors
and preparing meals were only part OF
the work which, it appears, he was
called upon to perform, MISS Mayf
stating that he also prepared the
baby's bottle and occupied at times the
place of masseur for his wife.
She also declared her sister-ln-laW
was inclined toward athletics, frequent
ly punching the bag and being pro-
nolJnced student of DelSarte.
And when her time was not taken up
In this vigorous manner Mrs. Mayr
studied French, German and ltallah'
her master in the latter language be-
ing an italian whom, according to MISS
Mayr, her sister-in-law had met at 4
restaurant frequented by 'bohemians
1.-THE first time l heard my brother
and his wife Quarreling was on Decem-
ber 23, 1906" said Miss Mayr. MY
brother had asked Mrs. Mayr to give
him a budget containing list of thlngs
she needed and she told him she would
have nothing to do with a budget; that
she wanted $160 a month and an
amount sufficient to pay the rent OF the
apartments.
1t was also brought out that Mayr,
a few days prior to this, had inserted
notice in one of the Chicago papers,
stopping his wifes credit, and that Mrs.
Mayr. following this action, had told
her husband. according to the witness,
that she "had not considered him her
husband for over a year and never
would again"
Saw Photograph of Gahm
Miss Mayr also stated she had seen
Joseph Gahm's photograph among Mrs.
Mayr's Christmas presents as early as
1904, and that her siSter-in-laW told her
she had discovered in Calm her affin-
ity and a man who met her artistic
H. cd hot M1UTfS
arms were bruised, following certain
adtercation with her husband. 81 saw
Mrs. Mayr's arms about that time,
said the witness. She had ordered
some underclothing and tried the gar
ments on while was in the room. She
also danced a few fancy steps while
thus ,robed, and declared her intention
of going on the stage. She has beauti-
full arms, as white as marble"
Isidore Dockweiler, a Los Angeles at
torney, was the first witness of the
day. He said Clarence Darrow, the
we'll known Chicago lawyer, was at
one time connected with Mrs. Mayr' 6
case, the testimony being given for the
purpose of corroborating part of that
given by Charles H. Kiefer last week.
Dispositions Read
A number of depositions were read.
the first by Mrs. Lovegren, nurse
once employed by the Mayrs in Chi
cago, who stated that Mrs. Mayr had
placed mittens on the baby's hands to
prevent the child from sucking its
thumbs. She also deposed that Mayr
had lowered her wages from Sc to $3.50
a week, at the same time eliminating
some of the household work which, he
said, his wife was strong enough to do.
A deposition was also read from an
eastern physician, who said Mayr's S
physical condition was adversely af-
fected by his environments, and pre-
dicted a collapse If conditions as they
existed in the latter part of 1907 con-
tinued.
The trial will be resumed at 10 o'clock
today.