Los Angeles herald., 1908-08-11
MAYRCOMP MPELLED
TO WASH DISHES
HUSBAND HIS OWN WITNESS
IN DIVORCE SUIT
Says Wife Lay Asleep and Went
Without Breakfast That She
Might Not Become
Stout

Dispositions from office boys, young
woman bookkeepers and attorneys oc-
cupied part of the time in the divorce
suit Of Ann Eta Mayr against Walter
A. Mayr, the wealthy Chicago manu-
facturer, yesterday in the superior
court, but the star witness OF the DAY
was Mayr himself. He took the wit
ness chair early in the afternoon and
related, with much circumlocution. cir
cumstances in the prenuptial stages OF
his life and incidents in his runled
domestic life for some years following
the wedding ceremony.
The burden Of the dispositions was
that Mrs. Mayr had secretly taken
papers from her husbands suit case,
while 1t was hidden in his lawyer
vault, the wife following natural in
clination to learn the plans of the OPP
position In the legal warfare which
was then in its skirmishing stage
Mrs. Mayr returned the papers, but
only after having them twenty minutes
in her possession, during Which time
it is supposed, she became familiar
with their contents and laid her own
plans accordingly.
Another deposition, taken about the
same time, two years ago, in Chicago
showed that Mayr had sold out his
interest in the Chicago Curtain
Stretcher company for $4,000, the
transaction taking place against the
wishes of his wife, who claimed she
had assisted him in getting out the
patents and, therefore, had something
to say about the disposition of the
business.
According to Mayr. who began his
testimony shortly after the commence
ment Of the afternoon session. his
troubles began two months before the
xrhf lqnI11IV
1894. Mrs. Mayr, he said, had pur-
chased two dresses, paying 500 there
for, and told him she had no more
money and that her relatives Were
unable to advance further funds. The
financial dealings between the two
which appear to have been the most
dangerous Of the breakers in thelT
matrimonial sea, had their inception
at this time, when Mayr said he loaned
his prospective bride 5000, which she
has not paid back
Mayr said he had no recollection
whatever of abusing his wife. and thai
prior to 1904 she had made no COM
plants regarding his treatment of her
Money Demands Grow
"a short time after our marriage
she told me she wanted $50 month
for pin money, and I gave it to her
This continued for two years, when
i resigned my pOSlllOu DIS pOOhhSSpSA
and had no. income. 1 then gave her
$40 a month for three months and after
that for some time paid her $40 a
month. Commencing in 1904 l, allowed
her $3.50. This continued until after
the child was born, when 1 gave her
$175 a month"
Notwithstanding this, said Mayr, his
wife contracted numerous debts and
he was harassed by collectors. AT one
time, he said, she abstracted check
for $55 from one of his business letters
and used the money to pay her ex-
penses on a trip to the Adirondacks.
81 demonstrated with her" said the
witness, "but she replied that | should
be glad to have wife who could spend
money"
Mayr said his wife stayed away
from her home late into the night, and
he was told it was none of his business
when he chided her
"She was a late riser. and fire.
quently was compelled to get my own
breakfast" he said. "She had an idea
that eating breakfast would make her
fieshy, and so remained in bed. 1t was
fCau<fs,..s1 IN yee~a Two