The Washington times., 1909-04-01
Separation From Goodman
Will Not Hold Good in j..
the District.
SENSATIONAL ENDING
OF THE WILL CASE
Plaintiff Confronted in Court With
Man She Married Years
Ago

Justice Wright this afternoon sud
denly terminated the suit OF Mrs. Ra-
chael A. Brown, who was seeking to
break the will of the wealthy octogen-
arian. John A. Brown, whom she mar
ried on his deathLe6, by instructing the
jury to find that the marriage was not
legal because Mrs Brown had never
obtained a divorce recognizeS by the
District courts from her husband from
whom she separated thirty-six years
ago.
This decision today followed the
dramatic appearance in court yester-
day Of Richard R. B. Goodman, of
Philadelphia. who, confronting Mrs.
Brown. declared that she was the
same as the girl-bride he married In
1873, and from whom, so far as he
hrc-" he had never been divorced.
Justice Wright. passing upon the vir-
ginia divorce. obtained in 1873 for the
girl by her father held that she is a
married woman anywhere outside of
the State Of Virginia.
The decision of the justice brings,
unless an appeal is taken. an entirely
unexpected end to case that has been
replete with sensations since the time
Mrs. Brown was repudiated by her
aged and dying husband to the present
moment Justice Wright said:
There IS A provision in the Legal
statutes of the District that the at
tempted marriage Of any person who
is a wife at the time shall be absolutely
void and OF no effect. And II az the
time both Brown and mis- wife wished to
De married to each other and under
took TO be married to each other, the
marriage would be void
10 tne best OF my knOwIe dge the al
IeSeu ulvofce decree over which the At
Iorneys nave been contesting is of no
erect outside of the State Of Virginia
and IN the District or Columbia. She was
q married woman at the time OF the
ceremony There Is no qucs ton OF fact
Tor you, the jury, to decide. and the
CourIs olrectS you 10 answer In the neg
duVe the question: Was the cayeatoy
t.1cHdeL i1c l5 anna Richardson, claiming .
De hachael Anna Brown legf.lly aud
lawfully married to John A. Brown .
Admonished by Attorneys.
Mrs. Brown. now designated as Mrs
Goodman, seemed greatly disappointed
al the decision Of the court, and upon
leaving the court room was beginning
10 express her chagrin IN no uncertain
terms when admonished by her attor-
neys. The next move Of Goodman. who
now, aIter lapse Of thirty-siX years
nnds himself still regarded as a mar
Iled man, is problematical
IN an interview this morning Good
man SAID tnat ne had come 70 Wash
lngJon TO clear himself Of any aparenpt
Stigma OF wrOngdoing, because certain
persons said 70 represent Mrs Brown
threatened to expose him" unless ne
acknowledged the validity OF the di-
Force: Goodman demanded the privilege
OF going upon the stand aad telling the
whole story Of his long forgotten ro-
nance Dut was net given the opportun-
Ily except IN so fa' as II related TO his
movements directly after the marriage.
Court Is Startled.
As startling almost as was the sudden
appearance Of a first husband, whom she
had not seen IN thirty-six years, were
today's developments, when Mrs. Brown
again confronted the husband OF her
youth, whom she failed 10 recognize
yesterday. and before attorneys could
prevent, declared that when he married
her thirty-six years ago he was then a
married man.
Judge Wright. who is hearing the
SuI brought by Mrs Brown because
her octogenarian husband whom she
married IN his death-bed. omitted her
IN his well. afterward ruled out Mrs.
Browns accusations against Richard
X y. Goodman. her first husband hut
they startled the court room lust the
same. 4O
GoOdman's Denial.
Goodman, In talk after his wife left
the stand, vehementIy denied thu ac-
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