The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1909-11-23
MORRILL, SLAPPED
 WIFE SOMETIMES
Fight Is for Custody of Two Grandsons of Steel King Converse.


 The battle for the change of the de-
 cree of the Superior Court in the ceIe-
 brated case of Antoinette C. Morrill,
 now the Baroness Won Romberg, against her husband. Walter J. Nor rill. of New York. relative to the GUS tody of their two children, Converse aged 9. and George Peabody. aged 8 yee rs. was begun before Judge Lucien F. Rurpee in the Superior Court. this morning. By the original decree the
 mother was given the custody of the lowed 10 have them six weeks of the year Subsequent to the divorce. Mrs Morrill, remarried in Germany. where she has since made her dornicile with her children
 The battle is being waged relentless ly on both side with Attorney Stiles Judson for the father and Judge Henry
 stoddard of New Haven for the Baroness M si' r1tr s, MT. Morrill, was the only witness called to-day. He stated that he was married in 1900 and that they had two sons. He separated from his wife in
 the latter part of 1908 She obtained Previous to the divorce and during the separation he was broken down in health. and at times under the care of a physician. all due to the separation
  her father. in Greenwich. and at No. 3 East 18th St. New York. When his wife first instituted proceedings against him for a divorce he contested perance and intolerabie cruelty She also wanted custody of the two chii- dren.
 By permission of the court. the evil dence was heard before referee He He would not contest the divorce if the intemperance grounds were with drawn, and that he be allowed to~haye his children six weeks out of the year. The referee returned his finding to the court, which was allowed. Shortly after the divorce his former wife in formed him that she was to take a trip abroad, and would take the children with her. He wrote her th.-t he would like. before the trip was taken, to have the children stay with him at his home in Hempsted, I.s l. While the chtl- dren were there his divorced wife in- formed him that she would sail for Europe sooner than she expected and wished the children sent to her. Ac- | quiesing to her wishes he sent the two boys to the Holland House in New York where they were met by their mother. after being with him only eight days She sailed for Dresden he sent a letter to his former wife stat | ing that a year had almost passed since the decree had been granted but
 that during that time he had his chil- dren with him less than two weeks.
 She wrote back that the children were proeressing wonderfully in their com mand of the German language. being in close contact with the best patric-
 '.It is with pleasure that announce
 my coming marriage to the Baron l Maxmillian Won Romberg"
 In reference to. the period before the divorce, Morrill, admitted that he did slip his wife on occasions. but not hard enough to call 1t striking her.. He also shook her at times These actions occurred during fits of anger, when
 he was aggrieved at certain actions of his wife. which were carefully not
 kicked or seriously assaulted his wife at any time These facts were brought out to show that the decree of fntol-
 erable cruelty was not sufficient evi- dence to show that the father was not
 suitable to have the care of his chill
 dren- Morrill, stated that he was suf- ficiently able to care for his children
 That he was engaged in the real es-
 tate business having interest in prop erty in New York worth s20 900 which bore an annual income of $1.2o0. Be | side this he had his personal earnings
 His mother also had much personal property. he said he being on the most amicable terms with her. and living at her home since the separation.
 What are your feelings toward your
 boys?' asked Attorney Judson-
 | "All that a fathers could be. inten-
 sified by long absence" replied MT.
 Morrill,.
 It Is the desire of the father that the original decree of the court relative to
 the custody of the children be changed
 He alleges that the mother has violated ] the order of the court fin not allowing | the father to have the children the
 stated six weeks of the year, and that she is an unsuitable person to have charge of their bringing up because of their German environments. He claims they should be brought up as American citizens.
 | The court room was well filled with
 wealthy residents of Greenwich. where
 the Baroness and MT. Morrill, formerly
 made their home Included in the
 number were Edmund F.. Converse. fa- ther of the Baroness. who is one of the
 steel kings of the country.