The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1909-05-20
THOMPSON YIELDS
TO WIFf'S CLAIMS
Son of Millionaire Fails to Com
test Suit for Divorce, but
Settles Property
Testimony Shows Cruelty, and
Complainant Says She Will
Receive S150,000

The fight predicted by Mrs. Ella
Gertrude Thompson in her suit for d.
vorce from Frank Thompson. one Of
the sons of the multi-millionaire Cap
tain r. r. Thompson, subsidized yester-
day into a quiet and rapid uncontested
trial. the outcome of which was an
interlocutory decree in favor of Mrs
Thompson and the settlement of a sub
stantial sum upon her.
AS to the amount of the settlement
there was no publicity. 1t was not
stated to the court nor mentioned IN
the decree as signed by the judge. Mrs.
Thompson said after the trial that
property worth $150,0O0 had been set
tied upon her by Thompson, and in
addition that $4,000 had been placed
in trust for the benefit of their 10
year old daughter. Harriet, whose Gus
tody was awarded to the mother p.
J. Miller. who appeared in court for
Thompson, denied that any such mon
etary arrangement had been made.
LAWYER DENIES SETTLEMENT
1T is ridiculous" Miller said. ito
think that Mr.. Thompson would part
with those large sums Tt would mean
the loss of half his estate" Miller re-
fused however, to be more explicit.
John s Partridge and Samuel Short
ridge attorneys for Mrs. Thompson,
would not discuss the matter of the
property arrangement. except to say
that a very large settlement had been
made on the wife.
Mrs Thompson's testimony was brief
and recounted very few of the scores
of instances of cruelty charged in her
complaint She said that Thompson
was intoxicated two-thirds of his time,
in consequence of which he was in
capacitated from business.
Tell the court what happened at
arated," prompted Attorney Partridge
HEAD CUT WITH RING
MY husband struck me on the head.
cutting my forehead with a ring" re-
sponded Mrs. Thompson. Then he
went TO sleep for while. About an
hour and half later he awoke, got up,
and began quarreling again. He was
constantly looking for weapon to
kill me. Finally he grabbed me by
the throat. I do not know anything
after that. because I tainted"
How many times previously had
he used physical violence to your"
Many. many. times. He used vile
langua &c mostly all the time" Mrs.
Thompson said she was afraid his
treatment had had a permanent effect
upon her health. The dispositions of
several witnesses. most Of them taken
in Los Angeles, were introduced in cor
roboration of Mrs. Thompson's tes-
timony.
Daysie Mae Sutton. who lives In Port
land. told in her deposition of the i'll
treatment accorded some cakes-of the
ladies' finger variety-by Thompson.
1t appeared that Thompson, coming
home very drunk. sat on the cakes.
Mrs. Thompson was much put out by
this because the cakes had been bought
for a sea captain who was dining
with the family. However, not to of
fend her husband, she put the crushed
cakes on the table.
Miss Sutton also testified that
Thompson was very, very harsh to his
wife. while Mrs. Thompson was al
ways Just what she should have
been"
WIFE BEATEN BY THOMPSON
The dispositions from Los Angeles
included those of Charles z. Rees,
George c. Cooke. Hugh Cooke, Mary
Jane Cooke, Edward Zobelein, Mary
Ann Graves, and Mrs. James NJ. Hutch
ison. They all told of cruelty prac-
ticed on Mrs. Thompson by her hus-
band
George c. Cooke testified that he
several times heard Mrs Thompson
yelling, He's killing me, He's killing
me-" Cooke said he went over in
his night clothes to the house and
made Thompson stop beating his wife