The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-06-23
IN NEED
And a Friend Indeed Is Mrs.
Elisha w. Sells,
Called to Testify in Behalf of
Mrs. Howard Gould.
DOUGLAS ROBINSON
BrOther.in.Law of Col. RoOse-
velt, on the Stand.
Swears He Was Never in the
Plaintiffs Automobile.


called in rebuttal by counsel for Mrs.
Katherine Clemmons Gould at the
trial of her suit for separation from
her husband. Howard Gould, there
was little prospect at the beginning
of the court today that the case
would be finished today Justice
Bowling announced his intention of
holding a night session and insisted
that all the rebuttal testimony. with
the exception of that of the plaintiff
herself should be presented today.
Mr.. Shearn, Mrs. Gould's counsel,
continued the march of servants and
friends of his client to the witness
stand today in an effort to refute the
testimony of intoxieation and other
indiscretions given by the witnesses
for the defense.
Edward Roman, who said his busi-
ness was dressmaking, testified that
he was employed by Mrs. Osborne
and had talked with Mrs. Gould fire.
quently When she came to try on her
gowns. He had never noticed any
words or conduct on her part which
would indicate she was under the in
fiuence of intoxicants. On cross ex-
animation the witness said Mrs.
Gould's account at Mrs. Osborne's in
1906 would amount to more than
$4,000.
Her Friend Mrs. Sells.
Mrs. Elisha w. Sells, an intimate
friend of Mrs. Gould who was a guest
at the Gould estates and on the yacht
Niagara many times since 1902, tes-
titled she had never seen Mrs. Gould
intoxicated or boisterous and abusive
in her language to the servants. Mr..
Shearn took the witness over the va
rious cruises on the Niagara in 1902
and 1908. on which occasions the wit
ness was Mrs. Gould's guest and the
49,,
Beach in 1905. and Mrs. Sells testi-
fed the plaintiff had always conduct
ed herself in proper manner.
Mr.. Shearn asked the witness par
ticularly about visit Mrs. Gould
paid to the Sells country place at New
Castle in June 1905, when she drove
the party back to New York. Mrs.
Sells said they stopped for lunch and
relays of horses on the way to New
York and that Mrs. Gould did not in
ldulge in any Intoxicating drinks and
had not been drinking before they
statred-
Mrs. Sells said she had visited Mrs.
Gould at the ST. Regis on several
occasions and never saw her under
the influence of liquor. Som etimes
dinner and a little wine afterward
but it never seemed to affect her.
On cross examination Mrs. Sells
said it was the custom at the Gould
house parties for the men to drink
a little Scotch or rye, while she said
Mrs. Gould slipped a little wine.
Referring to the Palm Beach trip,
Mr. Nicon wanted to know if Mrs.
Sells recalled an alteration between
Mrs Gould and a Mrs. Smith.
Didn't Mrs. Smith object because
Mr. Smith was drinking from Mrs.
Gould's glass;" asked Mr.. Nicoll.
Smith Was Drinking Too Much.
'tNo she objected because Mr..
Smith was drinking too much" re-
piled the witness.
when did Mrs. Gould first talk to
you about Dustin Farnum ~
'I don't remember
Didn't she tell you that she had
Farnum at dinner at her rooms at
the St. Regis and Castle Gould in the
fall of 1862"
The witness could not recall.
GAS matter of fact. Mrs. Gould
never made confident of you in re-
gard to Farnum did she?'' asked Mr..
Nicoll.
.Well. she talked very freely to
me-" said the witness
did she say he was a handsome
MANI"
NO replied Mrs Sells.
did she say he was fine actor?"
continued Mr.. Nicol.
tor and had a future Mrs. Sells
answered "She said If she returned
to the stage she would like to be as
sociated with Farnum-'
Did Mrs. Gould say she intended
to return to the stage?"
mo"
Did she say she would like to
have Farnum for her partner on the
stage, or her leading MANI"
mo"
Mrs. sells's maid followed and con-
tradicted the testimony of some of
the servants at Castle Gould VINO
testified that Mrs. Gould was in
toxicated on various occasions. The
maid was with Mrs. Gould's party at
the Marlborough-Blenhe at At
lantic City when Mrs. Sells's daugh-
ters were in the party in 1906. The
maid said that May Robson, the
actress. was with Mrs Gould at the
hotel and spent the night in her
anartments. She saw no man there,
she said This was when the de-
fense contended Farnum visited Mrs.
Gould.
The Blue Gap Incident.
The maid testified in regard to the
incident at Blue Gap farm at Lynch
h1,rg when the carpenter, Trotter, tes-
tifed he saw Mrs Gould lying on the
floor of the dining room intoxicated
The witness said she was in the dining
room when Mrs. Gould fell from her
chair to the floor just after she had
finished eating her dinner. She had
onIy drank a cup of coffee at the meal.
The maid said she was frightened and
ran to Mrs. Gould and tried to revive
her. Mrs Gould's face was discolered
and she was unconscious. When she
regained consciousness, she was taken
to her room
Mr.. Shearn asked if Mrs. Gould had
said anything to the maid then about
the carpenter, Trotter, and what she
believed he had done.