The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1910-05-20
MRS. REFS Will BE
GRANTED DIVORCE
InfdeIity Charge Is Not Con-
tested by Wealthy Con-
structiOn Magnate

Mrs Clara NJ. Refs, who wore into
the divorce court yesterday a spring
hat trimmed with heartsease, will Sc
cure a divorce from her husband, Will
liam B. Refs. president Of the Ameri-
can construction company and an heir
of the Refs estate. Infidelity was the
uncontested ground upon which Mrs.
Refs applied for the decree and in her
case she named Mrs Grace Hawks,
wife of Birdsall CBud") Hawks,
Pullman car conductor, formerly first
sergeant in Company +. First Califor-
MIA volunteers. The Hawks have been
living apart, Mrs. Hawks occupying
handsome residence @at 1920 Vallejo
street. She has a son IA years of age.
Mrs. Hawks was most directly in
volved in the affairs Of Refs by Gee
Tom, Chinese cook at the Santa Mar
garita ranch, San Luis Obispo county,
where Mrs. Hawks visited at one time.
The Chinese cook testified by deposit
ton that Refs and Mrs. Hawks had
occupied the same apartment.
TELLS OF ENCOUNTER
Mrs. Refs. who took the witness
stand, testified to having had a violent
encounter with Mrs. Hawks at the lat
ter's residence.
band TO the place and had waited un-
til he left. Il called him a lying dog"
admitted the witness on cross exami-
nation. Then, she said, she entered
the house by breaking a pane of glass
in the front door and unlocking the
door. She met Mrs. Hawkes. in the
house and. Mrs. Refs testified, "She
took hold of me, threw me around in
a chair, struck me on the mouth and
clutched my throat. I was thrown
down against different chairs / ac-
cused her Of being a woman of i'll
fame and she hit me in the face. An
other woman who was present told me
that ] was no lady"
Didn't you think there were two
women there on account Of the treat
ment you received" asked Attorney
Refs.
From the treatment 1 received 1
thought there were t." replied the
wife.
ADMITS BOTH WE'RE THERE
The deposition of Edward W. Black.
superintendent of the Santa Margarita
ranch, was read. Black admitted that
Mrs. Hawks stayed at the ranch while
Refs was there, and that Refs, Mrs.
Hawks and the Chinese cook were the
only ones in a dwelling at night.
case, announced yesterday that since
there was no contest on the complaint
the decree would be granted. Attorney
John ]. Barrett, who appeared for
Refs, said IF this lady wants a divorce
we'll let her have it-let her CO."
The dispute was over the aIimony
which Mrs. Refs will receive At pres
ent she is drawing 1915 a month from
her husband, whose wealth is estimated
at 100000, 5000, 900 of which is com
munity property. Walter Linforth, at
torney for Mrs. Refs, asked that
lump sum be set apart.
Il would be opposed to awarding
lump sum-" said Judge Cabaniss, be
cause a man would object to seeing
large section Of his fortune going to
husband No. %
INSPECTED HOUSE TOGETHER
An effort was made to prove that
Refs had bought the place at 1920 VAL
lejo street for Mrs. Hawks Isabelle
T. Glennon, former owner said that
Refs and Mrs. Hawks inspected it to-
gether. but that Refs said he was adj
vising Mrs. Hawks. That womans
brother. BENJAMIN l.. Bernard. said he
had bought the property for $4,000
When asked where he got the money
he replied Il didn't steal it."
The Reises were married in Oakland
on June Z, 1890, and have a son two
and half years old. Refs is the owner
of 100 shares in the Refs estate COM
pany, worth S175.000, with an annual
income of $4,000, and is half owner of
the Mirror saloon, which brings an in
come of $500 a month.