New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1910-09-27
mrs. v. B. LEEDS PUTS
FATHERS WIFE OUT
Mrs. w. G.. Stewart and Her
Daughter Elected from Mont
clair Home on Court Order.
STORIES OF CAUSE DIFFER
Husband Cruel, Mrs. Stewart
Says, While Mrs. Leeds's Law
yer Says Extravaganza of
Wife Forced Her to Act.

Agents of lawyers and Constables
swooped down on the home of Mrs Will
lam c. Stewart and her daughter. Miss
Ferne Parkhurst-Stew at No. POS
South Mountain avenue. here to-day and
forcibiy elected them from the house.
Mrs. Stewart. according to her story.
was not fully dressed when the men
forced their way in. but she was wrapped
in a sheet and carried downstairs after
the men had broken down the door of
her room. despite her shrieks of protest
and the efforts of her maids TO protect
her
At the Hotel Montclair tonight Mrs.
Stewart said her husband and his daugh-
ter. Mrs William b Leeds. widow of the
tin plate magnate. who left her $50
600 600 when he died. were responsible
for her eviction. She is Mr.. Stewards
second wife. and the stepmother of Mrs.
Leeds. who gave her father and his wife
the beautiful house from which Mrs.
Stewart, was elected to-day. Mrs Stew
art. too. has been married twice. and the
daughter who was evicted with her to-
dav is the child of her first marriage.
Mrs. Stewart had no time to gather
nm any Of her belongings to-day and
had to finish dressing on the veranda
when some one threw shirtwaist out
to her. But she said later that, antici-
pating some such action, she had lined
her bodice with certain papers, and did
not hesitate to add that her election III
such unceremonious fashion had for one
of its objects the securing of these pa
pers.
Couple Had Many ouarreis.
Mrs Stewart and her husband have
had a stormy time together. according to
her story. She says he is an epileptic.
The couple has had numerous disagree
ments. but it is said that Mrs Leeds
did her best to smooth matters over
finally. after a quarrel when Mr.. ana
Mrs Stewart were staying at the Hotel
Langhan, in New York, last winter, pur-
chasing the Montclair house for their
occrnapcv at cost of $4,000 and
snending $4,000 more on furnishings.
According TO Mrs. Stewart, II became
imnossihle to live with her husband after
tbev had been for some time IN MoiIt-
clair. and he finally went to the nome
of his married daughter. Mrs. Henderson
Green. in Summit. \. ].
Robert ". Thompson, of the law firm
~ Tbomnson. Warren & Pelgram, with
offices at No 40 Wall street, which rep
resents Mrs. Leeds, said tonight that
Mr.. Stewart was the aggrieved member
of the family. His wife's extravaganza
said Mr. Thompson, had reduced MI
Stewart to poverty and had led to con-
-..,+ ouarrels. which Mrs Leeds tried
to patch up.
# was to make il possible for the
connie 70 live together in peace. said Mr.
Thomson that Mrs. Leeds bought the
bopse here but, he added, Mrs. Stewart
extrayagance continued, and Mrs. Leeds
according to her lawyer, has already TINS
wear advanced So. 600 for expenses IN
CURED by Mrs. Stewart. Finally, sald
Mr.. Thompson, Mr.. Stewart was prac-
ticallv driven from the home provided
for him and his wife by his daughter.
and this. said the lawyer. led Mrs. Leeds
70 bring proceedings for the election of
Mrs. Stewart from the house. title to
which remained with Mrs. Leeds alone.
Mr.. Thompson said that Mrs. Leeds
had offered her stepmother an allowance
of $500 a month by way of settlement,
and that this had been refused.
VIII Try to Reopen Case
Henry a. Heydt, of No. - William
street. Mrs. Stewards lawyer, said he
would take steps tomorrow for re-
hearing of the dispossess proceedings.
either in Newark or in Trenton, on the
ground that Mrs Stewart had not been
made a party to the action taken, the
papers, he said, being drawn against Mr.
Stewart alone.
Neighhors of Mrs. Stewart sent for the
local police force to-day when they saw
what was going on, but the policemen
could do nothing when they arrived.
After Mr.. Stewart went away Mrs.
Stewart and her daughter were practi-
caIly in a state of siege. The telephone
was cut off until Mrs. Stewart arranged
for a renewal of service Within the last
four days water, gas and electric light
have been cut off, and detectives have
been watching the house lest Mrs. Stew
art carry away any furniture or effects
Although prepared for trouble by all
these signs, neither Mrs. Stewart nor her
daughter imagined that the storm would
break to-day. Yesterday was Miss
Parkhurst-Stewart's birthday. and the
detectives, sympathizing with the women
they were set to watch. helped the young
woman TO decorate the veranda with
flowers in honor of her twenty-fourth
birthday. probably the strangest cele-
bration she had ever had. There was
a good deal Of financial stringency in the
household. for Mrs. Stewart, since the
departure of her husband. in August. had
ieen forced. she said. to maintain the
big establishment on an allowance Of
5000 a month from him.
Go TO Mrs. Stewards Room.
The birthday over. Mrs Stewart and
her daughter awaited developments.
Soon after y O'Clock to-day half dozen
men forced their way into the house and
forciblv elected Miss Parkhurst Stewart.
The men. representatives Of Thompson.
Warren & Pegram and officers of the
District Court, then went TO Mrs. Stew
arts room. on the second floor. and de
msnded admittance. She called through
the door that she was not fully dressed.
she said. but they broke down the panels