The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1911-04-18
THE CAUSE VILE BE iAs sENsA.
ioNALs ONE 1T is ! sAtD-DEPo.
u slTloNs, ARE BEING TAKEN.

\ WHEELING, w. Va, April 1S.-The
taking OF dispositions In the divorce
suit OF John o. Schenk against his
wife, Laura Farnsworth Schenw, was
begun In chambers yesterday before
Judge SHervey, OF the Circuit Court.
District Attorney ]. Bernard Hand.
Ian, counsel for Schenk, notified coun.
sci for Mrs. Schenk that his Office was
filled with wltnesses'' and that The
would begin taking Testimony at 10
O'Clock. Mrs. Schenk's attorneys re.
piled they were ready and summoned
Mrs. Schenk from her Island home.
The case will be vigorously contested
for Mrs. Schenk and 1t Is. predicted
the hearing will not be concluded for
six months.
Under the laws OF West Virginia d
divorce proceeding Is chancery
cause and the testimony Is not taken
In public. The case Is started before
a Judge. then a master Is appointed to
take the dispositions. AZ D, n Z
i Is declared the testimony In the
divorce case Is even more sensational
than that produced at the trial OF Mrs.
Schenk on the charge OF attempting
to murder her millionaire husband,
through the administration OF arsenic
In his food. .medlcine and drink.
Daniel Zane Phillips, the young
piano salesman, who, during the trial
of the woman. told of Joy rides with
Mrs. Schenk, will not testify In the
divorce suit. He has fled to CalIfor.
MIA. owing to the threats. It is said,
that had been made against him fol.
lowing the evidence he gave against
the woman who had befriended him
In many ways. a'
1t is said that Attorney Handlan
will take advantage Of the fact that
divorce suit Is a secret affair, and
not spare certain persons involved In
the case as he did during the criminal
trial. It Is also said that physician,
who testified at the trial, may be nam.
ed rs a special witness for the hus.
band. The testimony Of Lundy VIII.
son. the chauffeur, on this point, 1t is
said, will be most Important. q
1t is said that Dan Phillips is not
the only person on whom Mrs. Schenk
larlshed presents and that some sen.
sational testimony along this line will
be .adduced. Important evidence, &C.
cording to the prosecution. was secur.
ed In going over Mrs. Schenks effects
before they were sent to her. Ilnpor.
tant among these are receipts for
moneys paid out by Mrs. Schenk.
Mrs. Schenk still lives alone In her
littleGcottage onthe north end Of the
island. where she never has a caller.
except Mrs. Lash. at whose home she
resided for several weeks after her
rlease from jail, iand Mrs. Lundyi vii.
son, wife kofa the former chauffeur.
Mrs. Schank makes. frequent visits
from her island home to the shopping
district. She Is always aloneyti y =
lrMrs. iSehenk is now receiving $50
weekly alimony from her husband.
who, It Is said, has agreed to continue
this for ;lifes prpglding1ba at the end
Of cthejtiiyorce case, HRhe leaves the,
city, never to return.hi lt5is said the
criminal prosecutions will cease II
Schenk secures a divorce % Mrs!
Schenk says she will not accept the
routine laid down for, her by her hus.
band. She says she has sufficient evi-
dence to defeat her husband In the
present case, and show that he has
been crlminally intimate with mmer-
GUS women. SEA
Friends OF Schenk say he will mar.
ny nurse who attended him during
his illness, in case divorce is award
ed him. "a