The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1911-05-21
SUIT TO FREE ROY PIERCE
MS WIFE NOT CONTESTING THE
ANNULMENT CASE. ..

Experts Testify That He was Irrational.
and Father and Brother swear That
Ne Had Morphine Habit and Drank
and smoked Cigarettes to Excess.
NEwBuRoH, May 2O.-Mrs. Bessie r.
Chapman Pierce made no attempt to de-
fend the action brought by Judge A. H. F.
Seeger Of this city as next friend in behalf
of Roy r.. Pierce. son Of Henry Clay
Pierce. to annul the marriage that
was entered into last year. Judge
Morschauser presided at the Special Term
Of the Supreme Court. Henry Clay Pierce,
father Of the alleged incompetent. gave
testimony. as did Dr. Carlos Macdonald
of Central Valley. to whose institution the
young man was taken pending the trial
Of the issue. Judge Seeger. the nominal
| plaintiff, occupied a seat by his counsel,
and the examination Of nine or ten wit
nesses was proceeded with.
The testimony was taken in open court.
but the questions and the responses were
in such low tone of voice that It was
| frequently impossible for the stenographer
| sitting within three feet of the witness
stand to understand what was said The
testimony Of all the professional men
may he condensed in a single word. that
Roy Pierce was Irrational.
Mr.. Pierce was on the witness stand for
half an hour. He described the meetings
between himself and his son Roy last
December. when the young man said it
was necessary for him to have money
in order to satisfy the woman Of his
choice. whom he said he had married. Mr..
Pierce says he told Roy that none of his
money could be used for the support Of
the woman. Asecond interview took place
early in January. at which Roy told OF
Mrs Chapman receiving $4,000 a year
and said that unless she could be assure d
OF as much she would have nothing TO do
with Roy. who said that life was not worth
living without her. Roy said, as clincher
at that time. that Mrs Chapman assured
him that unless she was thus cared for she
would so on the stage, using the Pierce
name. to do which she had already re-
ceived an offer Of ssOo week for a year.
As the fathc.' was ohdurate. the young
man left the room and soon afterwsrd
was found unconscious from morphine
On January 0. n few days later. another
stormy scene occurred between father
and son. after which Roy was again found
unconscious from an overdose OF NOR
phine. II required the services Of the
physician nearly all night to restore him
To use the words OF Mr. Pierce. he was
practically dead
The father testified that he had found
apparatus for taking the drug in the room
of his son. and records which were placed
in the exhibits. without being revealed
to the spectators. the court saying il.
would be necessary for him to 60 over the
entire subject and that would include
the exhibits
Touching on the habits Of the young
| man. the father said he was taking from
! thirty to forty drinks dav and smoking
from fifty to sixty cigarettes.
Thomas + Pierce. brother Of young
Pierce. told Of the trip around the world
they had made together. and described
| the habits OF Roy. who drank from thirty
| to forty drinks day and wound up with
champagne suppers His companions in
foreign lands had been low characters.
At the conclusion Of the testimony
counsel for plaintiff asked that after the
court had rendered a decision on the
motion to annul the marriage the papers
be sealed and orders given that no one he
permitted to examine them. This the court
| declined to order. but said he would give
| decision at the earliest possible date.
and he might be expected to get at the
case during the fore part of next week
Mr. Pierce to-day made the following
statement:
by mutual agreement the papers on
both sides have been withdrawn. also all
ordinations and recriminations. The
withdrawal OF all allegations. made on
hearsay, has restored the case 10 purely
| legal status