Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1912-11-14
SOCIETY," LEADER
J SEEKS DIVORCE
Mrs. Frances S. Hood, Of Plain
field, Names Mysterious
Dorothy Hoyt.'
HUSBAND SAYS SHE
MEANS MRS. H. ]. FIELDS
Defendant Is Head Of R. H.
Hood Engineering
Company.
TFrom a stan Correspondents

PLAINFIELD, Nov. 14.-Sued for
divorce by his pretty young wife.
Richard Heden Hood, millionaire en-
gineer and a prominent member of
New Jersey society, this afternoon
promised to contest her sensational
charges to the bitter end.
She named as correspondent in her
complaint a mysterious Dorothy
Hoyt," who she said is a young So
ciety matron well known throughout
the State.
PhinfeId society, thunderstruck at
her allegations. has been wondering
who this woman can be.
1T know whom she means" said
Mr.. Hood. ut is Mrs. Herman j..
Fields, of 6S6 West Eighth street,
who is about 10 years old. She is
now in England.
my wife has absolutely no grounds
for complaint. Her case is absurd.
/ have been the injured n and I
shall fight to a finish.
why, she wrote a note to me on
June 81 of last year making this
agreement in regard to u personal
conduct with our friends. both men
and omen
"sYou a do anything o feel
like doing with anybody, and l have
the same privilege
II can sum up the cause of our
troubles in a few words. 1t was an
impetuous second marriage, without
chiidren, with a pretty, stylish. doll
like woman, complicated by the
eternal mother-in-law problem and
aggravated by mercenar ymotiyes.
I'm August, 1905, the most compro-
missing and rude letter for Mrs. Hood
fell accidently into my hands. In the
seven hours / had it / read it prob
ably twenty-five stimes. In a kind,
husbandiy way I confronted her with
1t. She tore 1t to pieces in a great
rage.
.That all happened at the Marie
Antoinette Hotel, In New York. While
the writer was unknown to me, to
her it was not anonymous. Here are
some of the phrases bat burned
themselves into my mind:
Back in town again. Saw your
pretty smiling face in Front street
yesterday. You are my own
ut appointed a rendezvous two days
later in the woods west of the Plain
field Golf Club, just beyond the end
of the trolley line.
Because of this I left a fine busi-
ness career and went abroad with
her. Ny firm had just submitted a
bid on the Manhattan bridge in New
York.
I'VE could not get along, however.
For the last three years we have
quarreled continually. We would nave
separated only she wanted a lump
sum. I was willing TO pay her all
mony.a Now the courts can settle it,
Unwilling to race in her home city
the notoriety that her action has
caused. Mrs. Hood. who was formerly
Miss Frances Sparks. will probably
go to her mothers home In Phila-
delphia.
Mr.. Hood is the retired president OF
the r. H.. Hood Engineering Com
pany, of New York.
To an Evening Star reporter today
Mrs. Margaret Sparks, who is Mrs.
Hoods mother. said:
Il am going tc take my daughter
to Philadelphia. This notoriety will
be horrible"
who is Dorothy Hoyt?'" she was
asked.
That name is fictitious. Frances
found letters addressed to her hus-
band. One of them was signed Doro-
thy the other d. H. That is why
she Used the name of Dorothy Hoyt'
In her specification"
"But you know who it is, don't
your
Indeed we do. Even If it never
comes TO tri41, all the details will be
revealed. 1t will be terrible for
Frances, but it must be done"
1t is possible that an effort to hush
up the Ease may be made by an
amicable settlement and separation.
In Mrs. Hoods allegations 1t is as
serted that her wealthy husband was
indiscreet at a number Of places,
including the Carlton Hotel, London;
.Plainfeld, and on board the Kron-
prinzessin Cecilie, of the North Ger
man Lloyd line.
Mr.. Hood is AZ years old, his wife
20. They met while travelling in
Egypt, and after a romantic court,
ship were married at the Sparks
summer home, Kennebunk, Me.
They came to live in the palatial