New-York tribune., 1912-02-29
NAMES ACTOR IN DIVORCE
Trial Begins in Suit of A. l..
Story Against "ChiId Wife"
SHE WAS HELEN HILTON
Plaintiff 5 Witnesses Describe
Life in a Cottage at Nave
sink Last Summer.

The representatives Of two we'll known
New York families began yesterday the
actual battle for and against divorce
when there came to trial before Justice Gof
the suit which Allen Lawrence Story has
brought against his young wife, Mrs. Helen
Hilton story The plaintiff is the son OF
William Cummins story, banker. HIS
mother is the regent of the New York Chap
ter Daughters Of the American Revolution.
and is a member OF numerous other organi-
"a tions
Mrs. story the defendant. Is the grand
daughter of the late Judge Henry 1iltoh'
from whose vast estate she has an income
Her father Is Colonel Albert p. Hilton
Mrs story is now only in her twenty-nrst
year. and she married Story when she was
about seventeen. They have daughter
two years old As a child Mrs. story lived
in the large white marble house that USED
10 stand at Fifth avenue and 34th street
and was known AS the Stewart mansion
having been the home of Alexander T. stew
art, the "drvgoods prince" OF his time
Stanley Fl Forde, well known actor in
musca! comedy has been named by Story
as correspondent Mrs. story, who came
hack to New York from Reno. New. to de-
fend the suit. has made vigorous de-
niaI Of the allegations made by her hus-
band. She has denounced this charge as
false md Infamous and said that she has
only aused in her determination to sue
her husband i'm Reno TO come here and
clear her name.
Story complained that on September IS he
went to Nlvesink Beach y. j., where he
had heard his wife was occupying a cot
tare with the sister Of Forde but that in re-
aIitv 1t was occupied by Forde and Mrs.
story. Following this alleged discovery
story and his brother went to the New
Jersey summer resort and took the custody
Of the baby, Ruth King Story. for whose
possession the young wife swore out writ
Of haheas corpus which was privately set
tied, Mrs story getting back the child, who
she said had been kidnapped. until the
question Of custody is determined by the
following divorce suit
Other Charges by Story
There arc also other allegations in the
complaint Of story one based on an afii-
dayIt furnished by George Boissohnault
that he saw Mrs story and Forde leave
the Hotel Seymour together on October II.
Counsel for Story said that at one time
there were eleven of Forde's shirts in Mrs.
Storys laundry bag.
Mrs story declared she always supported
her husband. Finally she tired OF this ana
told Story she would no longer support nm.
Then hc offered to give me a divorce Tor
s.. 900" she said. "I wouldn't accept the
offer" When she determined TO get di-
yorce Mrs. story said her family told her
she must not do anything 10 attract pub
Icity. She declared it was her husband
who introduced her TO Forde, and that the
actor was his best friend. II was Forde.
said Mrs. story. who Kept her and her
husband together a year longer than they
otherwise would have lived together.
other men callers at cottage which the
Storys occupied at Scarsdale were men
toned In the suit OF the husband. But
their associations with Mrs. Story were en-
tircIv innocent, her lawyer asserted. The
latter said to the jury. referring to the de-
fendsnt as the "child Wife" whether or
not their presence at the house was part
Of a plan to blast her reputation. you VIII
have to decide for yourself
The attorney went on to say that Miss
Fordc. sister Of the correspondent. did live
AZ the Navesink cottage, but that Mrs.
Story STAYED after Miss Forde left be-
cause Of the health OF her little daughter.
II was announced yesterday that about
fortv-hye witnesses would be called on the
trial. OF those called on the opening day
tnerc was one Mrs. Pearson. who was
Mrs. Story's laundress when she and Story
lived at No. 80 East 18th street She testi-
ied 10 having laundered shirts belonging
n Forde. distinguishing them from the
shirts of story because Of their larger
size
say Actor Was Frequent Visitor
Then there we're three elevator operators
who gave similar testimony about the fire.
ouencv of the actors visits 30 Mrs. story
Tohn Robinson. one Of these witnesses, vas
sprs that these visits became more fire.
ouspt after story went South Two laun-
dryrnon employed by the Red Bank Laun-
drv which works for the Navesink cot
tagers. told on the stand what they knew
lanes Baldwin, one of the laundrymen,
said: "I was going my rounds when Mr..
. &.