New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-11-19
MECHANIC TELLS HOW
MILLIONAIRE WON WIFE
Saws Happy Home of 20 Years
Was Broken Up by Coming
of Benjamin AdrianCe.
EARNED ONLY S14 A WEEK
lanes P. Berney, Suing Head of
Savage Arms Company, Says
He Still Loves Woman
Who Left Him.


Il loved her with all my heart and soul.
when she left me I lost ali hope; | was
utterly crushed and Inundated; all my
b,ppiness was gone"
with teaT-dimmed eyes and uncertain
,oice James =. Berney spoke these words
on the witness stand in the Supreme
court Yesterday. where he is suing Ben
amin Adriance for alternating the affec-
lions OF his wife. who is now Mrs. Adri-
,rce having obtained divorce from Ber-
,ev in South Dakota. Berney. who is a
,nachinist asks for $1,000 damages from
,driapce. VINO is president of the Savage
Arms Company and of the Adriance Ma
chine 'orks.
Counsel asked Berney whether he still
loved the wife who left him. but who. the
olaintiff asserts is still legally bound to
him because Of the alleged illegality of
the South Dakota decree. II was a dra-
,oatic moment in court. Berney half rose
IN the witness chair. He stretched his
arms toward his wife of nearly twenty
wears. the mother of his two grown sons,
one Of whom died from the shock of
learning of his mothers action. Then
weakly the witness replied that he had
made futile efforts to induce his wife to
return TO him. He said that he stood
ready 10 welcome back his wife at any
time. In fact, without her, life for him
would be dreary waste.
Berney appeared as man with
crushed spirit and heart as he told OF
the breaking up of his home and his
formerly happy life with Mrs. Berney.
He broke down as he proceeded with his
narrative, and he could not restrain the
tears that welled up in his eyes and rolled
down his cheeks.
Coming Of the Millionaire.
The change in the happy home life
that he enjoyed with his wife came in
1902. Berney testified. This was after his
wife had met the millionaire defendant.
The plaintiff continued: Then IL was
that she began to neglect my home and
my children. She stayed out nights.
was driven TO desperation, and soon after
had to give up all hope. | did every
thing possible to get her back. She would
not return to me, and when l heard that
she was living in Woodcliff, y. j., and
had secured a divorce in South Dakota |
vas heaTtbrokcn."
Berney SAID that his wife's treatment OF
him compelled him TO leave their nome
in West 10th street, and take furnished
roon at No. 1920 Fifth avenue. He took
osrt of the furniture with him, but lett
Mrs. Berney such furniture as she want
% to keep. A few days later ms VIE
osd LETT her home and taken the furniture
with her, he said. The sons, who were
hen fifteen and sixteen years old, respec-
lively. went with their mother
on cross-examination Berney denied
mat he had ever struck his wife OF had
noulished a revolver in her face. Neither
Rad he ever made any improper advances
to her sister. Borney said that he mad
been earning 81 week while his wlfe
lived with him. as machinist for a type
writer manufacturer.
The plaintiff disputes the validity of the
South Dakota divorce which mis- wife
obtained, on the ground that he never was
properly served i'm the action. 1t was
brought out in his testimony that three
men called on him and that one of them
had left a paper on a mantel in his room
Adriance Tells His Side.
BENJAMIN Adriance, the defendant. was
a witness later in the day. He testified
that he and his first wife had not lived
together for more than twenty-five years.
lie married Mrs Berney four days after
the death of the first Mrs. Adriance, Coun-
sci asked the defendant: You were mar
ried to Mrs. Berney?' Il certainly was,
he replied. Counsel for Berney objected
TO the question on the ground that the
testimony Of the defendant was not the
best proof
Justice Blanchard smiled as he said;
What! Object to a man testifying TO his
own marriage? II a man doesn't kno"
that he is married, l don't know "hat
Kind of proof you want"
Adriance said that he went to live al
Woodcliff, N. j.. after Mrs. Berney had
bought the property OH which she lived
at that place. After repairs had been
made TO the house he lived there as
bOarder
Charles Peterson. carpenter, and his
son testified that they did some work In
the Woodcliff house. This was In June,
i%e about a year before Mrs Berney and
Adriance were married. Peterson said he
put Up a partition from the floor to the
ceiling between the two rooms occupied
by the defendant and Mrs. Berney. He
said that the furniture had been moved
into the room before the completion OF the