The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1913-04-01
VACATES DIVORCE
AFTER HIS DEATH
YOUNG WIDOW WINS OUT IN HER
FIGHT To SHARE IN LATE
HUSBANDS ESTATE.
WITNESS IS CHANGED
TESTIFIED WITHOUT SEEING THE
WIFE, WHEN HE DOES HE
DECLARES SHE is NOT
THE WOMAN.

NEW YORK, March S1.-The de-
cree of divorce obtained by the ate
John Wright Hunt, a wealthy tur-
pentine manufacturer, from his wife,
who was Miss Bessie Babcock, of
Detroit, was vocated today by Judge
Kelly, in n Supreme court in Brook
lyn. Judge Kelley granted the d.
vorce on July rs, 1910. Soon after
Mr.. Hunter died in Dallas, Texas,
and his widow moved to vacate the
divorce. 1t was fresh evidence gath
cred after MI. Hunts death from a
witness whose conscience pricked him
that obtained Mrs. Hunts vindication
after three years of legal struggle
today.
The Hunts were married in 1901.
Mr.. Hunt was an elderly man. his
wife a young and beautiful girl. They
went abroad and soon the cables be-
gan to tell Of their difficulties. There
was a story in 1909 to the effect that
Mrs. Hunt had eloped with a Russian,
yariously called a prince and a count
named Alexander DeTochernadieff.
He was noted for his loose life in
Paris n Switzerland. and the papers
were full of the elopement.
Tells of Escapade.
Mr.. Hunt began his suit that year.
At the time of the trial before Judge
Kelly in Brooklyn a witness testified
that he had seen Mrs. Hunt and the
count together in hotels in Switzer-
LAND and Paris. and it was largely
through his testimony hat the decree
was granted. Mrs. Hunt put in a
general denial.
Through her lawyer, Frank P. III
ford, she Immediately moved that the
deere was vacated. The motion was to
have been argued on November /,
1910, but Mr.. Hunt was i'll at the
time. He agreed hat If the hearing
postponed Mr.. Hunts property
rights should not be affected. and the
hearing went over. But the next
month Mr.. Hunt died In Dallas.
When the hearing on the motion
came up again Judge Kelly said hat
owing to Mr.. Hunts death he could
not go on with it, and that to him
1t seemed rs If the matter had closed.
His decision was appealed, and in
January of this year Judge Kelly was
overruled by the appellate division.
Witness Changes Opinion.
In the meantime Mrs. Hunts law
yers had been surprised by the ar
rival in their office of the principal
witness against their client. He said
that he had heard Mrs. Hunts fight
for v~indication and that he had beer
uneasy about his evidence. He said
ne was sure now hat he had been
mistaken when he testified that it was
Mrs. Hunt he had seen with the count
in Paris. His Identification had been
made in court through photographs
of the defendant as Mrs Hunt was not
present when he testified.
Furthermore, he met the count af-
te' the trial, and the count. told him
that he had been mistaken, that It
was not Mrs. Hunt he had seen. This
witness had known the woman In
question we'll. apparently, for he had
a lock OF her hair. He asked to be
taken TO Mrs. Hunt, who was with her
patents in Rrookieid, n. Y. rs 500
as he saw her he said at once nat she
was not the woman he had had in
mind at the time of the trial. The
lock of hair didn't match Mrs.
Hunts.
Divorce is Vacated.
With this new evidence in consid-
Grafton Judge Kelly vacated the d.
vorce today, the action to take effect
from November /, 1910, the day the
original hearing on the motion was
to have taken place.
Mr.. Hunt left $1,750,000 The res
iduary legatee of the estate is a char
liable institution in Georgia. The rest
Of his money was left to nephews
and nieces. the principal heir being
Robert Lee Lucas, of Dallas.
Mrs. Hunt, who is now in Brook
field, will probably make some sort of
a settlement with the trustees OF the
charitable institution and the heirs.
There was a rumor recently that she
had agreed to settle for s250.000.