New-York tribune., 1913-10-28
i||FE, WHO NOW SUES,
HUNTED RIVAL, TO KILL
Mrs. D. H. MCCloskey Said in
Letter, Filed, She Wanted to
Slay Other Woman.
ONCE GAYLEY'S SECRETARY
Fire Commissioner Johnson
Figures in Suit as Gard Player
F. Groehl, of Whitman's
Staff, Also Named.

A romance that had its beginning in
the Office Of James Gayley, vice-president
Of the United States Steel Corporation
where Mrs. Lillian McCloskey was his
confidential secretary and Donald II. Nc
Closkey was employed as clerk. is now
having its denouement in the Supreme
Court. where Mrs McCloskey is suing
for separation.
Since the days Of their courtship NC
Closkey has risen on the commercial lad
der. and is an official of the Moto-Bloc
Company. an automobile supply concern.
TI,s wife claims much of the credit Tor
this improvement in his position, but only
TO have lost MS love for she now charges
that McCloskey bestows his affections on
Miss Bertha Horton. who is described as
"a tall. strange. shy looking blonde"
According to papers filed in the Supreme
Court yesterday on the application of the
wife for 500 d week alimony and reason
able counsel fees. Fire Commissioner
Joseph Johnson and Mrs. Johnson have
been friends of the couple and also from
the papers it appears that Commissioners
Johnson is not averse to taking chance
1T the card table, even as in the political
game. And Frederick Groehl, Assistant
District Attorney, and his wife were also
callers at the McCloskey home, No. 40
Riverside Drive
Mrs. McCloskey tried hard TO induce her
husband to give up the other woman and
return to her. Her mental condition by
reason OF her husbands alleged attach
iert even reached a state where she was
prepared to commit murder, as is shown
ny a letter she wrote to McCloskey and
which is part Of the record of the case.
Donald" she wrote. Il rushed into
Healy's with murder in my heart. Don
AID. can you realize it-murder. And it
looks as though you are going to keep
this up and force me to kill
The same letter read in part: 'Is there
ANYTHING a heartbroken wife can do to
make you realize what you are doing and
bring YOU back TO her-to your home and
a cleaner life? Will YOU try to put your
self in my place during the long, silent,
lonely nights. and try to appreciate what
you are making me suffer? II is o'clock
in the morning and | have been unable
to close my eyes all night. The pain IN
ny heart is unbearable, and it seems
that my heart must give way sooner or
later Donald, is my love of nine years
to be all for nothing in the sum total of
your existence"
Continuing. Mrs. McCloskey tells OF
trying to find her husband together with
Miss Horton at Healys restaurant, and
[ a |
that night. the heat and anger of my dis
tress had subSided and 1 did what | have
not done in years / got down on my
knees and thanked God for not having
found YOU with her that night; for. while
my sin may be just az black for having
the desire. and while all / needed was to
have caught her. still had been spared,
evidently by few moments time, from
doing one awful thing" After making
plea with her husband to change his
ways Mrs. McCloskey signed herself DE
votedly, Lillian"
The McClcskeys were married in 1909
and. according 10 the wife, the first signs
Of her husbands waning affections were
shown i'm August. 1912. Then she re-
ceived an anonymous letter. which caused
her 70 make an investigation. She also
received letter, purporting to come
from Miss Horton. in which the writer
mocked at the plight Of the wife and said
she despised Mrs. McCloskey and cared
nothing for her happiness.
McCloskey has made some allegations
against his wife in his answer One
statement is that she played poker until
the early morning hours and made so
much noise that he was prevented from
sleeping. In reply to this the wife de-
clares that there could not have been d