New-York tribune., 1913-08-30
Curator of Birds at Bronx Zoo
and Noted Writer on Nat
uraI History Charged
with Cruel Neglect.
WIFE WAS HIS ASSISTANT
Lent Valuable Aid and Shared
Hardships of 50,000.Mile
Trip in Jungles to Obtain
Feathered Specimens
for N. Y. Institution.
[By Telegraph TO The Tribune.l

IOT IN. I. luSIll uLlOu,
BY Telegraph 10 The Tribune.l
Reno New. Aug. 29.-Mary Blair
Reebe obtained a divorce to-day from
Charles William Bee be. curator of birds
at the New York Geological Gardens,
on her testimony that the noted writer
on natural history had treated her with
extreme cruelty.
Beebe lost the loyal assistant Of his
life work. the woman who endured peril
and hardship in the jungles Of Asia
and South Africa, by what Mrs. Beebe
termed indifference and lack Of APP
probation. on the stand she told the
story of how she performed his clerical
work for years until her eyesight
failed.
Mrs. Beebe's complaint set forth that
for days she was ignored, was treated
with extreme lack Of courtesy and re-
spect and that jealousy Of the least
courtesies extended by others made her
life miserable. She alleged that an ef-
fort was made 10 alarm her by a scene
in which her husband threatened &c
kill himself and displayed a revolver.
They separated in New York in Janu-
airy.
Formal Denial Only Filed.
DR.. Beebe did not oppose the suit
except to file formal denials through
an attorney, who represented him at
the hearing. The Beebes were married
on August 6. 1902 at Cole. Ferry, Va.
They have no children.
Mr.. Beebe is curator Of birds at the
Bronx Geological Park and has the dis
tinction of having made, together with
his wife. who was Mary Blair Rice. OF
Virginia, one Of the most adventurous
scientific expeditions on record. He
and Mrs. Beebe left for the East on De-
cember 20. 1909, TO study pheasants
and obtain sufficient specimens to make
a complete collection. The expense cl
the trip, which was to take seventeen
months and embrace journeys to,allins
% 900 miles. was borne by Colonel An
thony r. Kuser of Bernardsville, y. j.
who had offered some $4,000 TO get
full collection OF birds for the society.
India. Cevlon. the Himalayas, Tibet lu-
catan. China. Borneo. Java and Japan
were covered by the expedition ana
hundreds of specimens of beautitully
plumaged birds sent back to New YORK
Mr.. Beebe said on his return that with
out his wife the trip would have been
in large part a failure.
Mrs Beebe proved an invaluable as
sstant." he said. and without her
wouldn't have accomplished half OF
what | did. She was especially diplo-
matte in dealing with the women OF the
wild tribes We had 10 encounter. Ihese
tribal women exercised great sway over
the men. who would refuse TO lend us
any aid in obtaining specimens until
won over by the women. \ traveller
with a tactful wife in a wild country
am convinced, can get along twice as
we'll as a single man. The fact that
my wife was with me was in many
places worth more than a certlflcate or
good character, for Mrs. Beebe has TO
a marked degree the sympathy ana
understanding of one woman for an
other. no matter who or what she is.
and winning the good viii OF the
women and squaws enabled me TO
establish friendly relations among the
bucks and warriors where otherwise
this would have been impossible.
Wifes Tact Won Success.
"As the women control the men In
numberless cases among the saVages,
besides doing most Of the hard work, It
would usually not be long before ia
have the whole tribe helping me simply
because my wife had shown tact and
friendliness to the squaws. My wife,
as I said before was directly respon-
sible for the success OF my expedition
Among the most dangerous OF Mr..
Reehe's adventures was his defence or
the party's tent, on a foggy night
against the Chinese Of the Yunnan dls-
trict. who shot poisoned arrows at him
while he and a native guard walked
around II TO keep the enemy from clos
ing in and setting IL afire. 1t was too
dark to return the fire, and the head
hunters escaped unharmed. In the
morning Mr.. Beebe collected a dozen
or more arrows, which he now has at
his home in this city.
Both Mr. Beebe and his wife have
been treei by water buffalo, which the
former considers the most dangerous OF
wild animals. He said that more white
men nave been killed by these animals
than by all others combined, and re-
peatedly praised the courage Of his
wife in hunting them.
Mr.. Beebe. who is thirty-six years
old. graduated from Columbia Cniver-
sity with the class of '9s. and has since
then given most OF his time 10 the
study OF zoology, in which Mrs. Beebe
has much assisted him. At his house
Yesterday evening Mr. Beebe refused TO
comment on his wife's action.