The Washington times., 1913-09-08
ACTRESS NAMED
IN DIVORCE CASE
Miss Catherine Calvert Found
/. to Be Correspondent in
Armstrong Suit.

granting Of decree of divorce b!
Justice Weeks to, Mrs. Rella Abel
Armstrong from Paul Armstrong, the
playwright, the name of the core.
spondent is revealed for the first
time. She is Miss Catherine Calvert
leading woman in "The Deep Purple, ;
"A Romance of the Underworld" and
"The Escape" all written by Arm
strong.
Mrs. Armstrong; suit was tried be-
fore ]. Hampden Dougherty, as ref
cree, for which reason the testimony
was sealed and even the name of the
correspondent was kept secret.
Found Armstrong Guilty.
The referee found the defendant
:. guilty Of improper conduct with Miss
Calvert and his action was confirmed
by Justice Weeks.
Armstrong and Miss Calvert each
made a vigorous defense of the
charges, but Mr.. Dougherty decided
mat they were guilty of misconduct
on the steamer c. w. Morse on a trip
to Albany. at the Yates House in
Syracuse, and in Armstrong; apart
ment In West Fifty-seventh street.
The referee recommended the pay
ment of $4,000 a year alimony to
Mrs. Armstrong. and this the court
also approved. Justice Golf recently
signed an order directing Armstrong
to pay about $1,000 in arrears of ali
mony awarded pending the outcome
in California Miss Calvert is adver-
tised to appear at an early date n
this city in one of Armstrong; plays.
Her right name is Cassidy.
After listening to the testimony of
several witnesses produced by the de-
fendanf and correspondent to disprove
the Charges made by Mrs. Armstrong.
was compelled to uphold the charges
made by the wife. Mr.. Dougherty. in
his report to the court, said:
"a deplorable aspect of this case is
parently at the outset of profess
sional career. But the conclusions
have drawn are virtually forced by
the testimony and documentary evil
sThe contrary conclusion that these
intimate relations were innocent, that
Mr. Armstrong was a sort of hero and
benefactor who had given Miss Calvert
her start In the theatrical world, the
evidence does not justify me in reach
Ing"
Further Allegations.
Mrs. Armstrong; allegations concern
ing her husband and the actress COW
cred the period from January, 1911. un-
til the fling OF the suit. She made fur
ther allegations in regard to her hug
bands conduct with other womyh
whose names were not mentioned.
The principal witness against the
playwright was Raoul Ancinelli, who
was discharged as chauffeur for Mr..
Armstrong on the complaint of Miss
Calvert. The referee said he was much
Impressed with the chauffeur's testi-
mony.
The Armstrong; were married in 1899
in London. They have three daughters,
the oldest of whom Is thirteen years
old. The divorce decree gives the Gus
tody Of the children to their mother.
Armstrong is forty-three years old
and Miss Calvert is twenty-five. She
has. been on the stage approximately
four years, first appearing in Brown
of Harvard" She played in vaudeville
for a time, and then appeared In Arm
strong-s play, "The Deep Purple
Her first meeting with the playwright
Was in 1903 at Maxine Elliott's Theater.
Miss Calvert when before the referee,
said Armstrong advised her that she
was too young to play and should re-
turn to her home in Baltimore and re-
main there until he found a good part
for her, when he would send for her
He later gave her the part in The
Deep Purple" which she played 800
times in New York.
" Becomes Her Teacher.
Near the close of THE Deep Purple"
engagement, Miss Calvert said. she en-
tered into an oral agreement with Mr..
Armstrong at her apartment In the
Great Northern Hotel. She quoted him
as saying:
Miss Calvert, / have watched your
work in The Deep Purple and I think
with proper training and teaching you
have the making of very successful
actress. But You have much to learn.
You let me teach you the things you
don't know. If you will let me teach
you how to walk, how to gesticulate
how to improve your mind. II you will
read the books 1 want you to read. if
you to play in. and only the parts /
want you to play; If you will do ex-
actly what I want you to do for three
years, / will guarantee you 1900 for the
first year, $1,000 the second year. and
5000 In three years. But you must do
as i say for three years.
. Miss Calvert was asked on the stand
what she replied to the proposition,
She said:
That was the biggest opportunity OF
my life, and IT made me very happy,
and I ssid, yes"
Went To Apartment.
The referee pointed out that Miss
Calvert began going TO the apartment
OF Mr.. Armstrong, at 22l West Fifty
seventh street, while she lived at the
Great Northern, in the same street, be-
tween three and four months before
they made the agreement she told
about
Reasons Of business might naturally
account for some OF the visits" the
referee said, 'as they said they were
for rehearsal of plays. But the testi-
mony establishes that she was an occu-
pant OF the apartment while he was
there. She frequently stayed over
night, and, while both deny that she
was ever alone with MIN in the apart
ment over night, the evidence seems
to point Overwhelmingly in the oppo-
site direction. II convinces me thu.
they were frequently alone there, both
night ard day."
The referee also found that Mr. Arm
strong and Miss Calvert had adjoining
rooms on the steamer c. W. Morse
bound for Albany, and again AT SYRIA
cuse, where they were registered AS
Armstrong explained that when he
went to the hotel desk to register he
met an actor he knew, and he decided
that he would avert a scandal by regis
tering Miss Calvert as he did. He said
be did not know adjoining rooms had
been assigned to them. Mr.. Dougherty
Thought this last statement incredible"