Evening capital and Maryland gazette., 1913-09-11
ABSOLUTE DIVORCE
TO MRS. ARMSTRONG
Wife Of Playwright Given $4,000
Year AIinOny in New York.
BALTIC. GIRL CORRESPONDENT.
Catherine Cassidy, Young Actress, Ac-
cused Of Improper Conduct With
Writer.

After a bitter and sensational
be airing before a referee, Mrs. Bella
Abell Armstrong has obtained an
absolute divorce from Paul Arm
strong, author of successful melo-
dramas, Catherins Calvert being
named as corresponds Mt, according
TO dispatches from New Yok.
Catherine Calvert's real name is
Catherine Cassidy, and the case has
attracted particular sttention be-
cause she is Baltimore an. The
Armstrong; have lived for years in
this city al their country seat, Bel
mont, four miles from Annapolis.
Mrs. Armstrong was granted Sl5,-
600 year alimony and the custody
of her three daughters by j. Ramp-
den Dougherty, referee in the New
York proceedings His findings were
ratified by the Court
While the testimony in the case
was secret, it was learned, the dis
patches say, that the referee had
found the playwright and Miss Cal
vert guilty OF misconduct. This was
Indignantly and repeatedly denied by
both the accused parties. The
referee in his report says:
"A deplorable aspect of the case is
that il involves young woman ap-
parently at the outset of succe ssful
pre- fessional career. But the con-
clusions / have drawn are virtually
forced by the testimony and docu-
mentary evidence. The contrary
conclusion that these intimate rela-
tions were innoment-that Mr.. Arm.
strong was a sort of hero and bene-
factor, who had given Miss Calvert.
her start in the theatrical world-tht
evidence does not justify me in
reaching"
The Armstrong; were married in
London on May 20. 1899, and have
three daughtersAnT abel, born in
1900 Myrel, born in 1901, and Eliza
beth, born in 1908. Mrs. Armstrong
accused her husband of misconduct
with Miss Calvert on June 1, 1911,
on the steamer c. w. Morse, be-
tween New York and Albany; on the
following day at the Yates House,
Syracuse, and at various times be-
tween January !, 1911, and the COM
mencement of the action in Arm
strong S suite on the seventh floor Of
the apartment house at 221 West
Fifty-seventh street.
Mrs. Armstrong also alleged inn
proper relations from 1910 TO 1912.
in Chicago, and on October II, 1911,
at the Hotel Belvedere, Baltimore.
The chief witness in the case was
Raoul Amcinelli, at one time Mr..
Armstrong; chauffeur. who was dis
charged as the re suit of a complaint
against him by Miss Calvert.
Miss Calvert, who is 22 years old,
has been on the stage since she was
eighteen, and first appeared in
{, Brown OF Harvard = She then
went into vaudeville and played in
''When Love Was Young" and her
next appearance was in Armstrong;
"Deep Purple" According to her
testimony, she first met Armstrong
in 1909 at the Maxine Elliott Thea
tet in New York.
Miss Calvert started her stage
career as leading woman ia vaude-
VILE playlet with James Young, also
of Baltimore. She later met Arm
strong and was selected by him to
create several characters in his melo-
dramas, among which were 1.-THE
Deep Purple, /" 1.-THE Signal" aud
Romance of Two Worlds. /" Her
beauty is considered her chief asset
as an actress.
Armstrong has been in thu lime
light on numerous occasions and for
varying reasons. He was formerly
newspaper man and later took to
playwriti ig. In 1912 James Young
sued him for $500 for assault and
was granted SIS, 900 by the New York
Supreme Court. This assault is said
to have resulted from enmity that
arose between the two men on ac-
count of Miss Calvert.
The Cassidys formerly lived in Bal
timore, at 1920 East Monument
strest. Belmont, the country place
of the Armstrong;, is the old Steele
homestead and is near Bay Ridge,
about four or FIVE miles from this