Evening capital and Maryland gazette. (Annapolis, Md.) 1910-1922, 1914-03-10
PROF. RAY PLAINTIFF
IN A DIVORCE SUIT
Former Academy Instructor Would
Separate From Actress-Wife.
BILL FILED IN TEXAS
Complainant: Now American Consul al
Sheffield, Eng. and Defendant is
On The Stage.

Un Inc Stage.
Many Annapolitans will be inter
ested in the divorce suit Instituted by
Prof. John A. Ray, one time 3 civil
ian instructor al the Naval Academy,
now Of the United States Consular
service, which has been instituted in
a Texas Cour.. Texas is the native
home of Professor Ray. He married
an actress, Gertrude Bonhill, now
With the Poll players, filing a bin in
Baltimore.
Mr.. Ray resigned his position ct
the Naval Academy few years ago
to accept the consular assignment.
1t was reported at the time that be-
fore he could accept the new billet,
he would have TO take unto himself
a wife. So, in due course, it is said,
he fell in 1--we with Mics Bondhill, and
the love affair had its denouement with
the wedding, which I iok place few
dave before Christmas. MIR. Rey
visited Annapolis few days ago. but
unless he confided the fact to some Of
his intimate friends, no one here
knew Of any marital troubles or that
he had planned to secure divorce
The Baltimore Sun of this morning
contains the following in regard to
the divorce suit
well, you do surprise mel This
il the FIRST / have heard of it." said
Gertrude Bondhill, who has the role
of Yvonne Sherry in Madame
Sherry" which the Poll Players are
presenting this week at the Auditor
ium Theatre, when told last night
that her husband, John Arthur Ray,
American Consul at Sheffield, Eng
and, had fled suit for divorce
against her.
II dined with John only last Fri
day in Washington restaurant and
he said nothing to me then about any
difficulty When he left town next
day on q business trip | thought we
were both just as much sweethearts as
before our marriage" added Miss
Bondhill. who ia private life is Mrs.
Gertrude Shafer Cavsgna Ray.
A special dispatch tn The Sun from
Washington stated that the divorce
suit had been filed in Whitewright,
Grayson county, Texas, the home of
Mr.. Ray. The dispatch also stated
that the papers bad been served on
Miss Bcndhiil in Washington last
week by a repre- sentative of her hus-
bnd's attorney, but Miss Bondhil We
hemently denied that such was the
Gaze.
Because Of my success in ingenue
parts have made several enemies
among members Of my profession
who have been less successful, " Miss
Bondhill went on, land this whole
thing is a malicious frame up
Asked whether she would defend
the suit. Miss Bondhill flushed angr;ly
as she retorted: defend it'll or
course, Jhall. You can depend upon
it. am not going to allow anyone
to take advantage Of me in this way.
But the whole thing is preposterous
in Itself, for my husband and / have
never allowed ah idow TO cross our
path since our marriage in Wiscon.
sin, Ohio, last December"
Miss Bondhill is of the Celtic type
of besuty, with masses of wavy,
bronze-tinted hair, large baby-plue
eyes and an enhancing mouth. She
would be Chased as petite were it q Il
| for her sinuouss figure.
She stated that her husbands duties
would necessifate his re turn to Eng
land the week after next, as bis
leave expires at that time. 1t hac
been her intention to join him late
in the summer. Directly after thu
marriage, which took place few
days before Christmas, Miss Bondhil
and her husband went to England fol
their honeymoon.
When they returned to this country
month ago rumors were current il
theatricl circles that the marriage
bad already proved unhappy aud Mis-
Bondhill's return to the stage almos
immediately after her arrival ia thi
country seemed to confirm the report
Mr.. Ray is native of Texas end
graduate Of Yale University. HI
was at one time an Instructor in tn
Naval Academy, but entered the con
sular service about FIVE years ago
He has been stationed at Maskat
| Arabia, and Maracsibo, Venezuela
Miss Bonfhill first saw the light il
Cincinnati.
How a womsn's love for the stag,
shattered the romance Of prettr
Gertrude Bondhili, the actress. an
John Arthur Ray was told last nigh
in Washington by a friend of til
couple, following the announcement
that the husband had sued for di
vorce, says the Warrington Herald.
Ray himself revealed the stor,
when be passed through Washington
last week en- route to his home q
Whitewright. GrsyoD county. Texas
where he filed the suit for divorce
" I'm going down to Texas {,
get the divorce, said Ray, beeaus
it Is easy Ia Texas, where they Don
think much Of actre sses. / still car
for Gertrude. / would 1--we ard cher
ish her as my wife If she hadn
forced the separation. met her Il
Washington while was on leave o
absence, and just before Christina
1 L