The Bridgeport evening farmer. [volume] (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1866-1917, 1915-12-07
OFFERED SMALL
FORTUNE TO Get
RID OF HIS WIFE
Testimony in Budlong Case
Indicates $4,000 Was
rendered as Balm.
WOULDN'T SPEAK TO
HER ON THE STREET
Husband Threatened to
"Wipe Floor With Her"
Asserts Plaintiff.


Budlong of the American Grahophone
Co. was willing to pay $1,000 to get rid
of his wife, was the testimony offered
in the, superior court this morning
when the trial of the contested divorce
suit brought by Mary German Bud
long was started before Judge Case.
Mrs. Harry OLeary, who told about
Budlong's $1,000 offer, also declared
Budlong> told her he would make it so
disagreeab1e for Mrs. Budlong that she
would have to get out.
The reports that sensational testf-
mony would be offered this morning
attracted a, crowd that hAed the court
room. Mrs. Budlong was gowned en-
tirely in black, except for silver
buckle which adorned her small black
hat Mrs. Mabel Close, named as CO.
respondent by Mrs. Bud1ong, was also
present with her mother. Mrs. CloseN a
light haired woman of slender fgures
was handsomely dressed
The first witness wsEs.s Mrs Budlong,
who told of her marital troubles.
which started a short time after her
marriage in 1910. Intolerable cruelty
was one of the charges the wife made.
She claimed that on one occasion in
February, 1913, Budlong struck her,
pulled her hair and tried to ''wipe up
the floor" with her. She had been
talking with her husband and Mrs.
O'Leary, in whose home the Budlongs
lived at that time.
Mrs. Budlong found fault because
her husband had been going out with
a Mrs Morrison and BudIong replied
that Mrs. Morrison would wipe the
sidewalk with Mrs. Budlong. Watch
me get her goat" Bud1ong is alleged
to have said to Mrs. 5OLeary. Later
when the plaintiff tried to get into her
room her husband attempted to push
her out. He wanted her to apologize
fn1 VII 7o no
when she refused a scuff1e ensued.
{ On another occasion in the same
month Mrs Bud1ong said her husband
slapped her face because she returned
home late at night. She said be fre-
quently refused to SPEAK to her in the
house or Non the street and spoke dis
respectfully Of her in the presence Of
outsiders.
The witness said she often COM
planned to her husband about his fire.
quent auto rides with Mrs. Morrisonl
but he replied that Mrs. Morrison was
an old friend Of his
On cross examination Attorney John
j. Cullinan, for BudIong asked the
witness if her husband ever accused
her of going out with afman named
Gray. She denied thisA( She admit
ted getting one letter from young
man in Newtown but denied telling
people he was a Harvard graduate.
She declared there was no truth
York with j. Francis Quinn. or went
to the theatre with him in that city.
She had known Quinn for many years,
she said. She denied meeting him by
appointment at Carr s grill but SAID
she met him by accident one day on
Cannon street.
When asked if she knew Charles
Van Buren, Mrs. Bud1ong replied in
the affirmative. She said she had
never dined with him at The STRAIT
field. In response to a question by
Attorney Cullinan, Mrs. Bud1ong de-
MED her husband had accused her
of drinking. She declared her NUS
band gave her $35 a month with
which to buy clothes but just before
she left him she bought clothing at
local department stores and charged
it to him. Shortly after that she
engaged a. trucknan to move her
furniture.
B. H. Shemberg, a private detective
from New Haven, told of the raid be
and another detective made upon the
home of Mrs Mabel Close. 21O Fair
view avenue. The detective had watch
ed the house for five nights and had
seen Bud1ong drive there in his au-
one was playing a piano when he ar
rived, but the playing soon ceased
and then the, lights went out.
On the night of the raid, February
4, 1915. Mrs BudIong was with the
detectives when they rang the bell.
Mrs, Scott, mother of Mabel Closet
said Budlong not in the house |
but Mrs BudIong exclaimed, There's
his hat and coat
Shemberg rushed through the low
er floor and heard the sound of some
one running from the bedroom. Then |
Bud'0ng appeared clad only in shirt |
anf users. "You haven't got any |
tn me'' he said st was lust I
lyi he couch" Then Mrs Close |
en- room She was fastening /
her and she had no shoes on s'If /
I had a gun I would have shot you,"
Continued Page 2.)