The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-12-31
SHEFFIELD DENIES
HB CHOKED HIS WIFE
lawyer Says lie Tried, but
Could Not Cure Her Of
Being Untruthful.
CURIOSITY OVER WOMAN

That Mrs. Rcna Cary Sheffield, who
wrote The Golden Hollow" and other
novels, has Doe untruthful all her life.
that she not only exaggerated things.
but lied. was the blunt assertion made
by her husband. Justus shefYieid. New
York lawyer and member OF the Har-
ward and Lambs clubs. before Vice.
C~haacsllor vivian n. Lewis in the Chan
cory Chambers in Jersey City yester-
day afternoon. He said he had devoted
much Of his married life endeavor-
ing 10 teach tho author how to be truth
full. but he confessed that he had failed.
Sheffield. who Ia seeking n divorce for
dsssrtioh, while Mrs. Sheffield in turn
10 suing for q decree under q cross peti.
tlen. In which she charges that she was
The victim Of her husbands subtle
cruelty" further testified that she for
years-even down to the present time
had been treAsed with "extrems brut6-
~"
Curious over wenan.
Since the beginning OF the trial a
woman with iron gray hair quite closely
cropped and most OF the time wearing z
light brown dress has been All interested
spectator. Yesterday afternoon she took
a seat beside Sheffield and his counsel
Merritt Lane. Mrs. Sheffield and her
friends were curious to know who she
might be. Some of h more romantic
vowed that she wa 1.-THE mysterious lady
with whom Sheffield had frequently been
seen by a private detective. who tssti.
fled Mt Wednesdays session. The youns
woman helped the mystery along b.
replying to inquiries as to her Identity
with the. teasing answers. Time vii
show. ":Guessing IL free" and the like
Toward the close Of tho afternoon,
session curiosity got the better Of J. H
Callaghan. Mrs. Shefiield's counsel, ana
he asked Sheffield her name.
III you were more polite I might tel
YOU" replied Sheffield.
This ~aptagonixed tho lawyer and h,
repeated the question. This time Mr.
Lane objected. After much talking. II
which both lawyers and tho witness
Joined and all were admonished BY tn,
court, the quest N was allowed. Shelf
aeld said she WAS Miss Grace Potter AM
admitted that she had assisted him II
his Investigations.
Asked about his attempts to effect {
reconciliation, Sheffield said the first tim,
he broached the subject was N the carl,
part of1g1f. He said that Mrs. Sheffield
although she did not assent TO the plan
did not ofrer m opposition. He said h,
was consequently surprised when. foul
a. iive days later. she got him out o
bed y morning about 8 80 o'clock--h'
had a hall bedroom In a japanese lodg
ing house at 81 West Thirty-eightl
street, which cos him 81 a week-an,
when he appeared In the lower hall tn.
10 what she said
"Justus Sheffield, I've come to tell 70,
what my terms are. want the entirv
control and custody Of Barbara. I wan
an allowances. tAhefiield said he could no
rerhembex- whether 1t was $4,000 O
$4,000: "a year.l want a divorce. II 70,
don't, agree to my terms. then I shal
expose yGp, ] shall write to every per
son you have dealings with and OK
pose ypu.~
Shehieid denied that he ever abuse,
his wife He branded as false the charg
thst ~ had choked her one night In tn
presence OF company because the win
vas not iced.
Affection Goes with Money.
Sheffield said that his wife appeare
10 nav great affection for him until h
became financially involved in Jun,
I've oAhA nc 81 haA otohC ~
apparently lost all interest In him. II
said that. one day he telephoned out I
their home In Short Hills and asked he
to Join: him In New York. He said h
wanted her to help him get his nerve
together and to comfort him.
"She refused to come. saying she ha
invited Charles Samuels. IA New Yor
lawyer, to spend the evening with her,
Sheffield continued. when I went hon,
saw them In "A room on the second fox
sitting very close together on a divai
later took her to task for Il and nh
said that she was being nice TO Samuel
Cor my sake because she wanted him
help me-.
"A short time afterward when I wa
Just doing of n night n kept m
awake telling me how much she love
samueis. She said she couldn't help II
added Sheffield.
ice.Chancellor Lewis will set a da,
to-day or. Monday for the resumption