New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-01-11
Hand to Hand Conflicts,
Door Broken and Auto
Races to Justice.
WIFE. AFTER ROUND |,
CHARGES ASSAULT
"Theft,' Cries Hubby, and
Servants Join in Row
Woman Holds House.

Mr.. and Mrs. John {. Tatum. of
Great Neck. Long Island, gave a war
rant shower to themselves, their rela-
tives and servants at their home, Pom
tica. on Saturday night and yesterday
morning. II was a success.
How they finished;
John c. Tatum. first.
Mary Jane Tatum. wife Of above,
second.
James Macarthur. father Of Mrs.
Tatum. third.
Mary Macarthur. sister Of Mrs.
Tatum, fourth.
Robert Pcsrsall, Tatum gardener,
fifth.
Henry Coddington, Tatum chauffeur
sixth.
Walter Toussaint, Tatum butler,
seventh
Time, II hours
As there is considerable dispute over
the order of precedence. the records
will not go into the official books be-
fore Wednesday.
Battle of Tatum Green.
You remember the Tatums, Of
course? They gave that divorce party
before Justice Crane and a jury in
Mineola last week. which resulted
in the jury deciding that it would be
cruel to sever the bonds Of matrimOny
between Mr.. and Mrs. Tatum.
And that's what led up to all this.
. Mrs. Tatum and her lawyer, Max d.
Steuer. wanted to revive The dovecote
atmosphere of Pontica, so they invited
Mr. Tatum to luncheon with them on
Saturday at the Hotel Vanderbilt. But
Mr. Tatum didn't snow up.
Tetum. while his loving spouse was
in Manhattan. slipped down to Great
Neck and prepared the house against
siege. Henry Coddington. the chauf-
feur, was an ally. The fifteen other
employees also were allies.
Mrs. Tatum got TO the lawn in front
OF Pontica about O'clock on Saturday
afternoon. accompanied by relatives
and retainers. She didn't anticipate
much trouble, so her bodyguard con-
stituted but eight or nine persons.
few minutes prior to her arrival, how
ever, Mr.. Tatum and his chauffeur
went out, word having been left with
the servants that they were TO take no
orders from Mrs Tatum.
Mr.. Tatum and Coddingtcn returned
after 9 O'Clock that night. With Mrs.
Tatum were her father. her sister and
her brother Jack" They interposed no
objection to Mr.. Tatum's presence, but
when husband and wife got within
speaking distance of each other the
delicate question of who had authority
to direct the employees came up for adj
Indication.
And it was not adjudicated, you can
take it from the Developments.
Servants Stick to Posts.
Mrs. Tatum had previously told the
servants that unless they obeyed her
they could take their hats and trek for
the railroad station. But they weren't
that kind of servants. They sort of
around.
In the Tatum home is a telephone
booth that will hereafter inspire low
ing memories. Mr.. Tatum says it isn't
large enough to hold one person; Mrs.
Tatum says it is large enough to hold
one comfortably and two very uncom
fortably. She says il held two very
rncomfortably about 10 o'clock on Sat /
urday night. when. she alleges. Mr.. /.
Tatum did, with intent and delibera-
tion. use force and various other /
things in dragging her from said booth F.
i'm such a manner that she figured
every little detail of it would match
~ very well with what one has TO do
in order to qualify for charge of as
sault i'm the third degree.
Thereupon started the real embossed
fracas. Kind words were uttered pro
and con. and then Mr.. Tatum tele
Continued on page I. column