The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1915-03-16

Sues Mrs. Mable Hart
enstein, Her Former
Mistress
ACCUSED OF THEFT
OF DRESS SHE SAYS
Also Alleges Woman
Called Her DIRTY
Little Whelp"

Mrs Mabel Hartenstein. attired
In grey tailored suit. shoes to
snatch. and a fragrant corsass bou-
quet OF viole.s. took the witness
stand. Monday morning. in Judge
Manders court. to tell Judge and
jury OF her Troublesome struggle
with the servant problem, Mrs.
Hartenstein IA the second well.
known woman to appear In circuit
court within the last 10 days, to de-
fend charges Of Islander made by
former servants. Mrs. Leo Fucker.
man was sued last week. the case
being non.suited.
According 10 the testimony. Mon.
day, Il was n white silk dress, valn-
able. but too small for Mrs. Harten.
stein. which caused much OF the
trouble. Mayme Cowie. % years old.
who worked In the Hartenstein home
at No. SIS Edmund.pl.. fell in love
with the dress She maintains that
her former mistress presented Il TO
her, only To accuse her OF stealing
70 afterwards. For this alleged
siander. she seeks TO recover $4,000.
Here 10 the story OF one phase OF
the servant problem. as told by Mrs.
Hartenstein. on the witness stand:
We were moving from our house
In Edmund.pi. and Mr.. Harteinstein
. told me TO be sure that All papers
were picked up. 50 there would be
no danger of Ere. asked Wayne
n she would help me pick up the
papers. and she said. 7 wasn't hired
to do that Then she went upstairs
and pouted. had TO help her with
the luncheon at noon. After we
dined. asked Wayne II she wasn't
going to do the dishes. She said.
, No: do your own dirty dishes; I
won't When I asked her II she
wasn't going TO do her work at all.
she said, No. and then told her
she might consider herself dis
charged.
The next day. she came back.
and wanted her clothes. I learned
that the white silk dress was In her
room. with her clothes. and re-
fused to let her have IT."
did you make her a present OF
tit" the defendant was asked.
1T was a conditional present"
said Mrs. Hartenstein. THE dress
was new II had never been laun-
defed. II was too small for me. and
I wore II only once or twice. May
me said she liked the dress. and
asked me II would sell II to her.
knew Wayne didn't have enough
money TO pay even a part OF what
, that dress was worth. Well. /
thought then. would be good to the
girl. had paid her wages In ad-
vance before, and done other things
10 show that was kind to my
servants. Wayne told me herself
that she had never worked In bet
ter house. So said 10 her: May
me. \ will give you that dress. I'll
make you present Of II It'll you'll
be good girl When Mayme re-
fused to do her work. she didn't
carry out her part OF the agreement,
so I didn't consider she was entitled
TO the dress"
Miss Cowie charged that Mrs. Har-
tenstein addressed her as follows.
when she came after her clothes:
"You won't get your clothes until
you give up that white dress you
stole from me. You are dirty
little whelp. and you haven't got any
character to lose"
Mrs. Hartenstein vigorously de-
MED that she had used any such
language. Servants now In her en-
pioy texiifed that they had always
been treated kindly by her.
Mrs. Hartenstein is the wife OF
Robert r. Hartenstein. real estate
and insurance man. They now live
at No. Al Edmund-pi.-