The evening world., 1917-01-27
CAPTAIN AND GIRL
CHOKED IN CLOSETS
TO DODGE RAIDERS
Father-in-Law Tells in Divorce
Court of Saving Robbins
From Suffocation.

Justice Lehman in the Supreme
Court heard to-day the story Of how
Capt. Alfred NJ. Robbins. U. g. NJ. c..
and a Tit!an-haired beauty braved
suffocation TO thwart the efforts OF
a raidlng party headed by Herbert
r. Patterson. the captains father
in-law. to obtain evidence for n d.
vorce. The evidence was sufficient.
for Mrs. Hazel II. Robbins of No. 500
Riverside Drive. was awarded O de-
cree.
Mrs. Robbins. bundled In a sable
coat, came TO court In her Limousine
with her father and mother. but the
captain was not present. He was
last heard OF az Las Animas. Col,
where he was retired from service.
The raid occurred In Cincinnati. The
young naval man was on duty In the
Ohio city at the time.
The couple were quietly married in
Jersey City on oct. rs. 1913. and
similar secrecy was sought for the
divorce trial, but Mr.. Patterson was
compelled by tho court TO give all de-
tails of the raid.
Mr.. Patterson told the Court that
about six months before his son in
law went to Cincinnati the young
couple had separated.
He sent four New York detectives
to Cincinnati to follow the Captain,
and after three weeks OF shadowing
Mr.. Patterson received the hurry call
he expected.
Il went to Cincinnati" the father
ln-law testified. 81 met the de.ec-
tives l had sent and with them went
20 the Government garage in East
Fifth Street. We saw Capt. Rob-
bins and n young woman had never
seen before leave the garage together
and We followed them to q fashionable
apartment at No. 23i East Fourth
! Street.
| I'VE waited downstairs for some
time, and after the lights went out
in the apartment we broke in the
door. II was dark and not a sound
could be heard. We switched on the
lights and still no one was to be
found. Then we heard heavy breath
ing from two closets. Finally n
woman coughed In one OF them. Then
heard Mr.. Robbins cough and I
located him In the other closet.
| I'VE ordered them TO open the door.
but they refused and were willing. Il
seemed. to suffocate in there before
they would come out. We were COM
PEELED to force open these doors too.
"Mr. Robbins was dragged out. lie
had taken off his shoes. collar and tie.
lie looked sheepish. We found the
woman attired in a pink silk kimono.
B Her hair was hanging down her
/ back"
Mr.. Patterson said ne was very
formal to his son-in-law and his
companion.
IL said to the men who were with
me: There's my son-in-law. This
woman IL not his wife. BE sure 10
take a good look at them. 1t may
prove useful later" Mr.. Patterson tes-
tilted.
"As I was going out Mr.. Robbins
! asked to have a talk with mo. told
him ! would meet him outside. I met
him after he had clothed himself and
We went TO tho University Club In
Cincinnati and had talk. That was
tho last l saw of him"
| One OF the detectives who took part
/ In the raid corroborated the father
in-law.
Mrs. Robbins told Of her marriage
and asked for the custody of her
fourteen months old son. The court
granted her request. When she was
asked II she desired alimony she
spurned It.
Capt. Robbins's home Is in WASH
ington. ID. c. He was a Lieutenant
until Jan. 16, this year. when he
was made n Captain OF the Marine
Corps and retired. He Is thirty years
old.