Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1917-05-10
Said 70 ee Ready to Prosecute One or
Several Parties in Suit Under Mann
White Slavery Act-Mrs. Bsrthslson
Goes on Stand and Tells Of Her
Matrimonial Venture.

standing features of the trial of Mrs.
Edith Berthelson on the charge Of big
amy.
The papers purporting to bear proof
Of the legality Of the marriage OF
Clampit and Mrs. Berthelson were
turned over to Judge Edwards shortly
before adjournment Of court late yes
terday afternoon, and IL admitted will
materially strengthen the case OF the
defense. The affidavit Of marriage
of Charles E. Clampit to Agnes kess-
ing and the decree Of divorce showing
that Clampit was granted from his
first wife in Oklahoma on May H.,
1916, were included in the papers.
II the papers are admitted, the de-
tense will endeavor to prove that both
Mrs. Berthelson and I Clampit were
within their rights when they entered
into a marriage contract in January,
1915, sand that the charge of bigamy
Is without, gfoundation, Insofar as 1t
applies to either Clampit or Mrs.
Berthelson. It was not until January
rs. 1916, that the decree for divorce
was annuiisd BY the Oklahoma courts,
and the defense maintains that Clam
pit and Mrs. Berthelson were married
prior to this time.
The report that special agents We're
in attendance at the trial became cur
rent throughout the court room late
in the afternoon, but no confirmation
could be secured, and it gained Gre
dence with a rumor to the effect that
Berthelson had lived with Mrs. Ber-
thelson at Clear Lake prior to their
marriage. Berthelson testified Tues
day that he had never seen Mrs.
Berthelson until about two weeks be-
fore he married her, and his testimony
did not add strength to the rumor.
q Mrx Bsrthslson on Stand.
The greater part Of the afternoon
yesterday was devoted to the direct
examination Of Mrs. Edith Berthelson
by John sLonergan, counsel for the de-
Tense. Following Mrs. Berthelson.
,Clampit was recalled to the stand. and
later his sister, Mrs. Charles J. Hagh-
ter, of Jacksonville, ILL.,, took the stand.
Mrs. BertheSon, dressed in trim
blue. sailor snit and white shirtwaist,
took the stand and shortly after 3
o'clock and. curing the two hours that
she remained on the stand. she did
not falter in giving her testimony, and
although weighing herfwords at times,
told straightforward story Her mar
rage with Clampit, her visits to>Jack-
sonville, ILL.,, and Lafayette, Ind, and
her brief courtship and marriage to
Berthelson,. together with the subse-
quent events that followed at Clear
Lake, were included in the testimony
of Mrs. Berthelson.
She denied that she had introduced
Clampit to Berthelson as her half
brother, and she said that Berthelson
sug gested that Clampit use the name
Of Carson. Clamplt visited the Ber-
thelsons at Clear Lake upon the .sug-
gestion Of Mr.. Berthelson, she said,
and that from the beginning, Clampit
was reluctant to go to Clear Lake. 4
She denied emphatically that Ber-
thelson had discovered her and Clam
pit in one OF the bed rooms Of the
Berthelson cottage In. a compromising
position, and she testified that after
she had been arrested and placed in
the Clark Street station in Chicago,
Berthelson dismissed the case and
later they lived together as man and
wife.
Called Her-a "Psach."
. When Clampit met Berthelson and
Mrs. Clampit in Chicago prior to the
marriage Of the Berthelsons, she said
that Berthelson cheered Clampit by
the statement, what is your loss is
my gain" and after he had met her
Mrs. Berthelson said that the Clear
Lake man exclaimed to her, You're
a peach and i want YOU
Mrs. Berthelson said she went to
Chicago on August Z, and that she and
Berthelson were married on August 3,
1915. She met Berthelson at the I'M
ION station, she said, and later they
were joined by Clampit. At the sug-
,gestion Of Mrs. Berthelson, the trio
ate breakfast together, and Clampit
said he was going to go.
She testified that they asked an off,
Ger where they could secure mar
riage license, and that he directed
them to- the bureau. Later they went
to the Majestic hotel. where, she said,
Clampit and Berthelson occupied one
room and she occupied another Ber-
thelson asked Clampit to remain in
the city and attend the wedding. al
though Clampit said he was planning
Ito go to Dubuque.
at was at the invitation Of Ber-
|thelson that C1ampit went to Clear
Lake with us" said the witness. HE
told Clampit to come out to Clear
lake and that he would find a girl for
him. Clampit said he had relatives
living in the vicinity Of Clear Lake.
and that he might be unable to explain
his presence. Berthelson suggested
that he use the name Of Carson"
The first time that Clampit visited
at the Berthelson home, he lived AT
the Berthelson cottage. she testified
He visited at the Berthelson home on
several occasions she said, and each
time at the suggestion Of Berthelson
who extended the invitation
Mrs. SBerthelson Testified that upon
Pres Ion for