The evening world., 1917-06-14
GIRL WON BANKER
OF 85AT CARDS, IS
LOVE SUIT DEFENSE
O'Brien-Manning Romance the
Result of Testing Wager,
Says Counsel.

The trail Of the N.oOo,OoO breach
OF promise suit brought by Miss
Honora May O'Brien. the sklbbereen
beauty, against John Il. Manning, the
aged wall Street banker. who. she
says. fitted her over the telephone
last December n few hours before
they were 90 have been married In
st. Patrick's Cathedral. got away
TO a nying start before Justice
Cropsey. a Jury and jam OF spec-
tators IN the Supreme Court at Long
Island City this afternoon.
Martin w. 11ttleton. counsel for
Manning. said he would prove that
Miss O'Brien won his client at n
card game as result Of testing
wager made between them.
Mr.. Lttleton. who had Miss O'Brlen
in tears by his charge that she was
involved In a conspiracy to get the
old mans money. and her brother at
the boiling point by referring to him
frequently as this fishmonger from
Newport"-o'Hrien keeps a fish shop
at the latter plaee-said Miss OBrien
and her eighty-five-year-old Romeo
were playing euchre at tho bankers
home In Riverside Drive on the night
in question.
when Il came time TO play the
last game" said 'Mr. Littieton, "Mr.
Manning said jokinGly: Now we'll
play 20 see whether win you or you
win me-. Miss O'Brlen won.
MIR. Llttleton was :nerciless in his
denunciation Of the O'Briens. He
said the whole AFFAIR was shot to
the core with sordidness" and as
barren OF affection and romance as
the plains in the wilds OF Asia are
barren OF vegetation" He spoke Of
the pre-nuptial agreement, which, It
appears, will be a big factor in the
trial.
"A pre-nuptial agreement. gentle
man." said Mr.. Lttleton. rs some
thing by which you get hooked. and
hooked good"
stephen c. Baldwin. counsel for
Miss O'Brien, who opened the case.
used an entirely different line Of
colors in painting the romance for
the jury, iferring 20 IL as pure.
tender AFFAIR in which lonely old
man had fallen In love with n sweet
girl. lie characterized Manning as
one OF "the keenest men in Wall
Street" and insisted he should be
made 20 pay for the manner in which
he had treated his client
1--WE will prove that Manning is
worth from $4,000, 900 to $4,000, ,OoO."
said Mr.. Baldwin, "and"--
A cracked laugh in high-pitched
voice came from Manning before the
lawyer could finish the sentence.
you can laugh. you can leer." said
Baldwin, but we will not only show
you are worth that much. hut will
show a great many more things"
Mr. Littleton Sketched the acquain-
tance of Miss O'Brien and Manning.
He said II dated from 1907. when Miss
| O3rien came to this country and met
the bankers family. From 1909 until
1916 said the lawyer. the Manning
family saw nothing OF Miss o'Brien.
| In November last, Mr.. Littleton said.
/ Miss O'Brien and her brother visited
/ the Mannipg home and made arrange
| ments 20 borrow some money from the
banker. the money to be used by her
/ brother in his business.
! Miss O'Brien and her relatives assert
Manning met her years ago on his
visits 10 Skibbereen, Ireland, and that
the families have always been on close
terms. \ great many witnesses some
from ireland, are to be examintd
Miss O'Brien went on the witness
stand after a clerk from the marriage
Bureau had testified to issuing a IL
cense 10 her and Manning. While
she was teStifyng the thunder storm
broke. the flashes OF lightning driving
many OF the women spectators from
the room, which for a while was in
darkness. Miss O'Brien said she was
educated In converts In Ireland and
Belgium, and had come to this coun-
try In 1906 to enter nunnery In
Idaho.
At the Cunard Line pier Miss
O'Bricn said the party was met by
Manning and Judge Daniel r. Co
halan. Miss O'Brien 10 a cousin OF
Judge Cohalan's wife, She said the
money forwarded TO her by heT
brother to pay for her passage had
not arrived IN time and that Judge
Cohalan had made good the amount
to her chaperone, being later reim-
bursed by Miss O'Brien's brother
soon after her arrival Miss OBrier
said she visited the Mannings ano
assumed charge OF French class
which Agnes Manning, one OF tn,
bankers daughters, had organized.
Despite the bankers feebleness h,
showed surprising agility when
group OF photographers tried to snaI
s ] A. -