The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1918-09-25
DIVORCE
SUIT SENSATIONAL

PITTsFIELD, Mass, Sept 25.-There
were family clashes in Council
Grove, Charles S. Mellen's home in
Stockbridge, the noise OF which even
q victrola, a pianoIa and the mooing
of prize Holstein stock outside could
not drown This was divulged In the
probable court of Berkshire county,
where the former president of the
New Haven railroad sought justifi-
cation in living apart from his wife.
and also a decree that would enable
him to dispose Of his property as he
may deem fit.
Mr.. MeiIen testified his wife, Kath-
crime L. Livingston Mellen, attacked
him with a marble egg in her fists
and he slapped her face, making her
nose bleed. On another occasion she
blackened his eye. He accelerated"
her passage from the room, he said.
what do you mean by acceler-
ated?" John W. H. Grim, Of New
York, his attorney, asked.
at kicked her." Mr.. Mellen an
swered-
On each occasion when these family
affairs were staged Mrs. Mellen had
been drinking. her husband said.
MRS. Mellen was very seldom
drunk" he explained. but she very
generally carried. as the boys call it,
a load"
Says wife Was "Kitten."
While Mr.. Mellen was on the wit
ness stand. thirty letters. written by
Mrs. Mellen to Henry Douglass
Brown. assistant manager OF the
Hotel Vanderbilt in New York. were
introduced. Most OF them began
Douglass, dear" and were signeo
kitten" Mr.. Mellen identified Brown
as "the glad hand artist who used to
receive the guests as they came in
the hotel-the handshaker." Browns
wife, Mrs. Margaret Brown. ten
months ago filed papers in an aliena-
ton suit for 100000 against Mrs.
Mellen. In one OF her letters to
Brown, Mrs. Mellen referred to his
wife as "the blonde" and in most OF
them Mr.. Mellen was plain NJ.
Mr.. Mellen, who is now siXty-seven
years old. told as clear and lucid q
tale OF his family troubles as he I'M
folded of his railroad career at the
trial OF the New Haven railroad direc-
tors\ in the United States district
court in New York. when he remem-
bered the day in the year the Cos
Cob flyer was on time. He tapped
his feet impatiently at moments
when the accuracy OF dates he gave
OF occurrences five years ago did not
convince as he thought they should,
and he yawned when the lawyers in
the case engaged in wordy wrangles.
Postponement Effort Fails.
When the case came up today NJ
3. Warner. attorney for Mrs. Mellcn.
sought to have it postponed until the
divorce action brought by Mrs. MelleH
is tried in the superior court next
month. Judge Slocum agreed with
Mr.. Grim and Walter c. Kellogg, Mr..
Mellen's local attorneys, that the case
should go on. Mr.. Grim then said In
opening that he would show that Mrs
MelIen would not live with her hus
band in Stockbridge, but spent much
OF her time at the Hotel Vanderbilt
that his home became demoraliZed
two Of the children under eleven run
ming the streets of Stockbridge an
the servants rendering little or no
service; that Mr.. Mcllen protested
with the result that his wife attacked
him and on one occasion threatened
his life; that he discontinued her pin
money, but that she had a personal
income of $4,000 a year from the es-
tates of her parents. Then in the
spring Of 1917, Mr.. Grim said, reports
reached Mr.. Mellen of scandal at the
and Mrs. Grown finally
turned over to Mr.. Mellen the Letters
Mrs. MelleR had written to her hus-
band. Mr.. Mellen then told his wife,
brother he was done" Mr.. Grim said
Mrs. Mellen never returned to her
home in Stockbridge after that. bu;
Used her oldest daughter, Katherin'
who is now twenty-one, as a Spy t.
report to her mother m New York
what was going on in Stockbridge.