New-York tribune., 1918-09-26
Defendant Asked for Infor-
About "Other Wom-
an" at Stockbridge
Several Letters Read
F Former Head of New Haven
Road Occupies Witness
Stand During Entire Day
Especial Dispatch to The Tribune)


PlTTSFIELD, Mass, Sept. 25.-
Charles S. Mcllen, Of Stockbridge, for
rter head Of the New Haven road, was
or the witness stand all day in the
proceedings in the Berkshire Probate
Court, where he is seeking an order of
separation from his wife. Katherine
Lloyd Livingston Mellen, of New York,
and right to convey real estate as if
he were single man.
Reading of Mrs. Mcllen's letters, pur
porting to have been written by her to
II. Douglas Brown, assistant manager
of the Vanderbilt Hotel. New York,
continued to-day These letters form
the foundation Of Mr.. Mellen's case,
and objection has been taken by A.
torney Milton 3. Warner, for Mrs. Mel
len, on the admittance of all of these
letters. Attorney Warner also argued
against a letter written by Mrs. Mellen
following September 16, 1917, to her
daughter, Miss Katherine Mellen, who
was then in her fathers home in
Stockbridgc.
1t was shown that after the expose
in New Yor, when Mrs. Margaret B.
DioWii, INC WIG "a II. OOuSldS DiO"A >
had placed in Mr.. Mellens hands the
bundle Of letters which have been read
in the Pittsfield court Mr.. Mellen gave
an order that all mail arriving at
Stock bridge for the family should be
put in his hands. One letter received
was from his wife to his daughter.
Admitted Into Evidence
Miss Mellen is twenty one years of
age. AS she was not a minor child, Mr..
Warner strongly objected on the
ground that the letter had been lille
gally intercepted from the mails and
that that act was a possible violation
of the postal laws. John W. Grim, for
Mr.. Mellen, said that it was no viola
tion of the law for father to open
mail addressed to daughter under his
own roof and protection. Judge E. T.
Slocum admitted the letter as evidence.
This letter was put in to show that
Mrs. Mellen had placed her daughter
in her fathers house to report to her
what was going on in the Mellen villa
at Council Grove, the Mellen estate in
Stockbridgc. She wrote to her daugh-
ter:
81 suppose the new bunch has ar
rived. Now, dearic, you do just as
You said. Keep your eyes open. And
keep a close watch on the children.
ou are DONG wonderfully well and
am proud of you. My friends are all
with me.
Keep Eyes on New Woman"
"Uncle Charley and Aunt Sadie are
both with me, and Uncle Charley is
terribly mad at your father and won't
have anything to do with hun. He has
told me so. You can help by staying
Up there and Keeping your eyes open
about this Lew woman. You don't have
to be nice to her. Iou Just stick up
there and show them all they cant
bulldozc YOU. lust show them and
stick. That will make them madder
than hatier, my dear They are
meeting many snags now. Another
5nag VIII be your being UP there and
keeping an eve on the woman. Who is
she. AnYway?'
The woman referred to in the letter
was govcrncss Mr.. Mellen said his
daughtcr-inIaw. Mrs. Graham K Mel
len, engaged TO take charge of his chill
dren, Candace and Priscilla Mcllen
With this letter admitted into evil
dencc, Mr.. Grim produced about
dozen letters which, it is alleged, were
reported tc Mrs. Mellen written by two
of her alleged agents, Abdul Hamid
and his wife, Frances Cuttut, of New
Haven, who have been described by Mr..
Grim as "aStrologers"