New Britain herald., 1919-05-24
RMY LIEUTENANT LOSES PRETTY WIFE
But Is Awarded S15O,OOO Dam-
 ages for Loss

New York May 24.-The story If how a pretty young woman, unac- x customed to splendor and IuNury, M abandoned her husband, who was s serving his country, for a wealthy # admirer already married was oold to @ a Sheriff's jury yesterday by Lieuten- ant La Verne A. Davies, U. S. A. and won in his favor a verdict for $150,O00 # against Alfred c. Harrison, Jr., sugar < cefner and plantation owner and @ member of one of Philadelphia most prominent families.
 In charging MT. Harrison with alternating the affections of his wife. Mrs. Ruby Davies, whom he married two years ago, Lieutenant Davies de- # manded damages of $250,000. AL $ though MT. Harrison was served with notice of the action at the Ritz-Carl- # ton hotel recently, he failed to appear # and defend himself. He is said to be in Cuba, where he owns sugar lands Both in his affidavits and test1- mony Lieutenant Davies related an astonishing tale which had it's denoue- ment when he arrived in this city from his regiment in Puerto Rico last December. He found her living in @ luxuriously furnished apartment; she wore gorgeous jewels, and he began to believe statements she made in letter sent a short time before. that her affection for him had cooled. Received Expensive Gifts. Lieutenant Davies testified that when he asked his wife what mad caused the sudden change ill her love she replied that Q, wealthy man was in love with her and was eager to make her his wife. She informed '5e Lieutenant, he said, that her adml. ar had sEhowered expensive gifts upon her and had given her jewelry 'orth between $7O,O0O and $SO,000. Aim 'st gaiIy, he, said, Mrs. Davies mentioned receiving a pearl necklace which cost s2O,0O0.
 Further inquiry by Lieutenant Da- M yies revealed who her admirer was and the alleged fact that he had main M tained costly apartment for Mrs. Da- N vies during her husbands absence. Lieutenant Davies declared his wife had surrendered the apartment he provided in this city when he was or dered from Camp Lee, Petersburg, Va, where they were living together to join the 317th Infantry at Puerto Rico.
 The defendant he asserted, was suc- M cessfuI in, enticing his wife away from # # ry, flowers, money and other luxuries which he could not afford Through
 this medium, declared Lieutenant Da- vies, the plantation owner alienated and destroyed his wife's love for him and succeeded in winning her for himself.
 Lived in Modest Circumstances.
 ''I lived always in modest circum-
 stances" said Lieutenant Davis, who
 was a salesman before he enlisted in the army ''I was financially unable to supply my wife with luXurles, all though amply able to provide for her wants and maintain her in comfort Before she was married Mrs. Davis was even in more modest circum-
 stances than I, as she was accustome ed to work.
 s"The sudden access of pleasure and
 luxury which she enjoyed at the
 hands of the defendant were, as the defendant we'll knew, calculated to
 have a powerful effect upon her affec-
 ton and loyalty to me and to invite
 in her mind and heart comparisons
 highly unfavorable to me, particular
 lv as was absent and the defendant
 was always present at her side.'
 Previous to December 20 last, said
 Lieutenant Davies, when he was pre-
 Daring to join his wife, he recelVeC
 letters from her saying her feelings
 had undergone a change. While dis turbed and worried by the context o1 the letters, Lieutenant Davies said he ''did not divine the true character or extent of the transformation which had taken place"
 The real awakening came when hi wife confessed her love was totall. destroyed because of her association and contact with another man during
 his absence, said the lieutenant H.
 said she then left him.
 Encounter in Hotel.
 Before Lieutenant Davies began hi
 action he learned that MT. Harrison
 was a married man, living with hi
 wife at Mo- 200 West Fifty-Seventl
 street. Recently the officer espied hi
 wife in well known hotel with an
 other man and resented her publi
 appearance on that occasion in suc1
 T. forcible manner that his arrest fol
 lowed He was honorably discharge
 bv the magistrate before whom he wa
 arraigned.
 MT Harrison, the defendant, is tn
 son of Alfred c. Harrison, of Phila
 delphia, whose fortune is said to b
 S4O,O00,000, and brother of the Coun
 tess Karl von Halstein. He is in hi
 fortfes and Mrs. Davies is twent
 years younger.