Omaha daily bee., 1920-03-02
First Days Trial Of Former
Omaha Pastor in San Fran
cisco for Relations With
Mrs. Smeltzer Is Sensational.
IS EMBARRASSED, BUT
DENIES ALLEGATIONS
Scene in Theater Related
Church Member Tells Of Ac-
cusing Pastor About Girl and
"Facing Him Down"

racing HIN UOWll.
San Francisco, March l.-(Spe-
cial Telegram.)-T inflict punish
ment on the man who, he alleges,
broke up his home, rather than to
gain monetary compensation for the
loss of his wifes affections, is the
object of the $4,000 alienation suit
of William c.. Smeltzer against Rev.
John +. Poucher, former pastor of
Central Methodist church, according
to the opening statement of Leonard
H. Honey, one of the attorneys for
Smeltzer.
Under examinations by Attorney
Honey, DR.. Poucher admitted that
he had made gifts to Mrs. Irma G..
Smeltzer, wife of the plaintiff and
formerly DR.. Poucher's private sec
retary, but denied that they had
been made in spirit of affection.
He said he had on one occasion
met Mrs. Smeltzer at the postoffice
in Oakland. but explained that the
conversation had been on church af-
fairs.
Pastor Is Embarrassed.
Attorney Honey shot question
after question at DR.. Poucher in an
effort to gain an admission of I'M
proper relations with Mrs. Smeltzer,
but the pastor, although showing
embarrassment, rebuffed every at
tack. AT the conclusion of the testi-
mony of the Oakland meeting the
following dialogue took place:
Question-Did you remain in Oak
land for the night?
Answer-No.
Question-Y did not stop at
any hotel, rooming house or lodg-
ing house?
AnsWer-No.
Question-Did you register at any
hotel?
Answer-No.
QUESTIONABLE you positive about
this?
: Answer anl.
DR.. Pouchers first statement was
that he had been working in ship
yard since late in January, at which
time Smeltzer started his suit and
Bishop Leonard declared the pull
pit of the Central Methodist church
vacant. Prior to his coming here,
DR.. Poucher was pastor of the
Grand Avenue church in Kansas
City, said to be the largest Methodist
church in the middle-west, and of
Trinity church at Omaha.
did you give Mrs. Smeltzer a
gold ever-sharp pencil?" Was the
first question of Attorney Honey
after the preliminaries were laid.
Directly, no." was the answer
Did you give her candy?'
yes"
Oakland Hotel Register.
Samples of Poucher's handwriting
were obtained during the afternoon,
when, at the direction of Attorney
]. G. Reisner, Poucher wrote a
number of sentences. Later in the
afternoon a page from the register
of the Hotel St. Mark in Oakland
was presented by the plaintiff at
torneys for identification.
The names of 81. Parker and wife,
Chicago" appear on this page under
date of June "a.
Frederick Farnum, assistant man
ager of the hotel, testified that the
man and woman registering under
those names came to the hotel on
June 20, 1919, and remained until
July 5.
Mrs. S. M. Demeyer created
ripple of interest by her testimony
at the afternoon session. She told of
being at a motion picture theater
one afternoon during the summer of
1919 and seeing Poucher. there with
Mrs. Smeltzer.
Scene at Theater.
"Poucher came into the theater
alone" she said, "and walked over
her feet to take a seat beyond her.
She looked back, she declared, and
saw someone step quickly behind
the curtain. In a moment Poucher
arose and left.
Il got up and looked to see who
it was that wouldn't sit next to me"
declared Mrs. Demeyer. "It was
Irma Smeltzer."
Mrs. Demeyer also told of con-
versation that she said took place in
Poucher's Study with Mrs. c. L.
Smeltzer, mother of the plaintiff,
present.
Il told him that the Smeltzers had
separated" she said.
Poucher turned to Mrs. c. L.
Smeltzer and told her that she was a
trouble maker and that she haG
made trouble for him ever since she
had been in the church.
Shouldn't Pick Minister"
az said to him, I should think that
if 1rma had wanted to do thing
like this she would have picked on a
man and not a minister
Charles E. Yost of l135 Hyde