The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1920-12-23
SERVES
DRINKS, But IS
NOT BARTENDER


Of promise case Of Mrs. Martha
Mullen Of Peoria against John c.
Gardner Of Abingdon. now in the
circuit court, would 60 to the jury
today.
Mrs. Mullen was called back to
the witness stand yesterday and
testified that she had never appear
ed in or contemplated such a suit
before. She testified concerning
two trips which, she and Mr.. Gard
ner made to I saloon in Peoria.
where . friend Of hers. Weaver by
name, served them. Gardner with
beer and the complainant with gin
ger ale. When asked who Weaver
was she said that he was . friend
OF hers who lived on the east side
in Peoria. When asked his occupa-
ton she stated that she did not
know what he did. Although he
tended bar in the saloon in Peoria
he was not a bartender.
Following Mrs. Mullen's testi-
mony, the jury was given a recess
and a witness the lawyers for the
defendant had attempted to bring
into court the day before took the
stand. This witness was Armor
Moreland of Galesburg. an attorney
of the firm of Moreland & More
land. Mr.. MorelAnd read of the
suit in The Argus and finding a
similarity of names hunted up
some old records until he discov-
cred q record of q breach Of prom
Use case started by Mrs. Mullen
against A. H. Hutchinson OF Muri-
eta, Calf. According to his tes-
timony he was associate attorney
of the firm which expected to han
die the case.
Mrs. Mullen had become &C
uuainted with Mr.. Hutchinson, a 20
year old veteran of the Civil war,
while she was visiting in California
in 1916. After knowing her Tor
several weeks and writing her se"-
eral letters it seems that MI
Hutchinson found himself sued Tor
breach of promise. A deposition
was filed by Mrs. Mullen, but for
some unknown reason the case new
er came to trial.
Following the testimony OF Mr.,
Moreland the jury was brought
back into the court room. Attor-
ney Virgil Duvall. for the cont
plainant, made the first plea. Mr.
Duvall spoke of the wiles of Mr.
Gardner, who had led this woman
into believing that he cared fol
| her and intended tg marry her. Hi
pictured the old soldier as q sor'
of he-vampire who had lured tns
lady on until she had learned t
love him and then threw her over
He referred in his plea to severa
of the letters written by Mr.. Gard
ner to his former sweetheart, II
which he spoke of marriage to her
He pictured the humiliation which
she suffered after telling hel
| friends that she was to be married
and then being Tilted for another:
Following Mr.. Duvall. James A
Allen, counsel for the defendant
addressed the jury. In his pies
Mr.. Allen did not deny that MI
Gardner had at one time askea
and expected to marry Mrs. Mullen
He did not deny that his client hat
showered upon the lady numerou'
| affections and attentions.
In fact, 1t seemed that Mr.. Tara
ner would have married the lad.
had she not demanded q cash set
Element of $4,000 before the cere
mouy took place. With this de
mand the warmth Of Comrade Gard
ner's affections seemed to- hav
Irapidly cooled and not having tn
cash nor the inclination to hand
to the lady no marriage took place
Mr. Allen endeavored to impress
the Jury with the fact that the lad
herself was the one who had pre-
vented the nuptial knot from bein
tied. as several times during thei
supposed engagement she foun
! good reasons for not having tn
ceremony take place.
The letters written by Mr.. Gard
ner to Mrs. Mullen occupied
prominent place in Mr.. Allen
plea. He read several. prominen
among them being the last lette
written by the one-tima lover to hi
sweetheart in which. he hoped tia
she would not be offended wit
! him. but that he had no NOR
money to send her and could hard
lly make ends meet as It was. Nc
tations which were found on til
outside OF the envelopes and whic
lhad been made by the complainar
indicated that the main promise Q
statement in each letter had bee
carefully made note Of.
j Mr.. Allen did not spare his clier
in his plea, referring to him se,
eral times as being more Of fox
than q heartbreAker and Stain
| that he could not understand VIII
lhe had not been on to the lady
game long before she requested th
larger amount Of money.
! ChicaU0 P0tat0eS