Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1920-04-10

IL probably was his idea that tho
! Ereement be put in writing. He lat
cohtradicted this statement. How
ever. said he, II knew that we w.r,
SEATING Oh thin ice. but thought We
we're doing the best thing for all
i'rtleS concerned.'
TELLS WHOLE STORY.
My BYRD dismissed the witness,
ERE but he requested permission to
'S'l me tull story, which was granted.
re s'ld that Mrs. Cumming signed
&c agreement on advice of her faith
= and brother.
Miss Elsie K. Lindsay, CUMMING,
s;onoSrIpher. testified that she had
,.'ice heard Mrs. Cumming threaten
:" kill Cumming.
Mayor Thomas l.. Sclater of Hamp
ton, referred to by Mr.. Byrd as Ills
onof the Lord Mayor of Hampton"
vas handled by counsel for the &C
cIscd without gloves. Tho Mayor WAS
.cuAed by the attorney with SAYING
t" Mrs. Cumming. why don't Won
't' him alone and get money from
A2ur other man."
The Mayor denied this, saying he
ID told Mrs. Cumming to go and
Bet married again. so you wanted
der to get married when she already
nad husband?" Byrd asked. "No
thought she had a divorce"
Here counsel for the accused took
IL o2later TO task on charge I,
,o' 'ak'hs into consideration the
"c' .hal every one is allowed one
'''ar III which to appeal q divorce de
cision. We
LENlENT WITH MRS. CUMMING.
The Mayor said he thought he had
tcn very lenient with Mrs. Cumming.
counsel for the accused asked if he
vas cement when he had her thrown
ito Jail for four days and let CUM
nlng take the child. Witness said he
'io not let Cumming take the child
Didnt you have her put In ian
because she said she'd kill Won hotn
wien you insulted herr" Byrd asked
I'm not afraid of her and never
AVE been the Mayor said.
DEFENSE HAS INNING
MISS Lois Jester sister of Mrs
cumming. first witness for defense
"id OF the time Mr.. Cumming came
% the Jester home and choked Mrs
cumming. She said she. Mrs. Cum
"''hs' cumming and the child went r.
Norfolk in 1917.
IN his opening address to the jury
ELS afternoon, Richard Evelyn Byrd
counsel for Mrs. Cumming smoke IN
o"rt as follows:
bYRDS OPENING STATEMENT
'Mr. Cumming was in this com
! Ii unity powerful, dominating and
outstanding figure IN oil matters re
'a,ing to the administration Of law
10 her, at least, lie seemed to he In
his own person either above or be.
y"nd the law.
He frequently boosted TO his wife
that he controlled the courts ut Hamp
ten. He told her that it was no use
'or her to struggle that IL she con
tiiiued to annoy him by asking for
n oney he would put her In 1ail again
;aid Keep her there and would take
ner boy ana send him out of the
state. She believed all this. Why not
l!H had sent her to Jail he had talk
ell nor boy; he had gotten all injunc
ten from the court restraining her
: 1r m even speaking to him: he had
81 ocured divorce from her in the
circuit Court Of Elizabeth City Coun
} without any provision for her SUD
~ IT, and when she tried to get n
.a"yer to appeal her case she could
act obtain one until after long effort
ihcs found lawyer in a distant To-.
lily who was willing to present
ter cause to the Supreme Court Of
,niS estate. Is there any wonder that
there came over this woman a sense
u helplessness and despair? That
lie felt herself deserted by God and
nan? That for her, at least, there
vas no law, no Justice, no compns
iion in this world?
SUFFERED COLD AND HUNGER
During all this time when she
was suffering from cold, from actual
pangs of hunger, from every con
ce:Fable injury to the most sacred
fa lings Of woman, wife and n
mother, she knew that her husband
had intimate relations with other
w. men and was spending large sums
f money on them while she and her
5on were suffering for the bare neces
lilies Of life.
''You will say to yourselves how
"A these things happen in o Chris
ian land, in a land ordered by law
here the weak are supposed to have
equal rights with the strong. l will
toll you how it came about.
when the marriage took place in
Al. rob 1914 ono oP TIM cn-ool1a1 rrn