Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1920-03-07

wv HEN Mr. T. H. Oppenhcimer, the
w very wealthy Newark IN. J)
leather manufacturer and banker
went down to Miami, Fla. TO get rid oil
bronchial trouble he did not know that he
was also going TO lose his wife. 1t was a
long while after, in fact. that he did know
that he had lost her, and even then he
could not believe it-because whenever
young Mrs. Oppenhcmer took the tender
moonlight excursions which were gradu
ally separating her from her husband she
was supposed to be sound asleep in her
room. with all the doors safely locked and
Mr.: Oppenhemer in the next chamber
How MRS. Oppenheimer managed to
el,ide her husbands vigilance and care and
get away from the locked-for- the night
Miami bungalow out under the moonlight
and the whispering palms figured almost
exclusively in the divorce suit iust ended
IN Newark, and which Mr.. Oppenheimer
brought and won.
Also. for the first time in court history
photograph of the ladder that was her
means OF escape and that at last BETRAYED
her was the star witness for the plaintiff
Upon presentation OF the PHOTOGRAPH of
the ladder and the testimony regarding il.
given by the Oppenheimer housekeeper.
Mrs. Edith f. Alley. Mrs Oppenheimer
'Nt'NIS CIV Hci ucieHSe OF the case ana went
back to her parents in Waterbury. Conn,
TO try to forget. Mr.. Oppenhemers d.
Vorce decree was promptly granted by
Fice.Chancellor Foster.
When Mr.. Oppenheimer. who is very
wealthy, ana his bride. who was much
younger than he, were married in Septem-
her, 1915, they took up their residence at
Newark and then moved to bloomfield,
where MIR. Oppenheimer has great man.
sion. They separated in July, 1918, al
though al that time the manufacturer
claimed he had still no knowledge OF the
ladder under his wife's window and tho
part it was playing in his life.
They soon began to disagree Indeed il
was as much to provide his wife with
other surroundings md with the hope that
The gentle Florida sunshine would mellow
tho relations between them as it was to
cure his troublesome bronchial tubes that
Mr. Oppenheimer went to Miami He took
charming bungalow, surrounded with
palms and commanding a wonderful view
OF the blue southern ocean, only block
away.
There was nothing between the house
and the ocean TO ohstruct the view-the
Importance OF this accidental arrangement
will be seen later.
The hard sand beach was a wonderful
automobile track. and Mrs. Oppenhemer
could vary her interest in the breaking
surf by glimpses Of racing touring cars
The windows OF the bungalow were about
six feet above the ground. A serviceable
ladder always lay somewhere against the
side. ready for use in cleaning the outside
OF the windows. For q time everything
went along as happy as a wedding bell
Then irritation set in again between the
two. But. although estranged. Mr.. Open
heimer found nothing to cast any doubt
upon his wifes conduct. 1t was true that
their evenings were not exactly domestic
at least this was the testimony Mrs.
Oppenheimer's bedroom was next TO the
big living room. Mr.. Oppenheimer's was
on the other side Of 1t. Mrs. Oppenheimer
would usually retire very early to her
Usually she would kiss her husband good
night and then lock the door Mr.. Open
heimer would sit up for quite a long time
reading. He would then probably put out
the lights, take a long look at the big
room. the mysterious palms. the stretch of
white beach and the wonderful ocean.
1t might even have occurred to him that
1t was too bad that his wife, so soundly
asleep In the next room. could not be en-
1oying this vision of Florida night. Then
he would retire.
But II the husband could only have
known-if he could have seen through the
walls and with telescope sight swept that
stretch Of beach--he would have first seen
the ladder, which lay usually PROSTATE be.
side the house. now leading right up to one
OF his wife's windows. Far away he would
have seen-so the testimony upon which
the divorce was granted declared-his wife
IN tender converse with a romantic young
Floridian. both of them hugely enjoying
the beauty Of that same moon and sea-
much more. it would appear, than was Mr..
Oppenheimer.
AS matter Of fact long before Mr..
had retired Mrs. Open
heimcr had carefully undone the netting
at the window, had slipped out and down
the ladder and off to the beach.
II MT Oppenheimer had been acutelv
observant he might have noticed also that
on certain nights ray from an automobile
searchlisiit swept the front of his house
fro mthat same beach. If he had known
-oout the ladder and it's uses he would
soon have found out that it was only when
this searchlight struck the house that his
vito descended joyously down it.
The searchlight was, in fact, signal by
which Mrs. Oppenheimer's knight called
as did the knights Of old before electricity
was :. discovered their sweethearts from