The Washington times., 1920-06-20
UY HEN Mr.. T. II. Oppenheimer, the
w very wealthy Newark IN. Jo

went down to Miami, Fla, to get rid OF
bronchial trouble he did not know that he
was also going to lose his wife. 1t was
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. Oppenheimer 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.. Oppenheimer in the next chamber.
How Mrs. Open oeimer managed to
elude her husbands vigilance and care and
get away from the lockedfor-the-night
Miami bungalow out under the moonlight
and the whispering palms figured almost
exclusively In the divorce suit just ended
In Newark, and which Mr.. Oppenheimer
brought and won.
Also. for the first time In court history,
q photograph of the ladder that was her
means of escape and that at last betrayed
her was the star witness for the rlaintiff.
Upon presentation of the photograph OF
the ladder and the testimony regarding IL,
given by the Oppenheimer housekeeper.
Mrs. Edith F. Alley. Mrs. Oppenheimer
withdrew her defense of the case and went
back to her parents In Waterbury, Conn,
to try to forget. Mr.. Oppenheimer's d.
vorce decree was promptly granted by
Vice-Chancellor Foster.
When Mr. Oppenheimer, who is very
wealthy, and his bride. who was much
Younger than he. were married in Septem-
Der, 1915, they took up their residence at
!" Newark and then moved to Bloomfield,
where Mr.. Oppenheimer has great man.
sion. They separated in July, 1913, al.
though at that time the manufacturer
claimed he had still no knowledge of the
ladder under his wife's window and the
part it was playing in his life.
They soon began to disagree Indeed It
wss as much to provide his wife with
other surroundings and with the hope that
p the gentle Florida sunshine would mellow
the relations between them as It was to
cure his troublesome bronchial tubes that
@ Mr. Oppenheimer went to Miami. He took
a 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 obstruct the view--the
importance OF this accidental arrangement
will be seen later
The hard sand beach was wonderful
automobile track. and Mrs. Oppenheimer
could vary her interest in the breaking
surf by glimpses of racing touring cars.
The windows Of the bungalow wee about
six feet above the ground. A serviceable
ladder always lay somewhere against the
Al side. ready for use in cleaning the outside
of the windows. For time everything
went along as happy as wedding bell.
Then irritation set in again between the
two But, although estranged Mr.. Open
keimer found nothing to cast any doubt
upon his wife's conduct. 1t was true that
their evenings we're lot 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 It. Mrs. Oppenheimer
would USUALLY retire very early to her
room--as early as seven or eight O'Clock.
Usually she would kiss her husband good
night and then lock the door. Mr.. Open
heimer would sit UP for quite long time
reading. He would then probably put out
the lights. take long look at the big
room, the mysterious palms. the stretch of
white beach and the wonderful ocean.
49,. II might even have occurred to him that
Il was too bad that his wife, so soundly
asleep in the next room, could not be en-
Toying 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
. SITeICn OF DedCn-ne WOulu udNt III OF oOVh
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 romantic young
ID, Floridian. both OF them hugely enjoying
the beauty OF that same moon and sea
much more. it would appear, than was Mr.
" ,0ppenheimer
III, As a matter OF fact long before Mr.
Oppenheimer had retired Mrs. Open
b" heimer had carefully undone the netting
at the window, had slipped out and down
q the ladder and of to the beach.
"a II MIR. Oppenheimer had been acutely
'a observant he might have noticed also that
on certain nights ray from an automobile
j. searchlight swept the front OF his house
!: fro mthat same beach. II he had known
about the ladder and It's uses he would
. soon have found out that It was only when
lu this searchlight struck the house that his
wife descended Joy 5usly down Il.
THE searchlight was, In Fact, a signal by
which Mrs. Oppenheimer's knight called
as did the knights 5f old before electricity
was discovered their sweethearts from