New-York tribune., 1920-09-29
Mime. Georgette
Near Collapse
I'm Court Room
Modiste Who Seeks to RE
open ID. C.. Reid Divorce
Case Is Subjected TO
Rigid Cross-Exanlinatiora
Judge Reserves Decision
Tin Plate Maker Bought
French Woman Two Fur
Coats. Accountant Says

Justice McAvoy reserved decision
yesterday pending the fling Of briefs
in the application Of Nine. Georgette
de Ia Plante, French modiste, to have
reopened the divorce suit Of Mrs.
Reid, wealthy tin plate manufactures,
in which case Nine. de la Plante was
named correspondent. The modiste,
whom Mrs. Reid patronized,. insists
that the testimony given by ser
wants in the Reid apartment, at 907
Fifth Avenue, regarding her and Mr..
Reid at time when Mrs. Reid was In
Atlantic City was untrue.
She failed to defend herself at the
time, she explained, because 1t was not
until she read an account Of the di-
knew it was being held, and 1t was
TOO late to employ counsel to appear
for her.
Madame Becomes Faint
Nine. de Ia Plante became faint yes
terday during the hearing before jus
tice McAvoy after she had been sub
naitted to cross-examination by Ed
mund L. Mooney, counsel for Mrs.
Reid. 1t became necessary to delay the
proceeding until Madame could regain
at ia untrue and I want my name
cleared" was the reply Of Nine. de la
Plante when asked by Mr.. Mooney the
purpose Of her proceeding to reopen
the Reid case. =,
Mr.. Mooney again went into the
French woman, who has had two hus-
bands. Nine. de la Plante said she
thought her first husband, James Bar
CLAW Moore, dead when she married
Louis Joseph Filius de la Plante IN
Montreal. NJ. de Ia Plante later had
this marriage annulled because ME-
Moore really was not dead. Under the
questions Of Mr.. Mooney the witness
admitted that she had obtained C.
separation from Mr.. Moore in 1911.
The separation decree did not give her
the legal right to remarry.
Only seven months elapsed between
the time the separation decree was
granted and the marriage Of the mo-
diste to Mr.. de Ia Plante. Madame
explained that she and Mr.. Moore had
been living apart since 1908, and when
she received report that he was dead
she gave it due credence and re-mar-
ried Asked why she sued Mr.. Moore,
treating him as q live person only
few months before her second mar
riage, the modiste said she had been ad-i
step to protect her business.
Nine. de la PIante admitted that she
did not bring the present proceedings
until she had seen her former husband,
Mr.. de Ia Plante. Edward J. McCros-
sin, attorney for Nine. de la Plante,
again laid stress on the fact that dur
ing the absence of Mrs. Reid at Al
lantic City and the modiste was stay
ing at the Reid home, Nine. de Ia
g. Dnss
ferred to as a 100000 garment, re-
modelled for her.
Questioned by Mr.. Mooney as TO the
point he sought to make by introducing
the sable coat, Mr.. McCrossin said he
thought the fact that Mrs. Reid in
trusted the expensive coat to Nine. de
Ia Plante indicated the existence Of q
confidential relationship between the
two women. Justice McAvoy COM
trust articles of value when they need
ed alteration and added: "You might
have some social relation with some
person with whom you would not in
trust a coat"
Two Other Fur Coats
An accountant for the furrier from
whom the sable coat was purchased
said the alleged 100000 garment cost
Mr.. Reid $4,000. The same firm
charged to the account of Mr.. Reid two
coats purchased by Nine. de la Plante,
one mink costing $2.750 and $140 for
alterations. and an imitation beaver
costing $525.
1t is the contention Of Nine de la
Plante that she lived at the Reid apart
ment during the absence Of Mrs Reid
at Atlantic City at the express request
Of Mrs. Reid. This Mrs. Reid denied.
Testimony was given by witnesaes
for the modists TO show the friendly
relations that existed between the two
women prior to the bringing Of the d.
vorce action.