Indiana daily times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1914-1922, 1920-02-12
AGED BANKER
MUST PAY FOR
HEART AFFAIR
Irish Rose Wanted S5C0,00O,
but Is Happy at Verdict
Has Another 100000 Suit.
ACCUSES WILLIAM GRAY


Amy o'Connor, "The Irish Rose" $4,000
for toying with her heart.
Miss O'COnnor was awarded that sum
by the verdict Of jury before Judge A
B. Anderson in federal court this morn
ing.
The Irish Rose" sued the gray-haired
millionaire for S5OO,OO0 The trial was
one of the most sensational of its nature
in the annals of Indiana courts.
A monotonous quiet pervaded the
courtroom as Judge Anderson took the
bench and asked the jury If a verdict
had been reached.
The verdict. which had been sealed
since 0:25 o'clock last night, was
handed Noble C. Butler, clerk Of the
court He read:
we, the jury, find for the plaintiff
judgment in the sum Of $4,000"
TENSE SCENES
IN COURT ROOM.
The verdict was signed by J. 7.
Stewart, who had been named foreman,
after the jury had retired at $50 o'clock
yesterday afternoon for deliberation
1t was a tense moment for Miss O'Con-
nor. The pretty pink bushes on her
cheeks which won for her the sobriquet
Of 9TH eIrish Rose" in Gray's love let
ters, faded. 4 deep palor took their
place. She stared blandIy as Mr.. Taylor
began to open the envelope which con-
talned the verdict.
As the words, Judgment for $4,000
fell from the lips Of the clerk Miss O'Con-
Tor containued to stare for a moment
Presently her right hand, which she
rested against her dainty chin, from the
table relaxed. She stirred nervously and
peered at her counsel.
As Eph Inman, her leading attorney,
n .
Still pale she hurried out of the court
room with her sister Gladys. She did
not answer questions put to her by in
terviewers.
GRAY SMILES,
SHAKES HANDS.
Gray arose smiling. A number Of
friends were at his side in a moment.
They shook his hand vigorously.
AS he left the courtroom he said
something about the verdict being ri
dlculous." Asked if he planned to ap-
peal he said he did not know what his
attorneys would do.
Albert Baker, senior counsel for the
aged millionaire, said 1t was too early
to say If there would be an appeal
In her attorneys office later Miss
o'Connor said she was pleased with the
verdict
The Irish Rose" has a suit for
100000 damages pending against VII
liam Gray, brother of Allen Gray, for
alleged alienation Of affections. She
claims William Gray was responsible for
Allen dropping his relations with her
shortly before Christmas, 1917.
VERDICT PAvEs
WAY FOR SUIT.
Upon the verdict for $4,000 Miss
o'Connor's attorneys claim they have
paved the way for a clear case against
William Gray. The date for this trial
has not been set.
1.-The Irish Rose claims William Gray
was in Allen Gray's apartments in New
York when her sister Gladys went to
the latter with q plea that he help Amy,
who claims she was then dangerously
i'll from the afterefects Of an operation.
it is charged that William stepped into
the affair with her aged iance at that
time
The romance which led to the S5OO.OO0
breach of promise suit started in London
in 1911. 1t led to France. Belgium and
finally to the United States in 1914.
Miss OConnor was in Ostend, Belgium.
in August, 1914, with Gray when the
war broke out. She fed back to Lon
don as Gray remained there to make
arrangements to ship his expensive auto.
mobile.
CLAIMS ENGAGEMENT
TO NOBLENIAN.
Miss o'Connossaid that prior to Gray's
promise to marry her In London sha
was engaged to Dennis Cogan. Irish
representative in the British parliament
She quit Cogan, she said, when GRAY
wooed and won her heart.
Gray denied that he appeared at Miss
O'C0nnor's home in London on the night
of Sept II, the day before he sailed back
to America in 1914, and pledged his love
and promised to marry the pretty Irish
girl. In his testimony he pictured Miss
O'Connor as girl who had played with
the heart strings of many men and had
led questionable life.
Miss O'Connor testified that she CANA
to America late in 1914 at the solicita!
tions Of Gray, who said he would marry
her when she got here.
It was few days after her arrival.
she claims, that Gray took her to an
apartment at 1900 Broadway, New York
City, and there accomplished her seduc-
tion.
Pleasure seeking events then took Miss
OConnor to various parts Of the United
States where she Joined Gray, the evi.
dence showed.
OPERATION OFTEN
REFERRED TO.
In the fall of 1917. after returning
from California and later Saratoga, n.
Y, where she was with the aged banker
Miss O'Connor told the court she sub
mitted to an Illegal operation. This
operation, she claimed, permanently i'm
paired her physically. This was one of
The events in the association between tIs,.
young woman and Gray which was given
much attention by the prosecution
The evidence showed that in May, 1917,
prior to the operation, Gray had mado
settlement" with Miss O'Connor for
$1,000. The defendant produced g check
and a receipt which showed that this
settlement had been effected.
Miss 0'Connor admitted she signed thG
agreement, but testified that the paper
which Gray offered in court was =
forgery.
In his testimony Gray asserted t12t
during his association with Miss O'Con {
nor he had given her from $4,000 70
$4,000. Miss O'Connor claims his gifts
totaled about $4,000.
YOUNG WOMAN
BORN IN DUBLIN.
Miss o'connor was born in Dublin,