New-York tribune., 1921-09-29
Cochran Takes
Furniture Out
OF Wife's Home
Sheriff Removes $25, 900
Worth of Art and Furnish
ings to Storage Warehouse
Under Replevin Action
Singers Guard on Duty
Action Against Nine. Walska
Regarded as First Step in
Predicted Legal Battle

Alexander Smith Cochran, million
aire carpet manufacturer and yachts
man, took the initiative yesterday in
the legal tussle with Mrs. Gamma
Walska Cochran, Polish prima donna,
who became his bride year ago in
Paris. This first. move on the part of
Mr.. Cochran was to place in the hands
of Sheriff Knott n replevin for furni
ture and other house furnishings and
which were In the home of Nine.
Walska, as she is generally known. in
Nnety-fourth Street, near Park Ave
nue..
The action, it is believed, merely is
forerunner of other proceedings that
will be filed in the near future, in
which will be involved the validity of
the marriage of the singer and her
wealthy husband.
Two Previous Marriages
Nine. Walska was married twice be-
fore her romantic wedding to Mr..
Cochran, and the house in which the
articles were that we're seized yester-
day by the Sheriff was said to have
been a gift to her from her second hus
band, the late DR.. Joseph Fraenkel, a
New York physician.
Mr.. Cochran is living at 81 West
Fifty-eighth Street. His wife is in Eu-
rope. The house Of Nine. Walska, in
East Ninety-fourth Street, was not
filled with furniture when Deputy
Sheriff Rooney arrived there yesterday
for the reason, it was said, that she
had taken abroad her own belongings,
which might be accepted as an indica
tion that she did not intend to return.
According to Mr.. Cochran, the articles
in the house are his purchase, and to
liability in their seizure, he filed a
bond of S50,000, twice the alleged value
of his furniture and other contents of
the house.
Mr. Cochran said that Nine. Walska,
also claims ownership and that she
refused to turn over to him the articles
he claimed, nor would she consent to
permit an agent of her husband to take
them away. The only quick relief left
ceeding.
Detective Guards House
Armed with the writ and accompanied
by van from storage warehouse,
Deputy Sheriff Rooney, started on the
mission of executing the paper. At
the house Rooney met a man who said
he was private detective named Hen
messy and who added that he was in
charge of the house and all it con-
tanned. The Deputy Sheriff, however.
insisted that authority of the Sheriff
be recognized.
Hennessy asked for time to talk on
the wire with the Office of Dudley
Field Malone, who is attorney for Nine.
Walska. Returning from the tee-
phone, the detective announced that
he guessed the Sheriff's representative
could go ahead with the work of dis
mantling.
Then began the loading of the truck.
Much Of the furniture was of antique
design, one such article being bed.
There were several Chinese and Chip
pendale pieces. One piece of replev-
ined furniture was an antique oblong
table, valued at $4,000 and an art OBJ
ject was a rrcen Chinese vase, on which
was place. q value of $1,000 Among
other articles were four vases and
lamps and two water colors.
When the van had been loaded an
other private detective appeared and
followed the vehicle to the storage
warehouse, where the Cochran belong
ings were placed in the name of the
Sheriff