The New York herald., 1921-06-17
MAID UPSETS love
MISS|VE' EVIDENCE
in STILLMAN Case
Contradicts Testimony on
Which Letter Was Ad-
mitted Into Record.
BLOW FROM DEFENCE
Ex-Banker Balks at Curious
Gaze of Multitude June
%, Says Counsel.
WILL BE CALLED LATER
Witness Says She Saw Guide
Reading Poetry in Bedroom
of Plaintiffs Wife.
WILL BE CALLED LATER

Oh FldluCllI' WlIc.
Special Despatch to THE NEW YORK HnRALD.
PoUGHKEEpsIE. June 16.-Mrs. Anne
Urquhart Potter Stillman scored a VIC
tory at the divorce hearing here to-day
when the Identification Of exhibit B,
one Of the letters alleged to have been
written by Fred K. Beauvais, Indian
guide and correspondent. was upset
during the cross examination of Mary
Kelly, a former maid of Mrs. Stillman,
who was called by the former bankers
attorneys.
That and the announcement by Cor
nelius j. Sullivan, chief counsel for
James A. Stillman. that he would not
produce the banker on June 2S, as he
promised to do yesterday. were the
outstanding incidents of a day in
which both the banker and his wife
scored and suffered In turn.
Mr.. Sullivan gave as his reason for
refusing to produce Mr.. Stillman on
that date the fact that it had been
heralded in the morning newspapers.
The lawyer said he did not want to
have his client face the curious gaze
of the multitude and battery of
photographers" Mr.. Sullivan added
that he would put the banker on the
witness stand before Mrs. Stillman
starts her affirmative defence" but
that he would give but a weeks notice
of appearance.
Upsets Record of Identification.
Miss Kelly, who proved to be the star
witness of the day. formerly was maid
in the Stillman home at Pieasantville
and at the town house of the late James
Stillman, 8 East Seventy-second street
On cross-examination she contradictcd
testimony OF Bernard Kelly, former su-
perintendent of the Pleasantville estate.
that she showed to him Exhibit B" q
letter dated May 20. 1918. in November
of that year. The letter she showed to
Kelly the maid said. was dated Feb
ruary Ii. 1919.
1t was upon this Identification by
Kelly, who although of the same name
is not relative of the maid, that Daniel
J. Gleason, referee. admitted as evi-
dence on May last the alleged piece Of
correspondence between the Indian
guide and the former bankers wife.
why are you so positive 1t was the
February letter that you showed Ber-
nard Keliy?" the maid was asked by
John r. Mack. guardian for baby Guy
! Stlllman.
.Becauss in addition to the date I
remember IL contained a reference to
rolled oats and bacon" Miss Kelly re-
Piled
"wil you swear, that you never
| showed Bernard Kelly the letter known
as Exhibit b in the motion papersf"
"Yes"
| Pressed further the maid said the let
ter Kelly identified had been shown by
! her to a Miss oliver, nurse for Guy, and
| Alexander Stillman. The date OF that
| occurrence, she said, was in June, 1919.
Letters in Plain view.
Asked TO tell how she happened to see
the two letters, Miss Kelly said that
| the February one lay open a desk
i'm Mrs Stlllman's bedroom. and Exhibit
B" lay open on a bureau nearby. IL was
brought out in the examination that the
door of the bedroom was open and that
any one could have gone in and looked
at the letters.
In tho direct examination of Miss
Kelly Col. William Rand, Jr.. of counsel
for Stillnian. had the maid describe her
first visit to Pleasantvile She said when
she went TO the blue cottage after 1t had
been vacated by Mrs. Stlllman, Beauvais
and the Stillman children she found 1t
in state OF disorder.
Asked whether she ever had seen Mrs.
Stillman wear a wedding ring the maid
said she had not, but that Mrs Stillman
at times wore a small gold band on the
inside OF which she had discerned the
initials "F. b."
Mr.. Rand asked the maid II she had
seen any other inscriptions around the
house. and she told of having observed
two inside pair of moccasns that had
been presented to Baby Guy by Beauvais.
what we're those inscriptions?" the
lawyer asked. THE first of them was.
4 hope Guy will always be good to his
mother. and the other was, 4 hope Guy
some day will know his father she
answered.
Mr.. Mack brought out the point that
Miss Kelly had seen the handwriting
OF Beauvais only once. and that was six
months before she observed the inscrip-
tions in the moccasins. That was when
the guide handed her letter to mail
and she in turn gave II to a third person
to post. Miss Kelly said she glanced
at the address while the letter was in her
hands.