Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1921-07-14
ST|LLMAN'S COUNSEL
ADMITS |NF|DEl|TY
Testimony Regarded as Estab-
fishing Charges in Connec-
ton With Chorus Girl.

Poughkeepsie, y. Y. July 14.--James
A. Stillman, through his counsel, yes
terday in effect admitted marital inf
deity and asked that further testi-
-mony as TO his unfaithfulrsss toward
his wife be barred from the divorce
action.
Col. William Rand. Jr.. his counsel.
told Referee Gleason Mrs. ,Stillman
had proved her charges. At the same
time he maintained the legal right Of
his client TO continue his technical
denial. Col. Rand petition@d the
referee to decide further testimony
concerning Mr.. Stillmans extra-mar-
itaf associations with any woman or
women should be excluded. The re-
quest wac denied.
This new development is interpret
ed to be an abandonment by the
plaintiff of all hope to win his divorcg
action. All the efforts of the banker
and his lawyers is expected to be- con-
centrated hereafter upon substantial
tion of Mr.. Stillman's charge that
Guy Stillman is not his son. but the
child of Mrs. Stillman and the Cana
dian Indian guide with whom MIR.
Stillman charges his wife with undue
intimacy.
a flood OF testimony introduced by
the defense when il opered its case
here yesterday as 10 the relations be-
tween Mr.. Stillman and Mrs. Flor
ence f. Leeds and the knowledge
that Frank Murphy, former steward
on the Stillman yacht. Modesty. is
to appear TO tell of the parties given
: by the banker aboard the yacht
n ~
hands. Mr.. Stiilman was not present
but his counsers request revealed the
bankers anxiety 10 keep as closed
chapters many of the events of his
recent life.
John +. Mack. Guy Stillman's guar
dian. objected TO Col. Rands request
on the ground that every detail Of
evidence as TO the relations of Mr..
Stillman with Mrs. Leeds should be
permitted in evidence in order tc pro-
tect Guys interests if the case goes
10 higher courts.
Referee Gleason decided the defense
might continue with its testimony. in
asmuch as il is left to the discretion
uf the court" The defense will pro-
ceed in its presentation of evidence at
least for the present" he said.
Col. Rand's request came as a sud
den climax 10 yesterdays hearing.
Prior TO this time several witnesses
had appeared. among them Viola +
Hill. nurse in the household Of Mrs.
Leeds for week during October.
1918. at the Leeds home at No. 81
East S6th Street. Miss Hill identi-
fled a photograph Of Mr.. Stillman as
the man who went under the name Of
Franklin II. Leeds. and swore she had
seen him in a bedroom with Mrs
Leeds on two occa sions. and in the
morning observed him wandering
about the apartment partly dressed
further victory for Mrs. Stillma n
was seen in the referees decision 70
strike cut of the testimony the twenty
five or more pages of the testimony
OF DIR. Hugh l.. Russell, Buffalo osteo-
path, as to his converse tions with
Mrs. Stillman in regard 20 the pater-
ni.y Of Guy. DIR. Russell had testified
Mrs. Stillman told him Beauvais was
the father of her youngest son.
The only decision in which the bank
er might obtain any comfort was that
in which the referee ruled that Still
man was legally entitled t. testify as
20 the. receipt Of the social con
fession letter from his wife, in which
she is said to have told him Beauvais
was Guys father. The contents Of
the letter have never been admitted in
evidence.
Testimony of witnesses yesterday
outside that Of the nurse. Miss Hill
centred about the hank account opened
by Mr. Stiilman for Mrs Leeds and
an automobile license alleged TO have
been obtained by him on an applica-
ton made out in the name of Frank
lin II. Leeds.
Miss Hill identified Sullman's pho
tograph as that Of the man she had
known as Leeds. and told Of seeing
him in a bedroom with Mrs. Leeds
a month after the birth of Jay.
Patrick McQuaile of No. 514 West
lac street. who was an elevator man
in the apartment house on seth street
after the spring of 1919. testified Mr.
and Mrs. Leeds, whom he identified
by photographs as the chorus girl
and the banker. were a very affect
ionate couple. They appeared TO be
the parents OF the boy Jay he said
Most of the witnesses during the
course of yesterdays hearing were
PERMITTED to go without cross ex-
animation by counsel for MIR Still
man.
The manner in which Mr.. Stillnlan
kept Mrs. Leeds supplied with ready
money was revealed by Eugene Dut-
ton. cashier of the United States Mort
gage and Trust Company.
The banker early in December, 1915.
called the bank on the telephone and
asked that Dutton be sent TO his
office. The cashier went there and
conferred for some time with Mr.
StiIlman. The banker asked him to
open an account for Florence H.
Leeds in the bank, he testified. and
informed him that whenever the ac-
count grew low Mr.. Stillman would
make it good. At the time, Dutton
said, he wrote down Mrs. Leeds
came and her address. at that time
No. I3 East 65th street on a piece
Of paper This he produced in court