Evening star., 1921-11-29
GRAHAM IEST|F|ES
IN ALIENATION SUIT
Lawyer Ershler Apologized to
Lambert at Opening Of
Hlnnes Case Today.

nillien-doliar alienation suit of Lieut..
! Lorimer C. Graham against A. l.
Hunnes. a wealthy lawyer Of New
York. yesterday afternoon apoleEized
today before Justice Stafford in Cir
cult Division l. Mr.. Lambert accepted
the apology. and Justice Stafford de-
clared he was convinced Lawyer
Ersirler did not entertain the senti-
ments expressed and so permitted
him to continue at the trial table.
Mr. Ershler is associated with
former Justice Wright as counsel for
Lieut.. Graham, and when the court
had adjourned for recess yeste rday
approached 9I Lambert and, refer
ring to the excoriating remarks OF
the latter about Lieut.. Graham. said:
Lambert, If yeu said those things
about me. 1 would cut your heart
out"
when i, court reconvened. Justice
stafford $, heard testimony concerning Ssi.ing
the inciderR and reserved his decision
until today.
Mrs. Humes In Court.
Mrs. Elsa ,Portner Graham-Humes
made her first appearance at the
trial today. She sat between her hus-
band and Attorney NJ. E. Hardy of
the New York bar, who with Attor-
Eneys Lambert and r. H. featman. is
Idefeading Mr.. Hume- She paid close
attention to the proceedings. especial
Iy to the testimony given by her for
mer husband. who was called to- the
witness stand. She smiled when one
of her letters to Graham was read in
which she had addressed him as
Dearest Pie-face."
Lieut.. Graham gave his age as thir-
t.-flve years. and said he Is dishurs-
ing officer of the battleship Florida.
He is n native Of Washington, and
met Miss Elsa Portner at a house
party in the Manassas home of the
PertneFs in the fail OF 1910. They
became engaged three or four months
Later. Their presence iii Baltimore at
the time OF their marriage was ac-
-cidentaL the witness said. Tney had
taken q train at Annapolis inte ndng
To come to Washington. but by mis-
take boarded Baitinere train.
Farther GrahAnA TsstfmoAy.
At luncheon he suggested they get
married. and upon her acquieseing
they secured q license and were mar
ried at the Cathedral by Rev. r. C..
Gaean. now pastor of the Shrine of
the Sacred Heart. here. After short
honeymoon at Atlantic City they re-
turned to Washington and lived to-
gether until he enlisted In the Navy,
in August, 1917.
Speaking of his wife's stay at
Spring Lake, n. j., in the summer of
1918. where he visited on his fort
nightly leaves, Lieut.. Graham said he
was going down the road with his
elder daughter when a man passed. to
whom the child waved her hand. He
chided the little one fos saluting a
stranger. when the child responded:
why. know that man; he is about
the house all the time.-
Thus he learned. he said that Mr..
Huines was paying attention to Mrs.
Graham in his absence. He apbraided
his wife for the visits Of Humes. he
said. but got no satisfaction from her.
Saw Wife mt Reno.
The next time he saw his wife was
he had gone on receipt of note from
his wife handed to him by Mr.. Hardy.
In the note she advised him that she
had left Washington to go to Nevada
Witness said the news contained in
the note SO upset him that he broke
down and cried - t-
tie consulted Henry d. Flood, rep
resentative in Congress from viz
ginia. whose wife is a sister Of Mrs
Hunes. who told him that his wife
the west and appeared undetermined.
Dir. Flood advised him to go TO
Nevada, witness said. and declared
that he had word from Mrs. Graham
that his coming would be agreeable.
The witness was here withdrawn
manager of the Western Unions local
office, to identify a telegram frem
Hardy TO Mrs. Flood. advising a visit
of Lieut.. Graham to Reno and ar
ranging details.
Claims Immunity Promised.
When Lieut.. Gfahasa resumed the
witness stand he told the jury that he
, had received the assurance of Repre-
sentative Flood that no papers would
be served on him during his visit to
his wife at Reno. In the face of this,
he said. after he had called on his
wife he was served by the sheriff with
the papers in the divorce proceeding.
Attorney NJ. Z. Hardy of New York
of counsel for Mr.. Humes conducted
the eross-exAmtnation Of the plaintiff
He forced Lieut.. Graham to admit that
be was practically without funds when
be married Miss Portner and that they
lived on the income from her share in
her fathers estate. Referring to the
prOffer Of the pIaiatiR's services to
his country in 1917. Mr.. Hardy asked
the witness II IL were not true that he
on his application for the Navy Pay
Corps after the draft terms had been
announced.
The witness admitted that in point
of time 1t was true, but disclaimsd
that his anxiety grew out of fear OF
the draft.
Witness declared that while sta
| toned at Norfolk. Va. he was intro
duced to Mrs Mary Glennan by heI
husband, Michael Giennan, q Norfolk
banker, who has fled suit against
Graham in the District Supreme Court
, for S590.0e8 damages for alleged ALI
enation of the affections of Mrs. Glen
nan. Earlier in his testimony Graham
had admitted that Mrs. GlennSn had
visited his wife prior to his enlist
ment and had spent a week with her
The cross-examination ion was in prog
ress when this report closed.