The New York herald., 1921-05-13
HIDE AND SEEK PLAY
MAY SAVE 100000
Referee Recommends Judg-
ment in Alienation Suit for
That Sum Be Set Aside.
SUMMONS NEVER SERVED
Report Made in Case Of Former
Wife Of III. lie Grand Wilson
Against Present Wife.

A successful game OF hide and seek
played in the Waldorf in July. 1919. In
which escape was made finally by means
of a service elevator, may save 100000
for Mrs. Bertha Lobit Wilson. present
wife Of Hunter LeGrand Wilson. insur-
ance broker of Houston. Tex. report
made yesterday to the Supreme Court
by Philip ]. Sinnott, referee, RECON-
mends that a Judgment for that sum
obtained against her by Mr.. Wilson'S
first wife. who was Miss Laura Cave.
daughter OF a Dallas. Tex. railroad
builder. be set aside. The first wife
had sued her for alternating her hus-
bands affections and won the judgment
by default. but according to the ref
eree's findings no papers were served
on the present Mrs. Wilson, due to her
agility at dodging process servers. so
she had no legal opportunity to enter a
defence.
The testimony before the referee
showed that Paul Pringie, an operative
for the Burns Detective Agency. was in
the writing room OF the Waldorf July 8.
1919. in company with another operative
named Rausch, when ne saw Mr.. Wilson
talking to a woman later identified as
his present wife. The first wife was
notified and obtained a room on the
same floor Of the hotel as the one occu-
pied by Mr. and Mrs. Wilson. who were
In town on visit
The next day the detectives followed
Mr.. Wilson to a nearby restaurant, and
there served on him a summons In an
40 +, 10 vrff hod efo ri cd
recover $4,000 she alleges she had lent
him. They said they returned to the
hotel, knocked on the room occupied
! by the Wilson's. and through crack in
the door got momentary view of a
woman in blue ltimono. who said she
was Mrs. Wilson. They said they slipped
the summons in the alienation action
in the crack Of the door and left, not
seeing whether 1t was picked UP or not
The defendant testified she first knew
OF the action against her when she read
of the judgment award in the news
papers. She said that Waldorf house
detectives advised her two men were
trying to serve her and suggested that
she neither answer the telephone nor
open the door at any time, This she
adhered to. she said. and was so care
full that when all her meals were
brought to the room she retired TO the
bathroom SO tnaI even tne NdlteT WOhid
not see her. She and her husband left
the hotel next day, going down ser
vice elevator In company with a house
detective. and escaped In a taxicab to
the Hudson tube to New Jersey.
Supporting her contention that she
never was served with the summons, one
of the MOTEL detectives testified the pri-
vate operative told him next day that
he was still trying to serve" Mrs. VIII
son, and other evidence was introduced
to the effect that the operative still fol-
lowed the Wilson's vainly as they moved
about in New Jersey for two weeks be-
fore going south.
The railroad builders daughter was
married to Wilson In 1910 and lived
with him until 1916, when they sepa-
rated. Subsequently, Mrs. Wilson
learned, he obtained secret divorce In
Texas and married Miss Lobit of Gal.
weston. She in turn brought an action
for divorce in Texas. still pending, nam
ing the second wife as correspondent
| The first Mrs Wilson Is the proprietor
of the Southern Tearoom. at 270 Mad
ison avenue. where she Is living, while
her former husband and the present Mrs
Wilson, who sought to have the judg'
ment vacated. live in Houston.