Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1922-03-15
W|FE'S SIDE IN La WRiNCE CROSS
LIBEL DIVORCE CASE HEARD

Testimony was continued through
out the Tuesday forenoon session Of
the supreme judicial court in the
cross-libel divorce suit between Perley
NJ. Lawrence and Agnes B. Lawrence,
both Of Augusta. which is being heard
before Chief Justice Leslie G. Cornish.
good number Of the witnesses in the
suit brought by Mrs. Lawrence gave
their evidence in the morning. Other
| business Of the court occupied the aft
ernoon session, and the case will be re
sumcd this morning at $40.
1t appeared that there was stand
| Ing room only when the case was taken
up again yesterday morning. Chief
Justice Cornish ordered thar no one
be allowed to stand around the en-
frances in the courtroom ana that a
deputy sheriff be stationed at each
door to allow no further persons to be
admitted. as every seat in the room
was occupied.
! Mrs. Lawrence resumed her testi-
mony at the opening of yesterdays
session Of the court, being cross -ex-
amined by Attorney Pattangall. She
told of a trip she AMI Mr.. Lawrence
had made to Watervil1e about August
"a, 1920. when she had passed the
| night crying by the window of their
! room at Hotel Elmwood. During the
next year she and Mr.. lawrence made
several trips away. Regarding the
trip to Jackman in Nov, 1921 when
Mr.. Lawrence had gone there hunt
ing, she testified that she did not care
to go at all. Mr.. Lawrence used no
force to get her to go, but told her
that she must go.
| Regarding the makeup Of the
company. was it agreeable or dis
agreeable to you?" asked Attorney
Pattangall.
Il don't know how to answer that
question" Mrs. Lawrence replied.
Between August "a and the time
they separated, she and Mr.. Law
renee We're in the habit of calling on
friends in the city. To all outward
appearances everything went on we'll,
she asserted.
On their trip to Jackman she has
received no letters from anyone. She
had taken some correspondence there
|
tined concerning a certain letter, a
part of which was written in French.
She had received it before. She wen,
into the lobby of the hotel, the Moose
River House. and asked If there was
anyone there who could translate
French. Two men volunteered and
the letter was shown to her. Tic
French translated was II miss YOU
very much" The letter was from a
woman. She did not tell Mrs. Boyden
from whom it was, Mrs Lawrence
declared. also stating that Mrs. Boy
den's testimony that she (Mrs. Law
rence) had said Hes a peach" was
not true.
On the matter of the children's
clothing, Mrs. Lawrence testified that
there was winter Undertaking in the
house. but they did not put them on
Up to December 16 there was no
change of the children's clothing. She
knew that Mr.. Lawrence went to
Adams store and bought an assort-
ment of winter Undertaking.
She was questioned about a time
when she and Mr.. Lawrence had de-
stroyed considerable correspondence
from woman at Brooks. The letter
she had put in evidence she had
found in Mr.. Lawrence's pocket. She
said she kept the letter along with a
lot of other letters and preserved il
with letters from Mr.. Lawrence. The
post card which Attorney Beane had
showed to Mr.. Lawrence, she got at
the house in 1914.
How did you happen to keep 1t
eight years?" was the question Of At
torney Pattangall.
| II kept it along with the other
things" she replied.
| Mrs. Lawrence was asked if she
knew the handwriting on the post
card and she said 1t was that of
Mr.. Longfellow." She testified that
She knew OF Mr.. Lawrence and Mr..
Longfellow having a long conversa-
ton. She and Mr.. Longfellow were
friendly, she said. but she did not
/ tell Mr.. Lawrence that she could not
live without the man.
| Mr.. Lawrence on several occa sions
said he did not care anything about
me-" said Mrs. Lawrence, land that
our marriage was simply a business
proposition"
1--WE sat down and cried together a
good many times when we thought
over our troubles. I went to Water
vile with him on one occasion. He
was there on business and all the time
I was there I sat in one of the hotel
rooms and cried.
"Up to the 18th Of December, last
Mrs. Boyden and I were friends" she
stated.
| 1t had been Mr.. Lawrence's custom
to bring his friends to the house, Mrs.
Lawrence asserted on redirect exam
ination. They would not always be
congenial.
what has been your attitude?"
questioned Attorney Beane.
Il did the best could under the
circumstances" she responded.
In regard to her calls at the Office
OF DR.. Kagan, she said Mrs. Kagan
had been present several times. While
she was at the Office that day some
one else came in; she lid not know
| who it was.
did Mr.. Lawrence ever suggest
you should break OF friendship with
DR.. and Mrs. Kagan?" asked the At
torney.
"Never." replied Mrs. Lawrence. 4
Concerning the smoking and drink
ing at the house. Mrs. Lawrence said
| it was no different witt DR.. and Mrs.
Kagan than with Mr.. LAwrence's