The Washington times., 1922-11-27
CLASH IN COURT
On Ns500,0OO
L0vE.sU|T
lawyers Talk Fight Over
Methods Brother Witness
for Mrs. Humss.,

Methods Brother Witness
| for Mrs. Humes.l
| A few minutes before the noon re
cess the proceedings In Circuit Court
No. /. with Justice Hitx presiding
at the trial OF the $500. 900 alienation
suit Of Lieut.. Lorimer c. Graham,
u. 3. N, against Augustus l.. Hume.
/ lawyer OF New York, were enlivened
by bitter charges AMI counter
charges between Attorneys Daniel
Thew Wright. representing Graham.
and Attorney Wilton J. Lambert.
4 appearing for Hume. The clashes
! grew out Of an attempt Of Attorney
/ Wright 10 Introduce a telegram sent
by Mrs. Henry Flood, sister OF Mrs.
Hume. to her sister. the then Mrs.
Graham. who was at the time In
Reno to get a divorce from Graham:
Earlier In the trial Attorney
Wright made some reference TO
common police court tactics" being
brought into this trial by attorneys
for the defense and Attorney Lam
J bert. jumping 70 his feet, charac.
! terized some Of the methods OF AT
torney Wright as smacking OF the
same practices. Attorney Wright.
reeling around, faced Attorney Lam.
bert and said: "You wouldn't dare
say that to me outside" And At
torney Lambert shot back: You
couldn't be found on the outside II
] were looking for you"
| II was through q reporter OF The
| Washington Times that the Portner
family received the news Of the mar
riage OF Elsa Portner to Lieut..
| Lorimer G. Graham, according to
Oscar @. Portner, brother Of the
new Mrs. Humes, who testified at
the morning session. !.
Testifying az to his knowledge Of
the marriage Of his sister to Gra-
h1m. Mr.. Porter said today that he
happened TO come home one night
to dinner and that his other sister
and Mrs. Graham were present.
That was a. their New Hampshire
avenue home.
.Eisa was there" said the wit.
ness. Suddenly the phone rang:
| I answered II. II was q reporter OF
The Washington Times"
The conversation between witness
and reporter was ruled out by the
court.
what did you do after the con-
versation3"
"I told the reporter 1t was not
CO." =.
Found Sister in Tears
l. Portner said he went back into
the room after the conversation and
found his sister Elsa lying on n bed
In the back room '.and my other
sister was trying to comfort her;
she was crying and. told me she was
married" She said ''she wanted her
marriage annulied right away"
Witness said he did not know
sister Elsa told witness that she had
| called up her sister Anna, who had
also advised her to have the mar.
riage annulled and later called up
Eta, Mrs. Meredith. another sister.
who said "she did not want any
scandal In the family and to keep
the thing going and live with her
Mr.. Portner said he first saw
Graham the second day after he
I, married his sister. Mr.. Portner
| testified that he saw q lot Of Mr..
and Mrs. Graham when they lived
| at the Wyoming apartment In 1913.
where Oscar Portner also had an
apartment"
what did you observe with ref.
erence to their relationship during
that timer" -
Noticed No Affection.
st never noticed any particular
affection in any shape" said Mr..
Portnerj 81 often remarked on H."
The court ruled out the last remark.
Witness related an incident at
| which his wife playfully attempted
| to sit in his lap while they were
In the Graham apartment.
my wife just playfully sat ON
my lap" saA Mr.. Portner. "and
Mrs. Graham attempted to do the
same to Mr.. Graham. but he
| pushed her away"
Graham "did not seem to care
| very much for Valerie. their one
year.old chld," according 70 wit.
ness, who said Graham did mot
want the child near him or around
| him" ~
.He would often push her Off his
lap" continued Mr.. Portner, SAY
ing don't runnple my Clothes
The child was very small, could
l just huout Walk AT thdt tiIie. II
! made Mrs. Graham feel very badly
that Lorimer tMr. Graham) did not
| care for the child"
Asked as to his knowledge OF
J 0raham's attitude towards his wife
| regarding money matters, Mr.. Port
ner said: "He (Grahain) very often
! scolded her for spending too much
| money; said she spent too much
money on her clothes; and he often
thought the servants were getting
too much; that they were wasting
money. buying cooking utensils and
| SUCH"
Testifyfng as to an operation on
Mrs. Graham In December, 1918,
! ct the Wyoming apartment. Mr..
Portner said that he was present
| at the time but that Graham was
not there; that the, latter was mt
' the same time having an operation
4 for appendicitis.
In a conversation with Oscar Port
ner about the operation. Graham
showed him a newspaper article say
ing that Preston Gibson had been