The Washington times., 1922-05-02
BEACH REvELS
SHATTERED HER.
HOME, SHE SAYS
Petting Parties at Nahant
Blamed by Boston Mother,
Asking $50, 1000.

BOSTON. May 2.--Is pretty Doro-
thy Smith Phillips, heiress to one OF
the oldest estates in Cambridge,
Mass, a home-wrecker, as alleged in
the $50 900 alienation suit brought
by Mrs. Alice T. Ratcliffe. OF Brook,
line?
All Cambridge ls rife with expec-
tations as TO the decision of the
twelve men who are soon to be called
to establish the answer TO this ques
ton brought by an aggrieved wife
and mother, in the East Cambridge
courts.
Midnight revels, petting parties,
extended out-of-town trips and wine
| suppers, where dainty debutantes
danced on table tops, and former
Cambridge mstron exhibited her
prowess at standing on her head on
table amid the enthusiastic
plaudits of room fun OF guests led
by her husband, are among the many
allegations in the remarkable $50, 900
alienation suit against pretty Doro-
thy Smith Phillips and others
brought by Mrs. Alice Ratcliffe, OF
Brookline.
Four defendants are named-Doro-
thy Smith. now Mrs. Ernest II. Phil
lips; her mother, Mrs. Alice f.. Smith,
and Fred Henderson and his wife,
Mrs. Grace ]. Henderson, sister 20
Mrs. Smith.
The plaintiff in her declaration al
leges that they did de.
prive her Of the comfort. society and
assistanc of James Walter Ratcliffe.
her husband, and did ALLEVIATE and
destroy his affection for her unlaw-
fully"
An Indignant Denial.
To those charges only an absolute
and indignant denial has been forth
coming from any of the defendants.
while the former Miss Smith denies
that she was ever alone with the
plaintiffs husband.
Mrs, Ratcliffe has volunteered TO
bare for th- first time the complete
story of her marital unhappiness.
Seated on a davenport in the parloT
OF the little home which she and her
mother have created for the baby
boy. Mrs. Ratcliffe began her
story.
I'VE were married in Vermont in
1916" she said, and stopped a mo-
ment. "oh, IL could only have con.
tinued that first year Indemnity. Mr..
Ratcliffe was the kindest and most
thoughtful OF lovers.
He Met Dotty Smith"
Mrs. Rstcliffe rested a minItc and
took a sip of medicine brought in by
her mother.
When did your husband first
meet Miss SMITH" asked the re.
porter.
1T was the summer Junior was
born. had been I'll several weeks,
and ii was the middle OF July. 1917,
that they were first able to move me
to our summer cottage at Ocean
street, Nahant, and there my cup Of
misery began to run over.
''It was there that he met Dotty
Smith, and in order TO tag around
with her he spent $500 at a Bos.
ton tailor shop for fancy clothes,
while my doctor was writing for a
settlement. AS grew stronger,
and could sit up in my bed which
had been moved to the window of
my front room. where l could look
out onto the beach, L could see my
husband digging in the sand and
walking the beach. always in the
NOHipdlly Ol MISE STI1ltns
Until early In the morning on
moonlight nights I watched them
stroll up and down the sands
clad only in one-piece bathing
suits, they would loll around all
day, changing only for dinner, and
then would change back again to
go bathing around midnight IL the
tide was right. Once the chauf.
feur of the Smiths car brought me
a pair of field glasses that 1 might
watch my husbands actions.
When we got back TO Boston in
the fall, the Hendersons found us a
place near them on Brown street,
but my husband rarely entered II.
/ had no money and yet they told
me at the office that my husband
was earning about s125 a week.
The baby had no milk and l had
nothing to get any with. was
growing weaker daily, in need OF
medical care, and finally one day
when could stand II no longer,
the child crying for nourishment,
1 dressed and crawled out in a snow
storm in search OF his father. Just
as reached the corner OF the street,
l saw Jim's car go by with a crowd
in it.
1T stopped In front OF Henderson,
place and I hid in a doorway and
saw Mr.. Rstcliffe get out followed
by Mr.. and Mrs. Henderson and
another party. I waited until 1 was
sure they would be well in the
house and then followed. refused
to answer through the tube, but
pressed on to the very door OF their
suite. There l rang the bell and
their maid answered.
"She had washed dishes for me at
Nahant one time when l had lost my
maid and she pitied me. She
winked at me when 1 asked II Mrs.
Henderson was home. She let me
In. Mrs. Henderson came out into
the hall. Her hair was hanging
down her hack