The Washington times., 1922-08-04
FOR
DIVORCE IS
bECU n IN.
ALT|NNDRE
Former Ada German Shocked
Society by Marrying Naval
Deserter in 1908.

Ada German Magness, daugh-
ter of the late Senator Arthur
Pue German, for years the Demo-
cratic boss Of Maryland, and her
husband, Charles J. Magness,
seventeen years her junior, are
again in the limelight after four
teen years of grateful obscurity
from the universal gaze Of a
romance-loving public. 81
She Asks Divorce.
Mrs. Magness appeared yesterday
In the circuit court Of Baltimore to
file bill for absolute divorce against
the man to marry whom, in 1908,
she defied everyone in her social
world. sharing with him the weight
Of his odium as a deserter from the
United States navy. a..
The years have dealt as iunkindly
with the hot-spirited affair Of this
seemingly Unmatched man and
woman. an affair which had les In
ception in the Capital, as with the
instigator of the suit. Mrs. Magness
now is fifty-two years old, and time
has marked her face and grayed her
hair. She is very different from the
strikingly handsome woman who, in
1908, fell in love with the young
man who was cornetist in the Yer
mont Avenue Christian Church here.
How love was slain Is shown by
the nature Of the bill Of divorce. 1t
Is drawn on statutory grounds, and
Augusta Crow, OF Baltimore, 10
named. 1t sets forth that the couple
were married at Louisville, KY, Sep
tember Is, 1908, and that since that
time they lived in Baltimore county
and elsewhere until October is, 1921,
when they separated. D..
1t is not the first time that Magness'
ardent nature has served to throw
shadow over his marriage. Shortly
after he contracted for himself the
very much worthwhile match with
the wealthy and socially notable Miss
German, he was accused by Miss
Georgeanna Happier, Baltimore
seamstress, of having Tilted her, after
promise to marry her on Septem.
Der %. 1908, just seven days after
he became united with his present
wife. -... - W.. -
The private letter didn't figue SO
much in the public press in those
days as now, but the missives Of
Magness to the infatuated Miss Kap-
pier did lot to popularize this jour
nalistic phenomenon.
Posted as Deserter.
Much more interesting than what
Is happening between Mr.. and Mrs.
Magness at present is what happened
to them in the past, when he was
deserter from the navy, she the
daughter of a powerful political chief.
tain and an old Maryland family.
Theodore Roosevelt was the Presi.
dent who wouldn't yield to pleas
for remission of sentence to Blue
jacket Magness, and none other than
Truman II. Newberry, now Senator
from Michigan, was the acting Sec.
retary of the Navy who passed upon
the case.
Charles Joseph Magness enlisted in
the navy in January, 1907. under the
name of J. C. Hartlove and was as
signed to the steamship Dolphin. Ap.
parently he had met Miss German
two years before, when he was exer.
cising his marked talent for music
as a church cornetist, and when the
woman, then thirty-six years of age.
was a resident Of Washington and
an attendant at the Vermont avenue
house of worship.
Magness jumped ship July s, 1908
at least that was the date when ne
was posted as a deserter, though he
had obtained leave June Is. The
Navy Department learned Miss Cor.
man could tell them more than any.
one else as to Magness' or Hart.
loves whereabouts, but she remain.
ed mute.
On September 13, a Washington
paper carried the account Of the
Continued on Page 2, Column 2)