San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1923-09-13
Judge Townsend Dismisses
Case After Damaging
Testimony by Mildred
Buckley-Lawyer Barred
From Court-Cruelty and
Drunkenness Charged.

Sensational testimony and startling
incidents followed each other in rapid
succession during the trial of the ji-
yorce case Of Jones VS.. Jones at the
morning session of Judge Lemuel
Townsend's court here yesterday. and
before court adjourned for the noon
recess idle curiosity-seekers who had
filled the court room 10 hear the evil
dence in the case that has attracted
unusual interest in San Antonio and
throughout the country, experienced
the deep emotional thrill that only sin
cere sympathy for suffering human
being can arouse.
Suit for divorce was filed by Mrs.
Jones against her husband, and service
BY publication duly perfected. cour.
proceedings revealed. III defendant,
Bill Jones. was unaware of the fact
Tint his wife had sued him for divorce,
but he knew that the case of the Gold
en- Gate Land Company against his
friend, John Marvin. had been set for
trial in Judge Townsends court. He
arrived TO find his friends case post
poneG till afternoon and his own case
placed in its stead.
He listened in bewilderment to the
reading of MS wife's petition, wherein
she set up failure to support, alleged
cruelty and drunkenness as tn. grounds
fof.sdiyorce. He had no idea of put
ting up defense;' but John Marvin
cahe to his assistance and announced
to -the court that he was the old G.
Az R. soldiers attorney and was ready
to try the case.
A Crafty Lawyer.
The testimony of Mildred Buckley
for the plaintiff made out a strong
case against the defendant; but the
usually crafty lawyer for Mrs. Jones.
Raymond Thomas, made orc false
step. He called TO the witness stand
Everett Hammond, Inscriptions man.
ager of the Golden Gate Land Com
pany. Under clever cross-examination
BY the young attorney for the defend
ant, Hammond unwittingly laid bare
10 the court the conspiracy Of him
self and Lawyer Thomas which had
resulted in the filing of Mrs. Jones
petition for divorce.
All the advantage gained by the
cross-examination of Hammond SEEM
ed lost to Defen!art Jones when the
court ordered the court reporter to
strike out Of the record questions asked
by him and the answers of Hammond
upon discovering that young Marvin
had not been admitted to the bar. Bot
Bill Jones undertook his own defense
under the promptings Cf his friend,
and soon had secured the reinstate-
ment Of all questions and answers.
Then the old man turned. and spec
tators witnessed the most dramatic
scene that has ever occurred in a San
Antonio court room as he proceeded
TO testify in his wife's behalf. Mrs
Jones had he- eyes opened by wha
she had seen and heard. She rushed
up TO the judge and appealed to him
"Oh, judge, Please don't give me
divorce if You can help it, she
pleaded.
Didn't Want Water.
Then she turned to her husband and
asked him to forgive her. And Light.
min Bill Jones suppressed his own
emotions and gave her a reply By ask
ing most irrelevant question.
"Did you get that's six dollars sent
your" he asked.
Realistic acting on the part Of every
player in the court scene in Light
min" now playing at the Majestic,
made IL easy for the reporter playing
the part Of a super back of the wit
ness chair on the stage to fancy that
he was in real court room, listening
to the trial Of one Of the many di.
vorce cases that occupy so much Of
the time OF the courts. But more
than once that same deeply interested
super found it necessary to break an
iron-clsd rule OF court by laughing at