Evening star., 1924-12-12
ELY DENIES WIFE'S
ALLEGATIONS IN SUIT
Declares She Left Him of Own
Free Will and Files Depositicns
by Her Relatives.

John T. A. Ely, manager and treas
urer of the Washington School for
Secretaries, today in filing an answer
TO the suit for maintenance brought
against him in the District Supreme
Court last week by his wife. Ruth NJ
- ---cD Gc1ositions from his wife's
sister and brother-in-law condemn
ing her action as unjustitied and
wholly without cause.
He specifically denies all of his
wife's charges and states that he
made every effort to provide for heI
~"pport, even when she refused to
live with him. He says that she re-
ceived $3.50 a month while she was
living by her own choice at her sis
ter'S home in Belmont. Mass, from
March to November, 1924.
He asks that he be granted GUS
tody Of their child. declaring that his
wife is not competent to care for it.
This contention he also supports with
depositions from his wife's sister,
Edythe G. Kelley. and her brother
tn-law, Homer Kelley.
Ely declares that his wife wrote him
a letter a year ago telling him that she
would never return to him, and that she
had decided to permanently sever her
relations with him. He affirms that at
all times during their married life she
was well provided for.
He specifically denies his wife's charge
that she was forced to live in shack
while he lived here at the Montana
Apartments. He says that she lived for
some time during the Summer after
their marriage with some woman friends
in modern seven-room house on the
bank of the Potomac River. near the
1900 block on Conduit road. She in
sisted on staying there ''for her health, .
although he wished her to live with him,
he says.
Later, when the house was closed in
September, she came to live with him at
the Montana Apartments, he declares
Referring to her charge that he refused
TO introduce her as his wife, Ely states
that she went to school at the Washing
ton School for Secretaries and was
registered upon the books of the school
as his wife, and that she dined in the
dining room of the Montana Apartments
as his wife.
Ely declares that in three months
his wife spent $500. This, he says.
was more than his total income for
the period His wife asserted that .he
had an income of $3.50. Ely states
that his salary was 1925 per month.
with an additional income of s25,
making monthly total of $3.50. His
wife now asks 1921 a month main
tenance.
Ely states that as result of his
wife's "unwarranted and baSeless ac-
ton he has lost his position as man
ager and treasurer of the School for
Secretaries. He says that the board
of directors of the school, while ex-
pressing confidence in him and his in
regrity, has passed a resolution asking
FOR his resignation until the suit Is
disposed of. For this reason Ely
asked the court to make as hasty dis
position of the case as possible.
The resolution passed by the board
states that "the officers and directors
Of the company have full faith and
confidence in Mr.. Ely and the business
s.f his position" A copy of the reso-
luton has been posted on the schools
bulletin board.
z His wife's charge that she was
forced to live in a shack, Ely de-
clared today, was ridiculous. He de-
scribed the house where she stayed
mailing address 1899 Conduit road, as
provided with all conveniences
Screened-in sleeping porches, a draw
5hg room, electricity, gas and other
modern equipment.
{ Attorneys Henry Woodward, G. NJ
Mcdowell and L. b. Montfort repre-
aanf the husband