New Britain herald., 1925-11-23
''Mystery Notes." Each
About 500 Words
Long, Deal In Sensa-
tional Way With Epi-
sodes AT Hotel Marie
Antoinette.
Plaintiff Admits He Was
Trying to Lead Alice on
and Tempt Her, But Pro-
tests That He Loved Her
Just the Same.
TRIAL PRINCIPALS
VIEW GIRLS SKIN

White Plains, N. Y, Nov, % tP
The two mystery" letters whose
introduction in the Rhinelander
annulment trial caused two ad
journments and rumors that the
case would be settled out of court
to keep them from being made pub
lie, We're placed on the record this
morning,
Women Leave Room.
They We're read before a court
room that had been emptied of all
but two women, the latter being
newspapcrwomen permitted to re-
main by the court. Both the letters
were written from the Cliff Hotel
in San Francisco in 1922 and were
concerned with the pre-marital re-
lations of Alice Beatrice Jones,
daughter of a Negro hack driver,
and Leonard Kip Rhinelander, veal
thy young society man, who is seek
ing annulmcnt of their marriage.
Letters of Mystery.
The letters have been the center
Of the great mystery in the case, be-
ginning last week when Isaac \.
Mills, counsel for young Rhine
lander asked for a recess of several
days to give him an opportunity to
investigate them. They have been
regarded as trump cards by Lee
Parsons Davis, counsel for the de.
fendant.
Written by Leonard they were
held by the defense to offset the
effect of Alice's letters read at the
beginning of the trial. Their con-
tents admittedly were more erotic
than the love letters written by Mrs.
Rhinelandcr When the reading OF
the letters began. Alice and her
mother left the courtroom and re
mained outside during the subse-
quent discrimination on their
contents.
The letters were each about 800
words long and were concerned with
events that occurred when Alice and
Leonard spent q week at the hotel
Marie Antoinette in New York in
1921. Picking up the second letter,
which was by far more erotic than
the first, Mr.. Davis asked,
Admits He Loved Her.
Did You love this girl when you
wrote that"
Yes" answered Rhinelander. Al
though he had kept his eyes fixed
on the floor during the reading Of
the more lurid passages, he turned
sQuarely on Mr., Davis and answer
ed in a firm voice. His character
tstiC stutter required at intervals
when the questions We're more than
usually intimate.
Finally young Rhinelander said
that he could see nothing wrong in
his actions at the Marie Antoinette,
indicating that he did not agree with
the shocked attitude that Mr.. Davis
took on the revelations.
Tried To Tempt Her.
Although at first he denied that
these letters were written to lead
Alice on, he admitted that in one
Of the letters written June c, he was
trying TO tempt her. II had no
other outlet to express my emotions
except in my letters" he said. 'in
them | put my heart and soul"
Did YOU have any letters using
this kind of stuff from Alice?"
asked Mr.. Davis.
NO" admitted the witness.
Did you intend 10 make this girl
your wife when you wrote these lei.
tcrs TO here"
u had visions of It"
Throughout the cross-exambina-
ton Mills was on his feet constantly.
making objections TO the repetiuons
of certain questions.
Inspect Girls Skin.
Throughout the cross-exanina
alton on the mystery letters Mr.. pa-
Wis asked that the court he cleared
in order that he might show AliCe's
skin to the jury. Justice MorSch2user
intcrposcd an objection anu 1t was
agreed TO retire to the jury room.
Alice returned to the courtroom and
broke into tears as she walked into
the room.
Those who went with her into the
private room were Leonard, Davis.
Mills, Mrs. Jones, Justice Morschau-
ser. the court stenographer and the
jury. Alice was wrapped In O heavy
coat and was comforted by her
mother.
The party returned from the Jury
room about 10 minutes later, Alice
remaining inside. Rhinelander re-
sumed the stand and said that her
skin appeared the same color as
when he had first seen II.
That's all" said Davis suddenly
and Rhinelander's ordeal was fin
ished. He left the stand and ad-
journment was taken until this aft
ternoon when other witnesses for the
plaintiff will testify.
Admits Earlier Wrong.
Just before going into the jury
room, Mr.. Davis asked Leonard II