New Britain herald., 1925-05-01
OFFERED HERSELF
 AND HER SI,9OO
This Got Her Husband. She
 Brings Suit

Waterbury, May l.---Testmeny of a woman who said she weoed and won a Merlden widower: advanced him money to pay wedding ex~ penses; contributed 10 his we'll being for two months and then de- parted secretly, later filing suit to re- cover sS3S she had loaned" him, convrlsed a crowd in district court at Waterbury yesterday, even tho attorneys, inured to the unusual in courtroom drama, breaking Into un- restrained laughter at points in the story.
 Unusual Suit
 In and about the courtroom the sentiment seemed to be that when Mrs. Margaret Sturmer. until last December a resident of Meridcn at 25s Pratt street, but now of Water bury. brought suit for $33S against her husband, John Sturmer, of 261 Pratt street, an employe of the Wilcox Silver Plate Co.,, and,a wid- ower, father of four grown-up chill dren, she provided the basis for as unusual testimony as has been de- tailed in district court in years.
 After the trial had been com pleted yesterday afternoon, Judge Harry ]. Beardslcy took the case un- der adyisement. announcing that he would reserve decision until Tuesday morning. Mrs. Sturmnr, the plain tiff, was represented in court by Miles r. Mckif, Of Waterbury, and Lewis ]. Somers of Mcrden ap- peared for her husband, the defcnd- ant, When papers in the case were filed. Mrs. Sumner garnishcod some of her husbands building and loan stock pending trial of the case. Counsel for Sturmer entered gen. cral denial of the allegations before the case went to trial yesterday morning.
 Testimony of Mrs. Sturmor; re- veaad that hey maiden named had been Margaret McNerney, and that in March. 1924, she was employed at the Undcrciff sanatorium, as q domestic servant where Elsie Stur- ncr a 16-year.od daughter of the husban md -to-be, was a patient, Through Elsie she met Sumner.
 Modern Courtship
 During a period Of six months there ensued a courtship in which the usual order of things was re- verse1 Miss McNcrney went regu- farly once a week, she testified, to .Sturmer's home as the romance pro- gressed,
 Money matters were discussed during this period. Miss McNerney telling Sturmer that she had Sl9o0 ln a Waterbury bank. on the night of October 3o last, marriage 'entcred into the scheme of things. { Sturmer, the woman testified. fold her he was unable to draw out any Of his money and asked her to provide the wherewithaI to get mar fled and buy clothes for Sturmer's s boys and girls,
 "S2s0 Down
 Mrs. Sturn1er said she did not want 10 be married in Meriden or Waterbury, so the couple wont 10 a priest iu West Haven and were mar ried October Si. She testified that she gave the bridegroom at his re- quest s9so at thlt time, the under standing being that 1t was merely q loan 10 be repaid,
 A week later she advanced him so for coal and shortly after that ;Ss to meet the tuition of Elsie in Laurel Business college here. Mrs, Sturmcr testified that her husband had promised 10 repay all of these sums.
 On the Rocks
 In about two months a dispute arose over the disposition of the St,900 in the bank, and following this, without notifying her husband sine took her departure from his home on Pratt street, going 10 Wa terbury to live. She said that she left him December IS.
 Sturmer's story on the stand, corroborated by his daughter Elsie, and his two sons, was to the effect that the woman who later became his wife first tried 10 make an ap-