Evening star., 1925-11-23
MYSTERY LETTERS
ARE READ IN TRIAL
Women Excluded From Court
in RhineIander Case as
EpistIes Are Perused.
Rv the Associated Press.


WHITE PLAINS. y. Y, November
o3-The two mystery" letters whose
introduction in the Rhinelander annul-
ment trial caused two adjournments
and rumors that the case would be
settled out of court to keep them from
being made public. We're placed on
the record this morning
They were read before a courtroom
that had been emptied of all but two
women. the latter being newspaper
women Both the letters were writ
ten from the Cliff Hotel in San Fran
cisco in 1922 and were concerned with
the pre-martial relations of Alice Be
atriCe Jones. daughter of a negro hack
driver, and Leonard Kip Rhinela nder.
wealthy young society man, who is
seeking annument OF their marriage
. The letters have been the center
Of great mystery in the case, he
ginning last week when Isaac y.
Mills. counsel for young Rhinelander
a asked for a recess Of several DAYS 70
give him an opportunity to investigate
them. They had been regarded as
trump cards by Lee Parsons Davis
counsel for the defendant.
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 contents admitted
ly were more erotiC than the love let
ters written by Mrs. Rhinelander.
When reading Of the letters heCan.
Alice and her mother left the court
room and remained outside during the
subsequent CrosS-eNamination on their
contents.
The letters were each about 500
words long. and were concerned with
events that occurred when Alice and
Leonard spent a week at the Hotel
Marie Antoinette. in New York. in
1927.
Picking up the second letter. which
was by far more erotic than the first
Mr.. Davis asked:
Did you love this girl when YOU
wrote that"
Says He Loved Her.
Yes" answered Rhinela nder Al
though he had kept his eyes fixed on
the floor during the reading of the
more lurid passages. he turned square
" on Mr.. Davis and answered in a
firm voice. His characteristic stutter.
however, REQUIRED at intervals when
the questions were more than usually
intimate.
Finally young Rhinelander said
he could see nothing wrong in his
actions a the Marie Antoinette. in
diCating that he did not agree with
the shocked attitude that Mr.. Davis
took on the revelation.
Although at first he denied that
these letters We're written to lead
Alice on. he admitted that in one of
the letters. written June 6. he was
trying to tempt her. Il 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 TO make this girl
your wife when you wrote these let
tiers TO her."
Il had visions of it,"
Color of the Girl
Throughout the cross-eXamination
Mr.. Mills was on his feet constantly,
making objections to the repetitions
of certain questions.
In the midst of his crosS-eXamina-
tfon on the mystery letters Mr.. Davis
asked that the court be cleared i'm or
der that he might show AliCe's skin
to the jury. Justice NorSchauser in
terposed an objection and it was
agreed to retire to the jury room. Alice
returned to the courtroom and broke
into CopiouS tears as she walked into
the jury room.
Those who went with her into the
private room were Leonard. Mr.. Davis
Mr.. Mills. Mrs. Jones. Justice Nor
schauser, the court stenographer and
the jury. Alice was wrapped up in
heavy coat and was comforted by
her mother
The party returned from the jury
room about 10 minutes later. Alice
remaining inside. Rhineiander re-
sumed the stand and, in response to
questions, said that her skin appeared
the same color Is when he had first
seen 1t.
That's all said Mr.. Davis sud
denly and Rhinela nder's ordeal of the
past week was finished.
Plaintiff Leaves Stand
He left the stand and adjournment
was taken until this afternoon. when
other witnesses for the plaintiff will
testify.
Just before going into the jury
room Mr.. Davis asked Leonard If Alice
had ever admitted TO him that she
had been intimate with another man
before she met her husband Rhine
lander said that she had given this
Information TO him voluntarily.
Did this girl, who is pictured as
chasing you. confess this?" asked
Davis
And yet this girl, who volunteered
This thing. deceived YOU in the sum
mer Of 1924 as to her COLOR"
Yes"
You were willing TO marry q girl
who stayed with YOU at the Marie
Antoinette and confessed that she was
an impure girl. hut YOU were not will
ing that she should have a tinge of
colored hlood?"
AS to the color. drew the line"