Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-01-24
CARMEL LOSES OUT
IN BROWNING TRIAL;
HIGH PRICES BLAMED

Continued from First Page)
fusely during the first few moments
in court.
With it's Winter population of 800
sWelled by several hundred, this
towns facilities were overtaxed to.
day.
At the corner drug store the many
angles of the romance of the "Cin.
derella man" and his schoolgirl wife
were threshed out by the villagers and
the outsiders.
Seminary Guards Students.
But even this excitement was de-
MED the 125 young woman students
at Drew Seminary. Rev. DR.. Herbert
r. Wright, the principal forbade any
of the young ladies to leave the semi
nary grounds during the trial except
under escort of a teacher.
Many persons who hoped to get
into the courtroom were doomed to
disappointment. Curiosity had been
aroused because some of the papers
in the case had been impounded and
because of indications that the myster-
iOus soaring of Peaches with acid
before her marriage might be ex-
planned.
The switch to Westchester County,
where well-to-do New Workers have
country homes, has aroused some .ob-
jections. Arthur I. Miller, an assem-.
blyman from that county, has an.
nounced he will introduce a bill in
the Legislature to prevent the hearing
Of a matrimonial action in a county
in which neither party is a resident.
Peaches filed her suit in White Plains.
n al I,nx knI fV7xy "A
ing host of newspaper men and court
attaches with open arms, and Incl.
dentally with increased room rent and
restaurant prices. The town, so miles
from New York, and seat of Putnam
County, was selected for the trial by
agreement Of counsel. The average
Carmelite knows his Browning. One
cannot walk a block without hearing
discussion not only of Browning S
love affair with his youthful wife, but
also details of earlier episodes.
In 1925 Browning advertised for a
girl of not more than 16 to become his
adopted daughter and companion to
Dorothy Sunshine Browning, his IL.
year-old adopted child.
Mary Louise Spas, beautiful daugh.
ter or Bohemian immigrant parents
was selected from an army of appli
cants and 1t developed that she was
Il instead of IS. Investigation re.
suited in the voiding of the adoption.
Crowd Gathers Early.
Less than a year later Browning
met peaches while attending a dance
OF school sorority. They were
married by a justice of the peace
on April 10, 1926, and in October the
bride left her husband and their
in
Island
Browning, in addition to his legal
difficulties with his wife, also is a
defendant in two damage suits. The
one for 100000 has been filed by
Mary Louise Spas and arises from
her brief adoption by the wealthy
realtor. and the other asking $10O, 900
has been filed by Renee Shapiro, 81,
an actress of Brooklyn, who alleges
an attack upon her in July, 1928.
BY am. today little groups of men
and women, clad in galoshes and
heavy coats, had already appeared
in front of the old white courthouse
Among the first arrivals were many
women of outlying districts of the
county.
Photographers, barred from the
courtroom by Justice Seeger, clustered
around the railroad station awaiting
the arrival of either of the principals.
Cars, large and small, early began
to fill the parking space outside the
court, and by the time court opened
both sides Of the wide street were
lined. Huge sleighS slid up to the
courthouse, pouring out farmers and
dairy people.
Today's legal action was laid 20
miles from Cold Springs, N. Y, a town
no larger than Carmel, where in April.
1926, Browning and the then Miss
Heenan, who gave her age as IS, were
married. The next day Browning
issued a statement saying his mar
riage was IAN answer and rebuke to
efforts of the Children's Society to in
terfere.'
Browning was the first of the prin-
cipals to arrive from New York. His
turquoise blue limous inc, purring UP
to the courthouse. created the first
furry of the day. twenty-five
photographers surrounded him.
Poses for Photographers.
AS he posed he responded to cues.
tions about the trial with the state.
ment that he wanted Everything to
be open to the public" nothing In
chambers, and that he hoped the trial
would vindicate him of the charges of
his wife.
The arrival OF Mrs. Browning was
less photographed, but no less stage
set, Accompanied by Epstein and
others Of her counsel, the young WON
an alighted from a motor which had
come from New York, and faced a
battery of photographers, making no
attempt either 10 shield herself or to
pose.
On the arm of her attorney she
walked into the courthouse. Close
behind was her mother, Mrs. Cath.