The Nome nugget., 1927-11-26
ROMANCE WAS WRECKED BY TIN TUF
Wife Who Amused Court During Morning, Breaks Down Under Questioning.

The untold secret of why Con stance Reed. a striking brunette and talented actress at 23, married the Seattle multi-millionaire, The odore N Haller then 55, 10 years ago, halted their sensational soci- ety divorce trial Monday afternoon.
 Mrs. Haller became hysterical. under cross-examination by Living ston B. Steadman, who is Haller's attorney and lifelong friend of both the pioneer Reed and Haller families.
 MT. Stedman,' Mrs. Haller sob bed. If you don't make Mir. Haller stop whispering to you I shall go crazy. I can't stand it! Stop it, stop it. I tell you!" she screamed. Judge Ronald and attorneys at tempted to explain to her that it ! Was customary for clients to whis- per directions to their counsel.
 Says Lawyer Taking Unfair
 Advantage of Her
 "Oh, Judge Ronald" the highly emotional beauty cried: "Mr. Stead man is taking an unfair advantage of me. l tell you 1 went to his of flee once and confided in him. I told him confidential matters and he urged me to get divorce
 "No, no, no!' Stedman said, look ing at Mrs. Haller.
 You did take unfair advantage of me just before noon," she re- torted wildly. You asked me how I came to be married to Mir. Hal ler."
 Judge Ronald told her that Sted man had not asked such ques- tiOn "Oh-I don't know-I keep think ing he will ask mel Mrs. Haller sobbed.
 Stedman, surprised, assured the court he had never before been ac- cused of unethical practise and sug gested that his client be permitted to hire other counsel.
 MRS. TALLER SOBS AS
 ATTORNEY EXPLAINS
 The eourtroom was filled with spectators, many of them society people and members of exclusive old pioneer Seattle families.
 Judge Ronald, at the recess which followed Mrs. Haller's break down, publicly assured Stedman of his confidence in his handling of the Haller matrimonial troubles.
 During Stedman's address to the court Mrs. Haller sobbed wildly, rushed from the witness stand to Stedman's side and cried, "Oh Mir. Stedman, MT. Stedman, I've known you so long and I think so much of you"
 Judge Ronald calmed the dis traugh young woman and warned her that We can't have this in court
 During the morning session Mrs. Haller referred to the Haller man. sion as Bleak House"
 It is on her testimony concern ing the Haller Bleak House., hat stands at 6O6 Minor Avenue, that much of her grounds for div 1 orce are based. In answer to questions put to her by her attor- hey, Arthur Griffin, Mrs. Haller, speaking in a high voice, her pro- nuneiation phonetically perfect. said: ~ SAYS HOUSE SIMPLY
 SWARMED WITH MICE Why, the roof even leaks and the old billiard room has been made into one of the boudoirs. I've had only one maid at time, and I've done washing, ironing. cooking, gardening, and I've watered the lawn, which covers full block, un til was black in the face. don't believe the house had been clean ed for years when I moved in shortly after we were married in 1917.
 "The house simply swarmed with rats and mice, and the only bath tubs in the place were old fashioned tin tubs-even the maids refused to bathe in them. It was So cold in the house had to