Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-01-31
LETTERS BARRED
At BROWNING TRIAL
Diary Kept by Wife Before
Marriage Also Ruled Out.
RebuttaI Is Opened.
BY the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
WHITE PLAINS, N Y, January
S1.--Edward West Browning, the New
interest in his separation suit with
Frances Heenan Browning, opened his
rebuttal today of his wife's cruelty
charges.
A court ruling, however, kept much
of the expected sensation out of to-
days hearing.
The letters written by his young
wife to girl friends prior to his mar
riage were ruled out as evidence by
Supreme Court Justice Seeger as being
irrelevant to what happened during
the married, life of the real estate man
and the 16-year-oid girl.
Thousands who had crowded into
the courtroom expecting to- hear the
| trials most outspoken testimony
| stood up in the halls or damned the
I courtroom to listen to testimony far
| from exciting.
/ Girl Friend Testifies.
/ Before noon six witnesses had been
| called, four Of whom took up the allie
| cations that Mr.. Browning had sug-
| gested to Marian Tussey, girl friend
| of Mrs. Browning. that she try to
recollect something adverse to Mrs.
| Browning prior to her marriage"
| Miss Tussey herself testified that
| Browning had asked her if she had
not seen Mrs. Browning before her
marriage act improperly She said
she had denied that she had so seen
Peaches"
| The Justice later modified his order
slightly to allow some OF the evidence
regarding Mrs. Browning's pre-marital
life to be introduced in order that il
might be on the record" and ''as
there is no jury to be influenced"
Justice Seeger said that he would halt
the testimony when he thought 1t had
| gone far enough.
| Louisa Croner, wife OF the land
lord. denied that Mr.. Browning had
said in her presence that he would
make 1t worth while for anybody
to recollect" things against Mrs.
Browning.
Says Advice Was Asked.
Leslie F'ullenweider, who works for
a newspaper feature syndicate. testi-
fed that he saw Mrs. Browning on
the Thursday before she left her
husband.
"she told me Mr.. Browning was
becoming unbearable. and asked what
Bfldll L 40 Sdlu the WllncSS.
II said, We are newspaper people,
not lawyers.
Nothing, he added, was said about
writing any articles at that time.
The following Tuesday, he said. he
saw her and her mother, but news
paper articles were not discussed until
Wednesday. A contract was signed
Saturday. October 8, for 1000. II
was introduced as evidence.
Other Witnesses Called.
Fullenweider was followed by his
associate, William Waddell. who cor
roborated details of the transaction
and said that for two or three days
Mrs. Browning and her mother had
stayed at his home in Demarest, n. j.,
and at that time there had been con-
versations about articles by her for
the syndicate.
John s. Garden, associate of Wad-
dell and Fullenweider. testified that
he wrote or compiled" the articles
under discussion.
Gardens Inn from August to October,
who tended the Browning table most
of the time, said that the real estate
man was always very attentive" to
his bride in the dining room and had
flowers on the table nearly every day.
Frank NJ. Golden, head waiter at the
Kew Gardens Inn, testified regarding
his service to the Brownings. includ-
ing the daily order of coffee at
o o'clock in the morning
Edward F. Mcdonald, manager of
the Kew Gardens Inn, said he had
always found Browning very fair"
and that the couple appeared to be
happy.
Leo Ehrenreich of Kew Gardens.
told of visit the Brownings paid to
his home on July 3. He had seen the
couple at the inn later and on all occa.
sions they had seemed happy together.
Frank Dolan. tabloid reporter, also
testified, saying that Mrs. Browning
needed some urging" but not a
great deal" to pose for photographs.