New Britain herald. [microfilm reel] (New Britain, Conn.) 1890-1976, 1928-12-06

Michigan City. Ind, Dec. 6 -
The woman who used 10 be called
1.-THE richest little girl in the world"
has discovered once more that $780,
900, 900 is no insurance against UNI
happiness.
Catherine Barker spaulding.
whom the newspapers of Is years
ago called "America's Bertha
krupp," has filed suit for divorce
in Chicago against Howard H.
Spa ulding, Jr., well-to-do Chi
cago clubman and lumberman. to
whom she was married in 1915.
She accuses him OF drunkenness.
sa ying that he has been habitually
heavy drinker for two years.
Although she was born into
conditions seemingly as fortunate
as q girl could ask. this heiress
has had a life clouded several
times by trouble.
Is Lett an Orphan
II was In 1896 that Catherine
Barker was born, only child Of Mr..
and Mrs. John H. Barker. Barker
was the head OF the big Haskell
& Barker Car Company plant
here, and was extremely wealthy.
As q child, Catherine had every
thing that wealth could bring.
She made number Of trips to Eu-
rope before she had reached her
teens. had private tutors to give
her her lessons, spent her sum-
mers when not travelling with
her parents at their summer
mansion at Harbor Point. Mich.
on picturesque Little Traverse
Bay. One would have said that
life was bound to be very good to
her.
/ But it was not. When she was
II. attending "a private school at
Detroit, she was called home to
the death bed Of her mother. Six
lnnonths after her mother died her
ffather also died. She was an or
phan worth a great fortune. to
be sure. but lonely little girl,
nevertheless.
The sudden deaths of her par
ents made the girl a promint nj
newspaper figure for some time,
Reporters besieged the Barker
home here; columns were writ
tn about the poor little rich
girl" Her daily schedule of getting
up. eating. studying. playing ana
going to bed was carefully jotted
down. and interviews were occa-
sionally granted.
Estate Grows to $5O,OO0,OO
| =. Under the guardianship Of the
late James r. Forgan. banker. and
a. trustee Of the Barker estate
she passed her childhood. Under
the terms Of her fathers will she
could not get possession OF the
principal of the estate. Until hel
21st birthday she had an income
of 100000 year: from the AZ.
Of 81 to 20 the income was $3.50,
900. and since then 1t has beer
around $4,000 600 annually. Since
her fathers death the value Of tht
estate has grown from 100000
600 to &5o.ooo,ooo.
1t was in 1915 that she married
Spaulding. He Was prominent il
Chicago society. the son of The
late Howard H. Spaulding: he wa.
a Yale graduate. a former foot
ball player and a member of som.
of Chicago's most exclusive clubs
The wedding ceremony took plac,
at the girls summer home at Har
Dor Point. and 400 Of Chicago!
socially elite attended the bril-
liant ceremony. Immediatel!
afterward the young couple left OF
La honeymoon trip that took then
around the world.
Il Since then the two spent mucf
time abroad. Spaulding was {
lieutenant in the American arm!
during the World War: after tn,
war they made their home princi
pally in Chicago. although the,
maintained the magnificent Bar.
ker mansion here.
4 Have No Children
Some time ago rumors wer.
current among their friends her,
and in Chicago that there wer,