The independent. [volume] (Elizabeth City, N.C.) 1908-1936, 1929-03-22


, court.
If the jury brings in verdict OF
net guilty of abandonment and nom
support, Mr.. Riggs will hardly get
much relief for the court will order
him to pay specific sum for Inc
support of his minor children any,
way and that sum will hardly be
less than $3.50 per week.
Here is one of the most unfortu-
nate cases ever aired in a Pasquo-
tank County Court and a brief re-
cital of some CT the facts should
have the effect of restraining other
young married couples from wash
ing their dirty linen in public.
w. S. Riggs is a half owner of the
Auto Supply g. Vulcanizing co,
Dodge automobile dealers in this
city. His business partner is Ray
Forbes. Riggs g. Forbes leased the
Tom Love property on PoindeXter
st. at Colonial Ave. and built one
story business block thereon. They
pay SITS a month rent for the land
and collect $170 in rent monthly
from two stores, reserving the corn
er store for their automobile agency,
tire, vulcanizing, battery and gaso-
line business.
! w. S. Riggs and Ray Forbes also
own and operate a farm jointly.
Riggs married Forbes sister, Pearl.
There are three small children by
the marriage, the youngest a little
girl of three years. ~
The Riggses lived at l0l N. Mar
! tin st. Nearby at 140 N. Martin st.
lived Brownie Davis and wife. Mrs.
Riggs and Mrs. Davis became chums.
Brownie Davis shared somewhat In
the affection Ct mrs. Riggs for Mrs.
Davis. So much so that Mr.. Riggs
became jealous.
Mrs. Riggs and Mrs. Davis would
cook their meals together and on
! one occasion Mrs. Riggs bought a
chicken and sent it to the Davis
home where it was cooked. Mr.. and
Mrs. Davis would go automobile
riding with Mrs. Riggs and some
times Brownie Davis. would occupy
the front seat with Mrs. Riggs while
his wife sat on the back seat. Mr..
Riggs observed these things and be-
came more and more jealous.
He tapped his telephone wires
and put a secret telephone in his
garage unknown to his wife and
listened in to conversations between
her and the Davises. He spied or
his wife's movements nights. He
employed first and last four detec-
tives to watch her. And then he ar
ranged with a woman On the party
telephone line that served his house
phone to listen in every time his
phone was used. The woman tele-
phone spy was Mrs. Sterling Fauth,
seamstresS, the wife of an auto
mobile mechanic and gasoline vcn-
| dor. Mrs. Fauth wrote down every
conversation she heard and supplied
her written reports to Mr.. Riggs.
She testified in court that she had
stood at her phone listening to Mrs.
Riggs and the Davises until her arm
grew so tired holding the receiver,
that it ached. Nice business for the
lady.
Riggs saw and heard so many
things that he expressed doubt about
being the father of his little three
year old girl. He is alleged TO have
called his wife "a common whore.
He alleges that he saw her enter
! Brownie Davises garage on a GER
tain night and remain in the garage
| in the dark with Brownie for a
matter of As minutes. His Witness
es testified that they had seen Mrs.
Riggs at the garage at night.
Riggs, a year ago or such a mat
ter, refused his wife credit at local
stores and made the grocer bring
him a bill with every order for
groceries for his house. Later he
gave Mrs. Riggs $50 month for the
support of herself and children and
refused to have anything further TO
do with her. Then he discontinued
the $50 a month and she sued him
for abandonment and non-supprrt.
This was the case brought to trial
this week on appeal of MIR. r ggs
from the lower court.
Mrs. Riggs denies the allegations,
declaring that her husband was un-
reasonably jealous. Mrs. BroH 'lie
Davis sticks to her. Mrs. Riggs is
the best friend I ever hat ano IL
there had been anything between
her and my husband I would have
known it," insists Mis-. Lahis.
Willie Riggs is crazy jealous
fool"
And so a yoTg wife ana young
husbdlM lLalt torl- eaCf- otIers