The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1938-12-16
GIMP TRICKED
into DIVORCE,
HE TEST|FIES
mo Other Man," Ruth
Told Him, He Says

AOO ANNE1Anro, NdI., Ice. TO-
Grooming Ruth Fitting, the bride
of q single day, listened with
flushed cheeks in supreme court
as Martin Snyder, also known as
Colonel Gimp" described her as
woman of ~ who wanted a
divorce because she was nervous
and irritable and going through a
period OF nervous and physical
change.
In applying Wednesday for her
license to marry 30-year-old Myrl
Alderman, with whose kidnapping
and attempted murder The Gimp
is charged, the blond ex-"Follies"
star gave her age as 81.
The little man with the hard
face wept on the witness stand
as he unfolded, in the argot of a
Tenth Avenue Broadwayite, an IN
innate story of love and sacrifice
and eventual betrayal which came
to q climax the night Of October
Is when he went with" Alder
man to the lc.tter'S love cottage"
in Hollywood Hills Ito talk things
over"
DENIES CHARGE
With fierce emphasis he denied
any intent to murder anyone. He
shot, he said, in self defense after
Alderman pulled gun on me-"
And in a throbbing tremolo he
Swore that he wouldn't harm a
hair of Ruth's blond head"
Recoupting the details OF his
ride out to Alderman'S cottage,
Snyder declares that he told him
that "she lied to me-tricked me
into the divorce-She said there
was no man in the picture and
you were the man."
Once or twice he glanced at his
"little lady" and her bridegroom.
Mostly, however, he addressed
himself directly to his attorney,
Jerry GieSler, or, in injured tones,
to the jury.
The Gimp's sentimental saga be-
gan on a note of heroic restraint.
But it blossomed quickly into a
passionate recital with no words
. barred.
WENT TO CHICAGO
II went to Chicago to see my
dying mother and was gone about
six weeks" he said. when I got
back about August Is, 1887, I went
to our home in Beverly Hills and
we sat around awhile and then
got ready to go to bed.
Ruth said, Daddy, I want to-
talk to YOU So we went into her
bedroom and sat on her bed. She
says, Daddy. I haven't been my
. self lately. I'm nervous and irr1-
table. You annoy me. Everything
annoys me. I want to be alone
for a while. The doctor told me
I should take trip around the
world. want to do this and take
Edith (Snyder's daughter by a
previous marriage) with me-
II says, Where do come in on
this?' And she says. That's just
the point I'm coming to. want
q divorce"
The Gimp's jaws closed with q
click and lis defiant glare swept
the courtroom.
$50 I says" he continued is
there another MANI And my wife
looks at me as if she is awfully
inSulted and says, You ought to
know there isn't"
ASKED DIVORCE
Finally, after Ruth again asked
for a divorce, he said he went
with her to Chicago to get it.
Then, the witness related, they
went to New York where, from a
safety deposit box, his former wife
extracted and gave to him els
$1,000 bills, $4,000 in liberty
bonds, about $25, 900 in other Sc
curities and a half interest in the
house in B verlv Hills"
"She takes out of my share
about $4,000 she says was for my
gambling debts, but it wasn't all
gambling
VirtuouSly, he then explained
that, because I want her to think
she is a great success, I used to
go around in the cities where she
was going to appear and I'd get
two to three hundred high school
kids 70 go and clap for her. I
pay them two-three dollars each
and pay their way into the
Gheater."