Evening star., 1954-11-22
Friend Says Sheppard
Twice Brought Up
Question Of Divorce

l4
CLEVELAND, Nov. %. - DR..
Samuel H. Sheppard twice con-
fided to an old friend and fellow
osteopath that he was thinking
about divorcing his wife Marilyn,
the old friend testified today.
DR.. Lester Hoversten of Glen
dale, Calf, testified that DIR.
Sheppard discussed divorce with
him in California in the summer
Of 1850 and again in Cleveland
in the spring of 1858.
In both cases. Dir. Hoversten
said he told DR.. Sheppard to
think it over before making such
q decision.
Tells Of 1850 Visit.
One of the States key wit
iaesses to establish a motive for
murder, Or. Hoversten told the
jury trying DR.. Sheppard on
charges of numbering his wife
that:
/. In 1850, the Sheppards were
living in California and Marilyn
had gone to Cleveland on vaca-
ton. He said DR.. Sheppard then
wanted to write Marilyn about q
edivorce.
2. In the Spring of 1858. DR..
Hoversten was living in Cleve-
land. On that occasion, he said:
II remember distinctly advising
him to go slow and be careful
because he should relaize Marilyn
was a wonedrful wife"
One of the last persons to see
Marilyn alive, DR.. Hoversten was
a house guest of the Sheppards
for less than a week and left
just a day before she was bludg-
eoned to death in her bed July 4.
The State contends that DR..
Sheppard murdered Marilyn be-
cause she complained about his
love affairs with other women.
The defense says the Sheppards
were a happily married couple.
The jury already has been told
by q previous witness that Mari
lyn understood that Dr. Shep-
pard was considering divorcing
here just this year.
Asked for Advice.
Regarding his conversation in
1850 with DR.. Sheppard, Dr..
Hoversten related:
"Dr. Sam asked my advice on
o letter he had written Marilyn
and I asked him as a favor not
to send it at the time, but to
wait until he could speak to her
in person.
"It was to the effect he was
concerned about his marriage
and wanted to tell her how he
felt and he felt he wanted to
consider the possibility of a
divorce" =
Says Sheppard Admitted Lie.
Before DR.. Hoversten took the
stand, Cleveland Detective Rob-
ert F. Schottke testified Dr..
Sheppard once admitted he lied
about his affaira~with a pretty
hospital teclliiician.
| The detective said DR.. Shep-
pard made this admission to him
on July 81, conceding that he
stayed at the same home with
Susan Hayes in California and
gave her a wrist watch.
Before that, Mr.. Schottke said
DR.. Sheppard denied he stayed
with Miss Hayes at the home Of
= fellow osteopath, DR.. Arthur
Miller, Of near Los Angeles, last
March.
Under questioning by Assistant
Prosecutor Thomas j. Parrino,
Mr.. Schottke testified:
I'VE asked him about Susan
Hayes and he said Yes he had
lied about her and did stay with
her at the home of DR.. Miller,
and he gave her a wrist watch.
He said that when he was In
Los Angeles, his wife told him
to see Susan Hayes and have a
good time.
Told Wife About Susan.
He said he told his wife
about Susan so that some one
else would not tell her first. We
asked him if he had told his
wife about other women, and
he said Yes" He said he al
ways told her about other wom-
en- because he did not want her
to get the wrong impression if
some one else told her."
While the trial entered it's
sixth week today. police checked
q former convict's story that his
burglar pal may have slain Mrs.
Sheppard. )
But they talked obviously Of
his statement, since they said he
gave them a phony murder con-
faScio,, yano.,tIx
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