Salt Lake Tribune | 1910-01-09 | Page 21 | Mrs. Counselman, Illegally Wedded, Defends Self Against Accusations

Mrs. CounseSman, SSIegally Wedded, Defends Self Against Accusations By leased Wire to The Tribune. CHICAGO. Jan. S. .Mrs. C lare Claiu L-'rcnch Counsclinan, the youun woman whose marriaqe. to Willis Counsclinan, a. prominent Chicago broker, occurred contrary to an order of Ihe court within live days of Mr. Counsclman s alleged illegal divorce from his insane first wife.. Lulu M. Counsclmaji. consented to discuss dis-cuss hor position with a representative of the Publisher Press today for tho first lime since Judge lhellafn;s stalling stal-ling investigation order created the most sensational legal issue raised in years. Mrs. t'ounselnian, who bore up won-dcrfullv won-dcrfullv throughout the strenuous scenes Hint tit tended Ihe hearing in Judge Chetlain's court from its beginning two weeks ago. succumbed to nervous exhaustion ex-haustion as the case drew lo a closo. She is in a condition approaching collapse col-lapse al her homo, 10:57 Rush street. Hard Problem to Tacu. "1 hnrdlv know how to- phrase what 1 wish to "sav,"' began .Mrs. Counsel-man. Counsel-man. "It is not eay lo talk of such matters, for it seems I hey ought to be carried so very privately, yet where, accusal ion is so public, there is but ono defense. 'I have not discussed my n (pairs or I hose of mv husband in any way since this unfortunate legal crusade was begun." be-gun." JTising from her chair. Mrs. '"ounbol-inan '"ounbol-inan appeared for Ihe moment overcome with emotion. Continuing, she said: "What. 1 felt most keenly,'' she went (,n , in a low, lense voice, "is the ter- rible -fujust ice done to mc bv Mr. Moses in his uddress to the court. If there was a .jury to act on this matter, per haps sonic of the men on it. having daughters of their own, might revolt al (he spectacle of a woman publicly lashed to satisfy morbid nnilignity. " "Tho things ihey have said of me are cruelly false.'' she said. "1 think my own friends know I am not as Mr. Moses tried to depict me. The men and women who know mo are quite aware of my personal per-sonal character." Here the tones. of her voice dropped almot-t lo a whisper as she picked nervously at the. petals of a big chrysanthemum and littered the rug at her feet with liny yellow leaves. Would Be Sot E,ight. "J tut (here is in every good woman's heart a desire to. bp set right, where she feels that wrong has been done lo her." she continued. "I therefore do not hesitate hes-itate lo denv, for the benefit of tho thousands who must read Lawyer Moses's Mo-ses's phillipie deliveranec in court, that. I was in any way informed concerning concern-ing Ihe details' of "the divorce proceed ings which have since become an important im-portant issue. "My husband did not realize that anv evil could result from our marriage. mar-riage. Had he oven rnm-jlely suspected suspect-ed such a thing I' know full well he would never b.ive subjected mc lo the danger of a public scandal. "I believe that is all." she said. "What I crave justice and fair play. I care, for the good opinion of my own sex. I hope what I have said will give t iiem iinderslauding. Good-bye."