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Divorce Testimony of Mildred Harris Chaplin, December 26, 1920, originally published in AMERICAN WEEKLY

DIRECT EXAMINATION.

QUESTION BY LAWYER GILBERT--State your name in full, please.

ANSWER BY MRS. MILDRED HARRIS CHAPLIN--Mildred Harris Chaplin.

Q.--How old are you, Mrs. Chaplin?

A.--Nineteen.

Q.--How long have you been living in California?

A.--Since I was seven years old.

Q.--When were you married?

A.--October 23, 1918.

Q.--When did you and Mr. Chaplin become separated, finally?

A.--A year ago this coming February.

Q.--Were there any children by this marriage?

A.--One boy.

Q.--Is it living or dead?

A.--Dead.

Q.--You say you were married when you were seventeen years of age?

A.--Yes.

Q.--With whom had you lived prior to that time?

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A.--My mother.

Q.--Did she keep you constantly under her care?

A.--She did.

Q.--What was the course of conduct which your mother pursued toward you insofar as caring for you and your education and matters of that kind?

A.--Mother had always sent me to school and I started in motion pictures when I was twelve years old and mother had a teacher for me.

Q.--What has been the general condition of your health ever since, whether you are strong physically or otherwise?

A.--I have always been quite healthy; I have never been terribly strong, and I have had a few spells of illness, but never very serious outside of scarlet fever. I was not very strong when I was married.

Q.--You mean by that you have been generally healthy but frail?

A.--Yes.

Q.--Your mother's treatment toward you, you say, was always very excellent?

A.--Very sweet and very lovely.

Q.--How old was Mr. Chaplin at the time he married you?

A.--Twenty-nine.

Q.--You allege in your complaint that for the first period of four months after you were married your marriage was kept a secret. At whose suggestion was that?

A.--Mr. Chaplin's.

Q.--Did he give you any reason for it?

A.--Only that he did not want it known on account of professional reasons, and other reasons he did not care to tell me.

Q.--You allege in your complaint that a short time after you were married, about four weeks, you became seized with a spell of illness, nervous prostration. Just tell the court about that.

A.--About four weeks, or perhaps a little less, after we were married, I was taken quite ill with fainting spells, and the doctor said I would have to go to the hospital.

Q.--Did you go?

A.--Yes.

Q.--Was that when the marriage became public?

A.--Yes.

Q.--Now, after the marriage became public, Mrs. Chaplin, just tell the court in your own way about the course of treatment Mr. Chaplin adopted toward you after that time?

A.--Well, after I was taken out of the hospital I had to stay in bed until Christmas, Christmas Eve, and the doctor sent a nurse home with me, and Mr. Chaplin got us a home up in Laughlin Park, and I had to stay in bed until Christmas Eve, and that was the first time I was down after I got out of the hospital. And Christmas afternoon--I mean the day before Christmas, Mr. Chaplin told me that he would be home and have dinner with me and help me trim the Christmas tree, and I had had mother get all the Christmas presents. I was not able to get up and I had always thought a great deal of Christmas, and that evening, I dressed and went downstairs and waited for him, and he did not come home. And I waited until 11 o'clock, and he did not come, so I trimmed the tree and mother helped me and then I went to bed and stayed awake until about two or three, and Mr. Chaplin came home about three o'clock.

Q.--What occurred?

A.--And when he came home he came upstairs and was very angry at me for buying so many Christmas presents and making such a time over Christmas.

Q.--Then what occurred?

A.--Then the next day was Christmas Day, and he would not get up all Christmas morning, and I went downstairs and took him up his presents and he was very angry at me for making so much over Christmas.

Q.--What would he say? What did he say?

A.--Well, he said it was very foolish and that he did not believe in such things and that I should not be so silly over Christmas and over having presents and liking such things.

Q.--Now, then, you allege that after that Christmas evening he began a course of conduct toward you of absenting himself from home. Tell the court about that.

A.--In February the doctor said I had to go up to Mt. Lowe for my health. I kept getting worse and worse and I couldn't eat, so the doctor sent me up to Mt. Lowe.

Q.--You were in bad shape physically at that time, as I understand it?

A.--Yes, sir.

Q.--Go ahead.

A.--I went to Mt. Lowe and Mr. Chaplin would not go with me; he said he had to go away to think, and had to be away from me for a while. I begged him to go with me, but he would not go, so he went to Coronado.

Q.--With whom?

A.--With his secretary, and stayed down there a few days.

Q.--About three weeks, you say?

A.--He stayed a few days, and then he came back to his house. I could not stand it any longer, so I went down to the city to ask him if he would come up with me to Mt. Lowe for one day, and he said he would not come.

Q.--He said he would not come?

A.--Yes. So I took quite ill and threatened to do everything in the world if he would not come up with me one day, so he went up with me for one day and said he had to go right down; that he could just stay that day.

Q.--He got up there at what time in the morning?

A.--He went up in the evening and he went down the next morning.

Q.--Then how long before you saw him the next time?

A.--Then he went back to Coronado.

Q.--Well, how long did he remain there?

A.--He stayed a couple of weeks.

Q.--Were you ill all the time you were at Mt. Lowe?

A.--Yes.

Q.--Who was with you?

A.--Mother was with me.

Q.--Now, on this Christmas evening you have told about, the first Christmas evening after your marriage in October, you had invited your friends there to the house, had you?

A.--No, I had not; Mr. Chaplin had all his own friends; he did not want me to have mine.

Q.--Then, you allege, that he came home about what time on Christmas morning?

A.--It was about two-thirty or three.

Q.--Two-thirty or three. Then, on Christmas morning what occurred?

A.--He stayed in bed all day until four o'clock; he wouldn't go downstairs with me to see the tree. I took him his presents.

Q.--Did he abuse you?

A.--He was very angry at me for making so much over Christmas.

Q.--What did he say?

A.--He said it was very foolish and wasn't right to make so much or for me to like presents and foolish things; that it was not his idea to have Christmas or celebrate Christmas; he had never done it.

Q.--You allege in your complaint that you had always had girl friends of approximately your own age as companions?

A.--Yes, sir.

Q.--What condition existed after you were married with reference to whether or not he would permit your friends to come and visit you?

A.--He did not like them; he didn't think that I should see them; he thought I should like his friends and be more studious.

Q.--What did he say or do with reference to your friends if he should find them in his house or the house, what was his conduct toward them?

A.--He was not nice to them; he wouldn't come home if I had them.

Q.--When you had your friends he would refuse to come to the house if he found it out?

A.--Yes, sir.

Q.--How often did that occur, Mrs. Chaplin?

A.--All the time; he would never tell me when he would be home; he said he had to be free to live his own life and do as he pleased.

Q.--Now, on that Christmas did he give you any present or token of any kind?

A.--No.

Q.--Was he earning money in considerable amount at that time?

A.--Yes, sir.

Q.--He made you no present whatever?

A.--No, sir.

Q.--What was your condition at that time of your trip to Mt. Lowe?

A.--I was expecting to be a mother.

Q.--And he knew that?

A.--Yes, sir.

Q.--At that time did you have a contract with the Universal Film Company for your services?

A.--I did.

Q.--Tell the court about that with reference to his insisting on your working when you were unable to work.

A.--Well, when we were married Mr. Chaplin told me he wanted me to break the contract with the Universal, because he did not want me working with them. So, when I was in the hospital, after I was first taken ill, I sent a written notice that I would not be with them any more and I was under age. My lawyer told me we could break the contract. Then, in February, when I came back from Mt. Lowe, they had been sending me my check each week, and I had been sending them back and they would not return them again, but I had not cashed any. In February a friend of mine, Miss Sweet, asked me to go to New York with her when I came back from Mt. Lowe, and Mr. Chaplin had been away so long, and when he came back he said it would do me good to go to New York, so I went with her. But he wouldn't give me but $150, and when I got East I bought a lot of baby clothes and some baby furniture and a few other things, and I did not have enough money and I wired for more money. But he would not send me any more, so I wired mother to please cash one of my checks.

Q.--That was the check that would reaffirm your contract with the Universal people, which he advised you to break.

A.--Yes, sir.

Q.--Did you advise him with reference to your circumstances?

A.--Yes.

Q.--Did you advise him that you expected to purchase some furniture for the expected child?

A.--Yes, sir.

Q.--And he declined to send you any money at all?

A.--Yes.

Q.--And he was making approximately $6,000 or $7,000 a month at that time?

A.--More than that.

Q.--You mentioned the furniture. You say there was an arrangement made about some furniture for the baby's room?

A.--Before I went East Mr. Chaplin said I could get a set of furniture for my room up in our home, because it was very dark.

Q.--That was the room in which you were to be confined?

A.--Yes, sir; my own room. So, I bought it at Barker Brothers, and when I got back from New York the room was all furnished in the new furniture, and he took me up to see it, and I was very happy about it and he seemed to be quite pleased, but when the bill came he refused to pay it. He said it was too expensive and that I should send it back.

Q.--Did you sent it back?

A.--No, sir.

Q.--What did you do?

A.--I really wanted it so badly that I went to Barker Brothers and asked them if I might pay so much a week or a month on it.

Q.--Out of your own funds?

A.--Yes, sir.

Q.--Did you advise Mr. Chaplin you would arrange it that way?

A.--Yes.

Q.--What did he say?

A.--He said it was very foolish to do that, and that I had better send it back. And I told him I really wanted it so bad. Then he wouldn't talk to me any more about it. So, I paid for it by the week.

Q.--Would he decline to discuss it with you?

A.--Yes, he stayed away for about six weeks at that time and I could not see him at all.

Q.--Why did he stay away?

A.--Miss Sweet gave a little party when we got back for Mr. Chaplin and me and he would not go. He said he didn't think--he didn't want to go out and didn't think I should go out. So I went with Miss Sweet and her friend and he didn't come home the next morning, and I called him and he stayed away for about six weeks.

Q.--Did he give you any reason why he stayed away?

A.--No; he said I had disgraced him by going out.

Q.--Now, you allege that at the time you and the defendant began to live together it was agreed that he was to furnish $50 per week for your personal use and expenses. Tell the court about that.

A.--When we were married he promised to give me $50 a week to take care of mother and myself, but after I was married about three months he started to give it to me every two weeks, and then when I would ask for it, he wouldn't give me a check for it.

Q.--Did the Barker Brothers' bill include any furniture for Mr. Chaplin's own room?

A.--Yes; drapes and pillows.

Q.--Did he pay for that?

A.--No.

Q.--Would you buy anything for Mr. Chaplin himself?

A.--On Christmas I bought him a silver set for his dresser; I bought him a great many things. I bought him--

Q.--His personal clothing and things of that kind, did you?

A.--Yes; socks.

Q.--Describe what you bought for him.

A.--I bought all his handkerchiefs and socks and pajamas and ties.

Q.--Did he pay for them or did you?

A.--I did.

Q.--Did you pay for it out of your own earnings?

A.--Yes, sir.

Q.--Did you ask him to pay and did he refuse?

A.--No; I wanted to give them to him.

Q.--Now, Mrs. Chaplin, all the time of these difficulties that you have outlined, were you trying as best you could, were you in love with him deeply at that time?

A.--I was.

Q.--Were you trying as best you could to do the things that would make you attractive to him and make his home life comfortable?

A.--Yes, sir.

Q.--And you have testified that he stayed away from home about six weeks, refusing to come home?

A.--Yes.

Q.--What effect did that have on you?

A.--I was taken quite ill while he was staying away and had fainting spells and the doctor had to put me to bed every month for about a week or two. I was very, very ill.

Q.--Now, you allege that subsequent to the time that you went to--went out some place, Mr. Chaplin employed some detectives to watch you?

A.--Yes, sir.

Q.--Tell the court about that.

A.--Well, I understood that after the first night that I went out, from that time on Mr. Chaplin hired detectives to watch me.

Q.--What effect did that have on your mind?

A.--Well, it made me very nervous, I think.

Q.--You allege that subsequent to that time and after he secured the detectives he declined to "re-enter the home of the plaintiff or defendant at all" and refused to talk to you over the telephone?

A.--Yes.

Q.--Tell the court about that.

A.--I called him and tried to see him; I went down to the club and would call him and he would not come down.

Q.--Where were his personal belongings? Had he removed them to the club?

A.--Yes.

Q.--You did get to see him?

A.--I went to his studio and took him birthday presents on April 16.

Q.--Tell the court what happened at that time.

A.--I cried and begged him to come back home and I fainted and he said that I was acting silly and I had disgraced him and he didn't see why he should come back.

Q.--Did you take him some presents?

A.--Yes; I took him quite a few presents; I took him a gold fountain pen and gold shaving set and several other things and he seemed to be very happy.

Q.--Did you prepare a birthday dinner for him then?

A.--Yes; I told him I would prepare a little birthday party for him, and to please come home. I had invited some friends, and he said he would try to get home if he could arrange it. He thought he was going to be very busy.

Q.--What occurred?

A.--The night of his birthday I waited for him and he didn't come. The next morning some one called me and said he was at the Ship Cafe with a party of people giving a birthday party; he had a birthday party of his own.

Q.--He promised you he would come home to the birthday party and went to the Ship Cafe to an entertainment provided for him by some other people?

A.--Yes.

Q.--Did he invite you to go or advise you he was going?

A.--No, sir.

Q.--When you heard he had declined to come home and eat birthday dinner with you and had gone down to the Ship Cafe with some other people on a birthday party, what effect did it have on you, Mrs. Chaplin.

A.--I was taken quite ill and the doctor came out and put me back to bed and he sent the nurse out and they called Mr. Chaplin and told him he would have to come out, that they thought I was going to lose the baby.

Q.--Did he come?

A.--Yes, sir; he came up.

Q.--He found the nurse and doctor and found you in bed when he got there. What did he do?

A.--He said he was going to be different and, of course, I was not able to go out then and had to stay in bed two or three weeks, sitting up in bed.

Q.--Did he remain with you?

A.--No; he came home early for a couple of evenings.

Q.--Then what occurred?

A.--Then he started going out again and coming home at two and three and four in the morning.

Q.--Did you lie awake waiting for him to come?

A.--Yes, sir.

Q.--What was the reason?

A.--I was nervous up in this big house up on the hill.

Q.--Then what did he say while you were living at Laughlin Park, what did he say with reference to coming down town and renting another house there?

A.--He said the rent was too much and he would not renew the lease; that we would have to move down and take a place that was cheaper; that the bills were too much.

Q.--Go ahead.

A.--And so the doctor said I might get up and I went down to look for a house, a nice house, the only house I could find with a nursery, and he said he would not pay over $250 a month, and this was the only large house I could find, large enough for his servants, and the lady would not let me have it for less than $300 a month. So I told him, and he said, well, he would not pay it; if we could have it for $250 he would take it. I told the lady that I would pay the balance and not to let him know it was more than $250. So I paid $200 on the rent for six months.

Q.--Did he ever pay the full rent or leave you to pay it?

A.--No; I paid it for that period until the next lease.

Q.--You allege that during the time you were expecting the baby he agreed to purchase an automobile. Did you have an automobile at that time?

A.--No, I did not; I was using taxi cabs from the Athletic Club, but he objected to the bills.

Q.--Was it necessary in your condition for you to have some kind of vehicle to ride in?

A.--It was.

Q.--What did he say to you with reference to buying you an automobile?

A.--Well, he said he was going to get me a nice car when the baby was born, for the baby and I.

Q.--Did he own a car for himself at that time?

A.--Yes, and a chauffeur.

Q.--Did he tender you the use of his car?

A.--No; he said I would have the use of it, but I never did.

Q.--What was his method of talking to you? Was it kindly or otherwise?

A.--No; it was not kindly.

Q.--How long were you in the hospital; Mrs. Chaplin, after the baby was born?

A.--Two weeks--three weeks.

Q.--When it became possible for you to be taken home from the hospital did Mr. Chaplin come for you?

A.--No.

Q.--How did he arrange for you to get home?

A.--He sent his secretary and his chauffeur with this car, this second-hand car he bought me.

Q.--He bought you a car, did he?

A.--No; he traded in his studio car of a second-hand car.

Q.--The present he gave you was a second-hand car, and when he sent for you to come home, to be taken from the hospital, he sent his chauffeur and his secretary?

A.--Yes.

Q.--The child had died, as I understand. Lived how long?

A.--Three days.

Q.--Now, Mrs. Chaplin, what time did he get home that night after you came from the hospital, after--let me see if I understand?

A.--I had Steve and Ada phone and ask him if he would come home for dinner with me, and he said he would, and he came home that evening and brought a man with him, and I asked him--I could not stay downstairs, I was supposed to stay upstairs for two weeks, so he was going to eat downstairs, and I asked him if he would not come up and eat with me, and he said he would, and he and this man came up and ate with me and he said he had to leave, that he had an engagement.

Q.--What time did he get home that night?

A.--I don't remember.

Q.--This was the first night after you had been home after you had been confined in the hospital, after you lost the baby that lived for two or three days, and he came home and brought a strange man into the bedroom there, and you had your meal and he went off that night and left you?

A.--Yes, sir.

Q.--Give us something about the following nights with reference to his conduct.

A.--Then he started staying--he came home a couple of nights and then he started going up to some friends in Beverly Hills and staying there.

Q.--How late would he stay?

A.--He would stay until very late, and sometimes he would stay all night.

Q.--Would he telephone you?

A.--No.

Q.--Did he ever, Mrs. Chaplin, when he would be out away from home and leave you, did he ever telephone you to advise you he would not be there? Would he call you and talk to you?

A.--No.

QUESTION BY JUDGE YORK.--Did he do any work at that time?

ANSWER BY MRS. CHAPLIN.--No; he was not working at all after the baby was born; he didn't start to work--

QUESTION BY LAWYER GILBERT.--Now, a short time after you recovered from your confinement, what suggestions did he make with reference to your going to work again--what did he do with reference to insisting that you should go to work.

ANSWER BY MRS. CHAPLIN.--After the baby had died I was to go to work, three months after, if I was able. If not, I was to go to work as soon as I was able to, and he said that he thought I had better go right to work as soon as I could, because he wanted me to get my mind off of myself; I was thinking too much about the baby and myself, and that I ought to go to work and get my mind on something.

Q.--Were you really able to go to work at that time?

A.--No. The doctor said I was not.

Q.--Now, during those times that he was staying downtown at night while you were visiting your friends and humiliating you by remaining away, did you try to do your best to get him to change his way.

A.--Yes.

Q.--You have told about the first Christmas after you were married--tell the court about your second Christmas.

A.--On the second Christmas he had been staying out in Beverly Hills, He had been staying up there for quite a time and he would stay all night a good deal up there because he had a very good time, and the second Christmas he said he would be home and I invited some people, and on Christmas Eve he phoned he would not be able to come home until about nine, but he sent some presents home for the people.

Q.--Did he send you a present?

A.--No.

Q.--Go ahead.

A.--He didn't come. So these people left and he came home about four in the morning. I waited up until about two and then I went to bed and sat up in bed waiting for him.

Q.--Then, as I understand it, on the second Christmas night, after your marriage, after he had promised to come home, he didn't come until about four o'clock in the morning?

A.--Yes, sir.

Q.--What did he say when he came in?

A.--Well, he said he had been detained; that he had met some people and had been talking with them.

Q.--Did you afterward ascertain where he had been?

A.--He had had dinner with a lady and gentleman at a little cafe on Fifth street. I don't know where he had gone. I think afterwards he told me he had been talking business.

Q.--Then, you allege in your complaint that after that time he then came home and remained for about two weeks? What did he do then?

A.--I told him if he wouldn't take me out and wouldn't be different, if he didn't want to live with me I would get a separation, and he said he would be different and that he would try and be good and he took me out for a few nights and then he went away and I was working then and I went away on location. Before that he had not been home for about six weeks. He took almost all of his clothes out to Beverly Hills and stayed there, and when I got back after being away for about a week he had his man come and take all of his clothes, and I called and tried to see him.

Q.--Would he see you?

A.--No. He stayed away and moved everything, and he told his man to tell me he would not be back any more.

Q.--Did you get to see him any more?

A.--Yes. I called him and had him come to see me.

Q.--What did he say?

A.--Well, he said he knew that he did not want to live with me any more; that he had tried to change me and make me live his way and be different, and that he saw it was impossible and that I wasn't good and that he couldn't trust me, and that I was--everything.

Q.--Then he did decline to live with you from that time until now?

A.--Yes, sir.

Q.--During this period of time, when he was giving you insufficient funds to live upon, did you accumulate bills?

A.--Yes, sir.

Q.--Would Mr. Chaplin pay those bills?

A.--No, sir; he paid the house bills, he gave me a check each month for the house bills, which Mr. Harrington deposited, and I drew out the checks for the house.

Q.--So far as your clothing and your own bills, he declined--

A.--No, he gave me a couple of checks, these fifty-dollar checks; when I was married he gave me a check for mother and I for $500 apiece, and I think he gave me one check after that for $500.

Q.--That is all he gave you during the time you lived together?

A.--Yes, sir.

Q.--You allege in your complaint that you had been accustomed, during your life, to mingle and be associated with people of refinement and people of your own age. What would Mr. Chaplin do with reference to that?

A.--I had never gone out before until I met Mr. Chaplin; I never had been out alone without mother. Mr. Lee knows that.

Q.--Now, when he finally left, what did he do with reference to his personal belongings?

A.--He had Mr. Harrington come for everything; he was living up in Beverly Hills with some friends. Then he moved to the Athletic Club.

Q.--During that period did he contribute anything to your support at all?

A.--No, sir; he sent word to every one that he would not be responsible for any more of my bills, to all the stores where I had always paid my own bills.

Q.--You always, I believe, did you best to retain him, did you not, Mrs. Chaplin?

A.--I did.

CROSS-EXAMINATION.

QUESTION BY LAWYER WRIGHT (attorney for Mr. Chaplin).--Mrs. Chaplin, you say during the time of your marriage Mr. Chaplin earned large sums of money?

ANSWER BY MRS. CHAPLIN.--I said during the time of his marriage he had large sums of money.

Q.--Not that he earned large sums of money?

A.--Well, yes; during the time of our marriage he sold two pictures, I believe.

Q.--Didn't they cost him more to make than he got for them?

A.--I don't know; I am sure I don't know that they cost him as much as he got for them; I know he gets a percentage besides what he gets for his pictures.

Q.--Does your information that he has made large sums of money come from statements he made or come from an examination you made of his records?

A.--My reference to that is from the First National.

BY LAWYER WRIGHT.--That is all.

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