Withdrawing his appeal to the supreme court, Raphael W. Pumpelly, member of one of America’s most noted families, began Saturday to serve the 15-day sentence imposed on him at the January term of superior court for contempt of court for failure to meet alimony payments of $250 per month to his wife, Mrs. Amelia R. Pumpelly, daughter of the late General Ripley, famous Federal officer in the Civil War. Mr. Pumpelly, it was revealed at the January hearing, had defaulted in these payments to the extent of $1,000.
Mr. Pumpelly claimed he was unable to meet the payments, and S.R. Hoyle, one of the attorneys for Mrs. Pumpelley [Pumpelly?], indicated yesterday that after exhausting the principal he would seek a judgment for the amount due from Ralph W. Page, who guaranteed the alimony payments for a period of four years. The amount of the alimony payments was agreed upon by both parties at the May term of court when Mrs. Pumpelly sued for divorce from bed and board. Custody of the attractive Pumpelly children was invested in both parents, their time to be divided evenly between them. Mr. Pumpelly, it was brought out in the case, paid the alimony up until about the first of September.
Withdraws Appeal
After hearing the facts, Judge Schenck found Mr. Pumpelly guilty of contempt of court, and imposed the 15-day sentence. Attorneys for Mrs. Pumpelly, however, agreed to give Mr. Pumpelly time to raise the amount due Mrs. Pumpelly, but before the expiration of the period of grace he filed notice of an appeal to the supreme court. It was this appeal he withdrew Saturday, and walking into Sheriff Fry’s office he asked to be taken to jail to begin serving his sentence.
Mr. Pumpelly was placed in one of the regular cells, but his meals are being sent him from a local café. This is allowed by the law. A number of friends, including Judge George H. Humber and Mrs. Buckner, wife of the United States district attorney of New York, visited him Sunday.
Sheriff R.G. Fry is a warm personal friend of Mr. Pumpelly, and while he is showing him no partiality, it pained him deeply to lock up the distinguished gentleman. On a previous occasion, when Mr. Pumpelly sought to serve the sentence, he requested the Sheriff to lock him up. “But I have no commitment papers for you,” expostulated the Sheriff, “and besides, I have no room for you.”
From the front page of The Moore County News, Carthage, N.C., April 15, 1926
newspapers.digitalnc.org/lccn/sn92074101/1926-04-15/ed-1/seq-1/
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