New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1859-02-26
TIE CASE OF EMILY GRlGG AVID HcRiCE B. FRY

90 Legislature Of PeonsylsAn'a popli~i1 A"'"1
.s"The FRY Divorce Gaze" and the wide sP'eso
interest il hes excited, induce u' 70 lay before oar
,ssSs,, the following sathentic docamenS' "hcn
eouOrse fall bI.tory Of tbis melancholy o"nios'ic
drama: -,,,o,,
pps. HORACE u. FRYS PETITION
,. d. s.sS E q s:,s'l a,.... we
r." s.'t;s,1n of Eu,iy l.. Fry late Emmy l.; sg,
.t,h. fty of Philadelphia, bumoy shoNeth' lH@. W
ne "a day Of Augos 1855 yonf ssS ~
- I'D mi a citizen OF PsDnsyivdDis Jhst your
n.,,tior,r lived with lin uoll about iae lltl DAY oi
k.n,,mb.r 1873 when she nit nun Tor the iessp"iDs
a,ases which your petitioner pegs les'o W sV1Ve III
lar owl inf TDial language: , ~
Oo TIE dsy of the wefdog, when a. the Alnnt-
street wharf ABBOTT 20 take passage for Nsw-f0rk on
the bIe al nip the said Horace Is Fry got into NO
Lent possiop sssaTpg and cuTtirg a. me- becsase ne
Sa not visa the trouble If tokog charge OF the bag
rage had taken no more baggage thsn he had a.
1s. ed me to take. IL vas the baggage OF enc Two
lad.es who ATTENDED NE as bridesmaids tha' puE lln
ito patsion sgsiDs: me- IL vas not the decreased
sxpeDte Oi toe trip, because my stoer had iufhisheo
an pie mssns 10 JeiISy al expenses.
On OF about the 4tn day OF August, loo az we we're
nbout 10 leave N,w.YoTk for West Point be co n
m.neea sriti9g a letter. suggested 10 him mIily
that be had not time write the etteI that va woal
h too laie for the care. lie immediately got INTO
passion ngaD ard told me 70 go 10 tue deVh ii3
s..ti.ued 10 wrte Dir letter. ard the result was that
We were TOO late for the cars de sgan oSp'sJe1 his
ap,ov,rDsbIe temper, AID cared and sHore ut me,
declaring that IT was my fanit; ,,,
We ta9k the boat for Wet Point and arrived there
On the 9Th of August 1853. Here succession OF scts
Of violence aud abuse occurred which 1t 10 dihcut 10
detail In the presence of company ne generally con-
saed lie uDgoveLAble temper, but disolayedl when
ve were aloDs together in our bed chamber.
u On one occasioD, when was sitting on char, ne
s<zed me ard hupg with violence Oh the il0Or. va
tso other occasions no threw chars az me, lmGs Lar
uspt Of me; and when asked Why ne TINS aOnsea
NE he stated that be bad received busloets letter
from home which bad put him out OF temper, and ne
psst have come one to vent bis passion upon.
While at West Point he Introduced ME 70 gentle
man COR ected With that institution, aud requested
that gentleman 10 tsse charge OF me, because !, was
not yeDient TO pay the Iecsssary attention TO me
hjnssf Distressed by his abuse, and ia deep trouble
on discovering thus early that my happiness was de-
suoJed, j sought sympathy aod COUNSEL from Ihe
gentleman to whom have reierret ~heTeupOo Mr..
Try became eSIo0s without cause ana became more
violent than before.
Wbep entered our bedroom be would lock the door,
commence swoaIDg at me for staying down Stars ana
taking to different people. Ills violence caused
leucnhage Of tue luJs g.. When told him was sick,
sso thought was going to die, he ehid ne was Afad
there vas no snoh goO1 news When, on account
Of my ilDess declined going down The rVer TO VISIT
iis brother, he threatened to lock me up. W1eo
thsn cepeDted 10 go with him, be sad should not
siiI . step with him. 49,.
ne had returned from dance, he locked the room
door and said be would get his pistols cut OF his trunk
asd shoot me. He opened his trunk, apparently IN
execution Of his threat, bat closed 1t, saying MS pistols
were lot loaded. This violence vas alleged 70 be
because had been walslpg around among the people.
When attempted 10 explain he got into q violent
passion, stating that what vas saying was "a Cd
Id lie" and that was Cd ID har; lie con
lis ued this olence about tSO hours. When told
him sould write to my father TO come Tor me, he SAID
he would open my letters, and If he found word IN
them gsiDst him, he wOuli destroy the letters aod
write pretty ttVry to my father, which ne would
esflIy ma him believe.
AZ last Re proposed G. divorce, TO which readily
asserted He promised TO his lawyer about IT as
aoon an We got homo. Whos W o arrived at homo,
ed him about getting the divorce He az first said,
in reply, that be had changed bic mind. Atter"arf
be faid il never was his intention TO give me d.
yorce that he only promised II 10 deceive me- 80 as
20 get me 10 90 home with him. When told bim
voali leave him, he said / was crazy that If did
net behave better he would get ceIthcste from the
doctor that was insane and would put me ID the To-
sane Asylum, and then i would be ont q his way
that rad DO intellect that It was no. in the family
that had never be, used 10 decent society," that ne
had taken ont Of the mud and mlre, ana placed me
vhsre L was; that 1 owed him everything; inst
was perfectly dependent on him; that he was 80 SUI
psros 70 me- ana had such splendid classical educa-
hon that l could not appreciate him; that II SAID
ese more word upon the subject, he wouli shoot me
without the slightest hesitation; that his temper was
% erDabe that he not responsible for what
he old. lie then locked the room-door, sent to his
tropk and took out pistol and pointed II at me, say
ing he would shoot me.
lie said that 10 married me iOr 10y money luht he
did pot ytbDg about Inc that he hoped would
die in elk mODthe that be had another lady whom he
kted very much, and intended to marry. lie ex-
pected, when he married me, that would give him
be control of my property, and die.
Before marriage, be had told Inc that there was
no insanity in his family; but aterward whether true
false know not he said that there insanity in
bis family; that bis father and bis brother VIII am
had both been insane; that be had not tod mo that
before our marriage, because he knew that II dis
covered It, would not marry hin.
In puTsuanes of his declared intention 10 Islander me-
he t4t TO my father The Poiioe 0agetie, containing
slAndeIous stack upon my character as wife. Ine
envelope covering the slanderous publication was
directed TO my father IN the proper hanjsr,ting of
Mr. Fry. HIS writing known, aud can be proved by
q Witnesses.
AJAX Legislative relief, because by law the Courts
Of this Commonwealth have no power 10 decree d
vofos under the peculiar circumstances Of my IS
above ststed. cannot slege nader oath that the
acts above set forth bad they are, were cruel
and barbsrous Sc 20 enoabger my life because never
believed that he bad the courage Iisk his lie
BY executing his threat sgeinst mine and percslved
that his object MAS 10 terry more taSn iu1ict personal
violence. Nor can cay that the iGdiga.ies 10 my
person have rendered my condition iatolerabls AID
my hle 60 bnreebsOme, that Was thereby |orced 10
withdraw frOn bis house ana family, becAose when
hn bim Ne were residing ie house owoed and fur
1isi ed by my father and NJ Fry hsd offered TO per-
nit ne 10 occupy separate apartments II | would
abandon the oea OF divorce from the bonds of mat
iimopy, and consen. 10 live IN state OF separation
under The tSme roof With him.
cid not think il my dutyto I've with him under the
outward show OF matrimonial cchablt ,t,on after nai
been deceived aud disappointed respect 70 all rs
seabh,s' liza motive TOR wishing 10 hold me as mis-
ene sssbst Ey will, after he had slsnderet my char
acter a wife and 6vowod that he was attached 70
enotbeY, and had msnisd me for nv m,uev erpec.;py
me to oe 10 sr months, can be readily understood by
the Leg stature.
Such eoDtipasnes under the bonds Of ns,rin, ,rv
not in my opinion, lriing to the obe,, ~ 10
holy institution, and cannot prodnce any other resq.