The Hancock Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Ohio) 1857-1870, 1859-04-29
Action 70 Recover sIs,OOO for Alien.
ating the Affections of a Wife.


ating the Affections of Wife.
A novel and unusual civil action
is now being tried in the Superior
Court, at Columbus. The action Il
suit brought by Lucius A. Bowers
against Ira A. Preston, his wife
Margaret Preston, and Aaron d.
Griffin. all residents Of Perry town
ship, Franklin county, to recover
fifteen thousand dollars damages sus.
tanned by the plaintiff. Bowers, by
the alienation of the affections OF bis
vile, Mary E. B. ere, formerly Mary
E. Kent, and the eventual separation
OF the pair, produced by the unlsw-
lul conspiracy, confederation and
contrivance Of the said defennants.
The parties in this case are all
highly respectable, and Of good char.
acter. The plaintiff, Mr.. Bowers,
is a very intelligent man, about thir.
ty-one years ofsge, and of good ap-
pearance; his wife is also intelligent,
of prepossessing appearance, and is
about twenty years Of age. She oc-
cupied a scat in Court, and appears
to sympathize altogether with the
From the mass Of testimony in the
case, we gather these points: Mr..
and Mrs. Bowers were married inI
Bardstown, Illinois, in 1858; she ]
Is it would seem, entertaining q neu |
'ral affection for him, was induced
10 marry him by the percussion of
her friends, and at his own earnest
entreaties. They were married but
a short time when, as it is alleged,
the defendants persuaded her to leave
him, (the defendants, it is said.
though this has not yet appeared in
the evidence, were instigated to this
BY an old rival of the plaintiE) and
come to Ohio, which she attem pied
o do, but was overtaken on the way
~ her husband, and was easily in.
luced to stay with him. The de-
cndants, however, continued their
'fiorts, and finally succeeded in sep.
.rating Mr.. Bowers and his wife,
Ind they came to Franklin coun.
y, she to seek refnge among her
riends, he to renew his efforts to re d.
,sin her. The principal reason and
Justification Of the defendants for
heir pSrt appears to be that, though
hey were married, Mr.. and Mrs.
bowers were not man and vile, in !
spiritual sense. and were con-
equently miserable, though no :
triking evidence of the existence OF i
r reason for this unhappiness has a
ct appeared in the evidence. A
,reat deal Of negotiation and "pa-
avering' took place between the RI ia
al houses before this suit, and we :,
ear that even an unsuc tessfuI at.
smpt was made by the plaintiff to !. ).
ever the ties that bind him to earth. .
nd prove at once his honesty and :
incerity 5y shuflling off his mortal
oil. We believe the affair has un- :,
ergone an examination by the =
.!hnrch and by the Society os Odd
fellows, but neither resulting in the =
estoration of his wife to Mr.. Bow.
RS, he has now come down to a civ. ,
Court, supplicating as a balm for ..
lis many wounds. damages in the :
ound sum OF $4,000. What the !,
eal cause of the trouble is, has not :
ct transpired. Thirty witnesses :
'ere summoned, and by the time :,
heir voluminous testimony is COM ;;
,leted, "something may turn up" to ,
he'd a ray OF light upon this myste-
ious, and, to us, invisible point.
-[Ohio Statesman.