New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1860-04-30
THE BURCH DIVORCE CASE-PUBLIC
OPINION IN CHICAGO.
Fro. n. Oaleaoo Press and Tyibrss.

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Fyva T1s OSieeo Pres and TytbRN. .
IL now three months since the fess startling deta's
Of whai has como to DO widely known IS the Borch
Divorce Case, became public here. The character and
associations Of the principal parties IN the pe'n.di
affair, the standing In society occupied ~ tho oufortu-
nate wife and mother, both here and IN her Iaaden
home the luxury and affuence Of the home whence
che had passed forth, stained and dsgraced; the po-
stion OF the dshonored husband, were all OF sach o
Gass 10 cause these revelations 70 fall with startling
effect upon the entire community.
In common with other leading journals Of our city,
we foIebore to make mention Of il at first, I'm Wiling
10 add 10 the pognancy Of the grief and shame that
resed upon innocent, suffering parties until the first
legal steps taken by Mr.. Buch made the case mster
Of record at which time We gave, in these columns,
the PRINCIPAL features Of his first bl fled in the CIR.
cuit Court asking decree Of divorce from hs wife,
Mary w. Burch. From the frst, his legal eoonselors
and advisers have been hghmnded gentlemen, a,ting
upon whose advice little publicity as possible wss
sought for the scandal on the de OF the injured hus-
band,
That such has not been the ooue Of those Interested
in opposing the suit Of Dir. Burcn We have been often
times and almost daily reminded, in Turning over oar
piles of exchanges. Rninors the most groundIess and
the most extraordinary, dstortons and peryersiops OF
truth which could have obtained RECITATION from hun
dreds Of citizens, have been Set afoat and found
kerr way into newspapers toes length ana ofeatn o.
the land. Newspaper correspondence from Chicago
has been made the vehicle Of the uoet ridiculous and
unfounded statements, without shsoow or show OF
truth.
We has no purpose 10 follow these out at this time;
Il were useless task 10 DEFY 1.-THE of taese RIM ,
Bnt with regard TO charges affecting the character OF
Dir. Bnrch, to his tyranny in his household, and
cruel treatment Of he wife previous TO and ateHdan.
upon the first revelation Of her alleged guilt we have
no hesitation in pronouneng these presented In what
ever FORM TO be unfouDded, monsrous and cTael and
the latter moot especially IN adding TO the heavy bur-
den borDe BY one who, throughout this entire affair,
has forfeited nothing of the respect and eseem dne
. Va va az
testimony not alone ours bat cheerfully and unyary
ingly accorded by our beet eitizens
We have persistently held % our course chosen as
the outset 70 deal with nebug bot matters of record
as to the painful case and therein able In this
esue to rsfute az length, and in shape bsyead all
controversy the widely asted statement that Mr..
Brrch had abandoned the suit and Withdrawn his
bill.
II will be seen that he has amended his frst bill,
which amendment present entire. In brief para
graph few dsys rnce we stated that the hearing of
the would occupy the Circuit Court az some Tune
during s present session. and this lie true and e shall
be true 70 our views of duty public Journalists in
the matter
We may be permitted to preface the copy Of the bill
we present. with The undenabe statement Of fact that
in the midst Of our community there has been no
change IN the sentiments of rghtthnking and honest
mine ed citizens since the first ana earliest stage OF the
affair The " reaction" and "recolng" claimed is
growth outside and foreign 10 those whose opinion Ia
most Of value showing the tone Of our community.
That the family friends o. the unfortunate woman
have espoused her cause, and will defend the same In
Cenrs IS true ana it Is also true that on neither
eide wilt aught be lacking that ample wealth can pro-
cure not only 10 carry 70 the fullest OK
tent but in doing, render the trial one OF the most
remarkable and painful in the annals Of our Courts
We justified in the belief ana assertion that has
been hr BaIch's desire and that OF his counsel TO
AVOID such publicity, but forced upon them, their
coune ia suf GENTLY well indicated in advance. To
wllful, designing. and perverss misconstrdetion OF
their motives is due the origin of the widely ru-
mors which, in this present. issus from the authentic
records Of Courts, an efectua quietus is given
From The chicago Deaoyat
We have noticed on reading our Eastern exchanges
that Madame Rumor rs usual with her, has been more
than ordinarily industrious in circulating the most AK
Iavagsnt reports about all the parties concerned IN
this case among our Eastern neighbors
BY some Of these we notice tuat the salt had been
withdrawn by MIR: Burch, and his wife was about
again TO be restored az tae partner OF bis bosom that
his conduct as husband had been grossly tyrannca
ard unkind that the fall Of Mrs. b. had been the re
suit of foul conspiracy between her husband and
others TO rid himself of her wife, that a hee con-
fessoDs of guilt had been extorted from Der by weak
under confinement, and thrests force, fraud and
fear bad all been uPed in obtaining IL; that she hsd
been driven out from thr bsck door of her happy
home, and at midnight concealed in cose carriage
rapidly hurried away TO a railroad depot, without the
knowledge of friends TO whom she mig impart her
dreadful secret. That all this time Mr.. Burch was
mschievioufy engaged in tearing out his wifes name,
BuIch" This own too, Of course) from all the bed
linen and old table napkins and towels and scratching
il ont of all the silver and plate in the house
With all this dishing up of extrsvasant detail daily
placed before our eyes, we forbore making any con-
ment, because upon principle we are opposed 70 max
ing any statement of facts which might prejudice a
case in advance Of trial. wella because such state
nent of facts which might pref JUDGE Gaze In advance
Of trial. as well as because such statements are calcu
lated TO deeply wound the feeliogs and sensbitiesof
those TOO much afflicted and wounded already. To this
principle we still adhere.
But when the facts above stated such thstcan
not affect the merits OF the divorce sued for and whom
the things asserted grossly false and altogether
improbable, taken in connection with the nigh charac
ter and reputstable standing OF Mr. Barch as citizen
here an Chicago, where he lie well known and 20
much esteemed 1t would seem as If justice requ red az
least statement 70 tho eecsthat sueo charges need
refUtstion a. the home Of Mr. Burchthat their false
hood here among his neghbors and feo wcitizens
is demonstrated by their utter incompsbty with his
known and widely established reputation and that at
least the proof should be made before our eastern
neighbors put any confidence in their truth.