Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1864-05-27
lTHE CITY.
DIVORCES.
Dreadful State of the Marital
enthusiastically Rows among
the CoiOred Population--Di-
VOrcc Gases before Courts.

the ColOred PopulatiOn--Di.
v0rcc Cases before Courts.
The present term of Common Pleas Court
has developed dreadful state of matrimo-
NAL infelicity among our people, If the
number of applications tor divorces may
be taken as an indication of the condition
of conjugal affairs 1t is common enough
for young people to rush lleadlong into the
moose of matrlmony, without stopping to
bestow that amount Of reflection upon 1t
which so serious and important subject
demands; but it is only within few years
that 1t has become common for the dsap-
pointed ones to plunge into Court with
their difficulties and appeal to the Bench
for relief from the golden bands which have
become rusty and irksome In the dull rou-
tine of everyday life, wherein love is shorn
OF its halo and the tender passion of its
guilt-edged romance. Since by proclama-
tion the inestimable boon of liberty was
providentially conferred upon the colored
population and that class,
In single night
Turned from black to white, 10
and became "man and q brother" the
married Africans discovered the beauties
of law, and rushed to it in large numbers
to implore It's protection from matrimonial
ills. Since he is free there is no good rea-
son why our African cousin should not put
on airs, fall out with his wife and indulge
in the luxury of divorce, especially since
the new doctrine of misccgenation opens
such glowing prospect for bettering his
condition. Within the last week the Court
of Common Pleas, now in session, has issued
eleven DEGREES divorcing men from their
wives and wives from their husbands. and
there are still twenty-one applicants before
the court waiting to have the Gordian knot
united for them. Nine-tenths of these ap-
plications are from colored people.
In one instance Judge Bates had occa-
sion to turn the table upon one colored ap-
plicant in manner which astonished him
beyond measure. Mr.. Absolem Blake, an
exaggerated shade, applied for a divorce
from his better-half, Sarah Blake, on the
ground that she had been wilfully absent
from his bed and board for three years.
Absolem was in a fair way of getting the
decree he coveted, but to his surprise, Sarah
executed strategem by which her affec-
tionate lord was completely out-fanked. |
She came into court, filed her answer and |
cross petition, denying the plaintiffs allie
cations, and set up the charge of adultery
against the said Absolem; and the court |
refused to grant him decree, but granted
the decree in favor of hi, wife. Absolem
could not understand this proceeding, and
in his bewilderment, he tried to drag him
self out of court by his right ear.
To show the chief causes of so many
divorce cases, we transcribe from the records
Of the court the following cases disposed of
at the present term:
Catherine Strach against Geo. Strach;
complaint habitual drunkenness. Decree
issued to plaintiff. st|s .t.4
Jane Carmichael against Peter Carmi-
chael, absence for more than three years.
Decree issued. rf.l.... 20
Albert Strader against Julia Ann Strader,
Adultery. Decree issued to husband.
Mary Ann Rosette against Frank G
Rosette, adultery. Decree issued to Mary
Ann. ,-
Lewis S. Washington, colored, against
Biorsha Eudora Washington. Decree for
husband.
Margaret c. Evans against William X.
Evans, willful absence. Decree issued to
plaintiff.
Hanah j. Aline against Robert j. Aline,
willful absence. Decree for plaintiff.
pa David Mitchell against Sarah Mitchell,
willfulabsence. Decree for plaintiff.
The other cases still before the court
allege almost every species of complaint,
but adultery is the most conspicuous, and
In all the fault is about equally divided be-
tween the sexes.