The south-western. [volume] (Shreveport, La.) 1852-1870, 1867-01-16
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/ Clara II. Sprigg, widow, of Charles IL. Flower, |
of the parish OF Rapides, and wife of Eustace
Surget, prayed the Sixth district court to grant
a decree of divorce sundering the tie between .
herself and husband. The reasons for this /
prayer are stated almost in the very words of
the plaintiff. At the time of her marriage .
with Eustace Surget, he held the position Of
i lieutenant colonel in the Confederate army,
being chief Of staff to Lieutenant General
Richard Taylor. The headquarters of the /
General were. great portion of the war. at
Alexandria, Louisiana, but before her mar
1 raoe, were transferred to the east Of the Mis- |
sissippi river. The acquaintance of the plain
tiff with her husband began in the month of /
August, 1862, a period about two years before |
their marriage. He, with other officers of the |
Confederate army, freguented her house and
enjoyed the inequalities of her abode. From
the attachment and devotion exhibited by Col.
Surget toward her during all that time, she
:, became SO satisfied both of the sincerity and
nermanency of his affection, that she returned
: his love, and consented to the marriage. They
were married, and the wedding knot was tied.
Col. Surget now her husband; being under
orders to Join his command at Meridian, left
his newly married wife on the second day
after their marriage, and proceeded TO their
j destination. Some months after he left he
= continued to write to her letters Of devoted
tenderness and affection.
He sent to her congralulatory letters from
his relatives, and his young wife received them
with great pleasure and qualification. Sud
2 denly the wife ceased to receive letters. Ru-
mors, vague and dark, reached her ear of a
: change in bis affections. Unable to account
A for this painful silence, the young woman re-
: fused to believe the injurious and to her, pam
| full rumors. But at length letter was re-
0 ceved from her absent husband that to her
! was a cruel confirmation of these tidings. The
j. letter contained the cruel confession Of the loss
e of his affection for her. 1t stated that he had
# long loved lady who reel procated his afee-
: ton so feryently that his marriage with his
. wife was bringing this lady to the grave.
}. Nothing the letter said, could restore her to
life but final separation from his spouse.
!: Notwithstanding her agonised and outraged
n feelings at this insult upon her affections, her
e attachment to him was such that she fond)y
n hoped be might be under some temporary hal
If lucnaton. SURPRISING her humiliation at his
n :conduct so unferling and cruel, she implored
h him by letter not to abandon her whom he had
I promised and sworn at the altar to love, cher
= ish and protect, and with her to abandon his
r. unborn child. She portrayed her loneliness
v and misery should he persist in his abandon
J. tment. She pictured the disgrace which, with
W out the slightest fault on her part, would at
T., tach to her proud name, the name of her chill
W dren, the honored name Of her family. Tc
~ this earnest and afcctionate appeal, on the
IN success of which hung the last hope of hel
ID crushed heart, Col. Surget responded: He
K acknowledged the deep guilt of his conduct tx
I'd her, the depth of misery to which it reduced
v. her, without any fault Of her own, but sale
he that fate had fixed his woe SO unalteraby else
&c where that come what would, his separation
if from bis spouse was final and forever. The
n shock that the wife received at this last crue
at treatment was so wounding to her feelings
er woman, SO hurtful to her affection a witt
de and hoping mother, that she pined under TIT
If blow, sorroved and sickened for months. A
nv length at the death Of her stillborn child, in
2e. duced by her mental and bodily anguish, sew
TO- cred the last tie which bound her to her faith
&C. less husband.
tie This was the story, plaintive, heart-wring
I'M inc, that the wife told to the justice. Sh
ect suppIicated for the laws Of her country t
cit come to her relief, and prayed that the bond
Nv of matrimony between herself and Eustac
* Surcet might be forever sundered On tn
, 2od of November. 1865, the fiat Of The coul
was pronounced: let separation from bed an
board, between Clara II. Sprigg, widow {
lie Charles A. Flower, and Eustace Surget TAX
place. The judgment of separation was issue
Ter and consequently promulgated, on the 28'h {
me November, 1865 Abundant evidence CO.
in rohornloa tho to otory of tho plaintiff. an
- from it certain portions are selected.
we The whole story Of the case Is told IN II
,ity above lines Tie facts are vouched for
adj near thirty letters that passed from Surget
but his wife. These letters, previous to the TIN
ecr specified, breathed the most ardent atfectlo
by for his spouse, but tell no more facts than VIII
ich has been represented. Col. Surget rcnounce
in the presence of witnesses all right and {
title to the estate Of lis spouse. The ma
race certificate showed that the two we
t Of made one on the 9Th Of August, 1854. III
statute amending the code provides that o.
,e]v year after decree Of separation is pronounce
,t a and on proof that no reconciliation has taxi
The place between the parties, decree Of dlvor
six may be granted. Hyams & Jones, attorne
and for plaintiff appeared in the Sixth Dlstr
SION court on the 10Th of November, 1866, o
ex- year after the prayer for separation, and pray
ded for judgement Of divorce. Evidence show
into that no reconciliation had taken place. No
and OF the 9TH of December, 1856, Judge u
self PLANTER decreed divorce between the paru
her The marriage tie between Clara Il. Fowl
xor- nee Sprigg, and Eustace Surget is forever su
in dered by the laws.
ana A QUEER ATTEMPT At SU1CDE.-The f
u.s. u.s. lowing extraordinary account of determln
' n1 attempt at suicide, is gfayely related by
, - Epoca, OF Madrid:
10 10 The individual in question being tired Of
"'.n life, resolved to take such measures as MI
Ioln infaIlibly insure his death. For that end
'"S started for the sea shore, provided with Il
- der, a rope, loaded pistol, bottle OF po's
, -" and box of matches Having sometime
ocA, fore discovered a post standing little way
an ', in the water, he fixed his ladder against
es 1;S and ascending. fastened one end of the &C
u t,,' to the top, and passed slip-kn round
7 rhe neck, swallowed the POISON, and striking
l"0 lirht set fire to lis clothes. Then placing
cn an, pistol to bis ear, he kicked away The ladd
"el but in so doing his hand swerved, and as