Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1869-02-09
4 SINGULAR DOMESTIC DRAMA,
A Novel and Original Method of Dis
posing Of q Troublesome Husband.

A Novel and Original Method of Dis
posing Of q Troublesome husband.
From the Chicago Tribune, Feb. :.
Last October, Mr.. B. Y. Halle and his
wife moved to this city from New York, |
and bought house and lot on Madison |
street. lie was about forty-five wears
old, somewhat stern in his manners and |
averse to society. On the other hand, |
his wife, who was young and quite pretty, |
was naturally gay and fond of balls,
parties, etc. They had been married but
few months at the time they came here,
and it is now supposed the marriage was
mercenary one on her part. Mr.. Hale
engaged in business and was only home
during the night time and at meals, and
his wife very soon became acquainted
with all her neighbors. Much of her
time was passed in visiting and shopping.
They had disagreements only on single
point she wished to attend the theaters
frequently and to go to the many parties
to which she was invited, while he
strongly objected to it. He did not wish
to go himself, and would not permit her
to 90 without him. So there were tears
and reproaches, quarrels and reconcilia-
tons; sometimes he would yield to her
and go, but it was generally the contrary.
He was fond Of domestic life, while she
detested it. Had she loved him it might
have been different.
Their quarrels on this subject became
bitterer and bitterer, until one night last
December she went to party contrary to
his commands. When she returned, he
told her that if it happened again he
would separate from her; that her ex-
penditures for dress and jewelry had been
too great, and that in future she must be
content to stay at home. as loving wife
should. He added that he had no obiec>
ton to taking her to the theatre or to a
party once or twice month, but beyond
that he would not go. She cried, Of
course, but he had become used to that,
having been married almost year, and
did not alter bis determination.
During the last week of December,
Mrs. Halle received an invitation to at
tend what was to be one of the most
fashionable parties ofthe season. Not to
attend it would be questionable. Of
course, she wished to accept it, and to
get new dress, ETC., for the occasion.
Coaxingly she spoke to her husband
about it, bat he at once refused to let
her go. He had been losing money; he
could not afford it, and he was tired of
having his wife from home. Again she
entreated, coaxed and wept, and all in
vain.
Angered at her husband, with her
self-love and pride wounded, and full of
longing to attend the party, she deter
| mined to go at all hazards. The next
day, when her husband was at his bust
ness, she went to her dressmaker's and
ordered new and costly dress. When
her husband came home in the evening
| she again inplored him to let her 60 !;
he refused. She consulted with her
maid, who had long been with her, and
| the result was this:
When her husband returned home the
evening before the ball, she met him
with smiles and kisses, saying she had
| made up her mind to be coDtented at
home. At supper she gave him, as
usual, his two caps Of tea, which he
drank, complaining of peculiar taste in
it. The tea was dragged with some
thing, and in a short time he was sleeps
ing. About 10 O'Clock the wife and the
maid took from him his watch and chain,
money and rings, and cut and tore his
clothes somewhat Then they poured
some whiskey down his throat, and
spilled some on his clothes. Then hav-
ing put cloaks on and covered their
heads with shawls, they partially raised
him and made him walk out OF the house
with them. The night was dark and
the streets were deserted. Supporting
him on either side, they went three or
four blocks from the house, and there
left him lying on the sidewalk, knowing
that policeman would pass within half
an hour. Then they returned home.
All happened as they expected. The
policeman found Mr.. Halle lying on the
sidewalk, and knew from his breath that
he had been drinking. As Mr.. Halle
would neither answer nor move, he natur-
ally supposed him to be dead drunk, and
had him expressed to the Police Station.
The next morning he was brought before
the Police Court on the charge of drunk
enness. He was still under the influence
of the drug, and acted as if drunk. He
was fined So, and as he had no money
was taken to the Bridewell. He did not
fully recover until the next day, and he
could not imagine how he came to be at
the Bridewell. The last thing he could
remember was eating supper with his
wife. lie managed to get note to his
partner, and was released toward evening.
When his wife and her maid had left
him in the street and returned home,
they were disappointed to find that they
had not obtained all the money needed
to pay fer the dress and some other ar
ticles. Mrs. Halle saw but one way to
obt&in it, and that was to sell her huss
bands watch and the other things she
had taken from him. The next day they
were sold by the maid at pawn
brokers'. The dress was thus paid for,
and Mrs. Halle attended the party that
evening. When asked why her husband
was not present, she answered with
sigh that she feared he was on "spree;"
that she had not seen him for twenty
four hours. When the party was over
she returned home, well satisfied, and
locked the dress up in her trunk. Then
she calmly waited for her husband
As soon as Mr.. Halle was released
from the Bridewell he went home, and
there found his wife in bed, sick and
weeping. He met with a storm of re-
prOaches, she accusing him of having
been drunk and Of having left her to keep
company with some vile women. She
asked him in a meek and injured way, if
he did not remember how he left her af-
ter supper two nights previous, saying
he had to see friend on business Was
that the reward she was to have for cons
senting to stay at home
All these reproaches were moistened
with tears. Finally Mr.. Halle was all
lowed to speak, and he told her all he
knew-he had found himself in the Bridea |
well, with his money, watch, etc, stolen.
How, why, OF wherefore, he did not |
knew. She declined to believe him, and |
called upon her maid to bear witness
that her husband had said he was going |
to see a friend on business. The maid |
did so. Mr.. Halle protested his inno-
eence, and was finally believed. TIE
next day be was able TO fad out, by in,
luiring at the ArmoTy and the sub>star
ton, that he had been picked up dead>
trunk on the street. Beyond that he