Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1869-01-27
Singular Suit for Annulment Of Marriage.
From the ST. Louis Democrat

Iolu tuc OF. noulb DcuiuCrdtsl
Judge Knight was engaged yesterday
in the trial of novel and interesting
case. A young and beautiful married
woman, Mrs. Elizabeth Bauer, step
daughter of Mr.. Werheide, of North St.
Iouis, brought snit to have her marriage
with Henry Bauer annulled, for the
reason that he was non compos mentis at
the time the marriage was contracted.
DR.. Hillegast, the first witness, testified
that he visited Bauer q short time pre-.
vious to his marriage, and found him
laboring under great mental depression,
but in good physical condition. He was
extremely melancholy, and had an idea
that some one contemplated doing him
some personal harm that his father in
tended to disinherit him. He was lying
in bed, with the young lady to whom he
was afterward married sitting by the
bedside. He had strange faHcies, and
imagined that an enormous worm was in
his stomach, eating away his vitals. His
parents thought mstrimony an antidote
for insanity (for the reason, doubtless,
that like cures like" or the hair of
the dog cures the bite, and urged him
to hasten his affair with Lizzie. A
couple of weeks after the marriage the
Doctor called on him again, at the house
of Mr.. Werheide, aud found him again in
bed. He was still laboring under hallu-
cinations. Matrimony, so far from
curing him, had increased his mental
alteration. He was now in great dis
tress at the idea that he was not able to
support his wife, and said he was mo
man." Two days sfterward the Doctor
saw him again, and he was not much i'm
proved. He was sent to lunatic asylum.
A young man, who had acted as Bauer's
groomsman, testified to his eccentric
conduct on the day of the wedding.
Among other signs Of insanity, he wore
black gloves, shuddered, and expressed
dread of what he was about to do. The
wife took the stand, and detailed the
whole course of the wooing, the wed
ding, and the subsequent conduct of
her husband. She had known him
from childhood; be had courted
her about two years, and the
engagement was of years dura-
ton. She went with him to the fair, and
bis conduct there was so strange that she
told her mother she had notion to
break off the match; lut the old lady
urged her TO keep her word and marry
Henry, and she did so. About two weeks
after the marriage he became worse, and
imagined that some one intended to
poison him. So suspicious was he that
be made her taste of every article OF food
provided for him, before he would touch
It, and when he had to take pills be made
her first swallow two, and then he would
give some to a dog, and il she and the
dog survived during the night, then he
would take few himself he acted so
ouirageously-going to bed with knife,
keeping her awake all night, and com
planning Of some concealed foe-that
at length, after a brief honeymoon,
her father sent for policeman to
arrest him. BE crawled under the
Sed. and with great difficulty be was
captured and taken TO the ealaboose. He
was then sent to St. Vinceut's, and the
handsome young wife consoled herself by
going 10 balls and twirling herself around
in the mazes Of the giddy waltz. After
remaining awhile in the asylum, Bauer
was turned out, and be went 10 Werheide's
to get his wife. She fatty refused to live
with him, aud when be insisted upon re-
naming, she seized butcher knife, and
then billet Of wood, to drive him away:
The lady told the story other matrimonial
troubles with great truth and gusto, and
had treasured up quite budget OF little
indignities During the delivery OF
her round, nnvarnished tale" Bauer sat
By bis counsel with . smile upon bis
countenance, but the sweat gathered
upon his brow and revealed the agony
iha, be invsrdly experienced. BE is a