Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1870-12-30

| On the 2sth of October last, An article ap-
peared in TIE STAR under the head Of "Thrice
Married. in which II was stated that one
james c: Smith, soldier, married in this city
girl calling herself Nettie Brown, on the 6th
| OF January, 1864, that Smith returned with his
regiment TO New York, and the girl, who .e
maiden name was Sheldon, after going to New
| York to see him. returned here. appearing as a
widow; that one Charles P. Wannall, DR., be-
| came acquainted with her. and went with her
to Baltimore, and was married to her by Rev.
Thomas Barrow, of that city, on the 31st of
| august, 1850, he giving his place of residence rs
| Richmond, and she hers a. Baltimore. In
January, 1861, she filed bill for a divorce from
smith, which was granted, and in November
following the decree was made. In August,
Ists, while che was absent from the city,
MaT ws,as HE'D hs css1,es sl hat for divorce
deceived, and although she had asserted that
| Smith was dead, there were reports that he was
living, and she had full knowledge of his being
alive at the time she married him. She an
swered this bill denying his allegations, and
| Messrs. j. n. Bradley and X. 4. Morseli, ap-
pesred a. her counsel Wannall failed To oo-
| wild hunt for the identical Smith the first
| husband, and after a fruitless search OF nearly
| two years, returned here worn out in October
| last, when he accidentally encountered the
| Observation-Disclosures he was looking for-James O.
| Smit ,frst hus band OF Mrs. w snnall-who gLeet-
| ed him with the remark 80 you're the rooster
the 18th of october by Messrs. Norris and Norris
| filed new bill. On Wednesday (2Sth inst.
| Mrs. Wannall's answer to Wannall's bill was
sworn TO by the respondent, and filed by Mr.
MRS. wANNALLs AsswrR.
| She AYERS and charges that the plaintiff after
| brief sojourn in this District, where he filed
this suit, returned to St Louis, where he had
been and Is . permanent resident, to his employ
ment as night clerk in the Olive-street Hotel.
and she sd.ised that he is not entitled TO main
| tain his suit for divorce upon his own showing
and because he keeps beyond the jurisdiction Of
the court to avoid and defeat its process. She
AYERS and charges that she is the lawful wife OF
| petitioner, and calls for the production of the
marriage Certificate in his possession. She adj
nis that she lived with the plaintiff as his wife,
and that she was absent from the city about one
but denies that il was in January; that che was
| twice absent frsm him In 1865 as will appear by
the proceedings and depostions and exhibits ia
cause 1858 on the Equity side of the court and
, c,.. 49," -hen she went with his cons snt to
New Brunswick, New Jersey.
THB FIRST hARa, ass NOT CossrMMArIp.
| one Aon1" nat before her marriage she stated
=" -.ntiff that she had been married to an OFF,
1 Ger in the L. s. volunteer military service,
| named James c. Smith, and that he was dead;
and she AYERS and 80 charges that the said
| Smith, after he married her-she being then
/ only in her 14th year-never cohabited with
| her, because she was induced by the Persuasi0ns
| of persons whom she then thought were her
| friends, and without due reflection and the con-
| sent Of her parents to enter into said marriage,
| AID after the ceremony was performed she was
| seriously alarmed oy its solemnity and net hay
| ing for him the love and affection necessary to
happiness in that state, that she refused tn live
with him As his wife; that Smith nevertheless
| came frequently 10 her parents house, and
treated her with the greatest violence and bru-
tality, being enraged because she would not CO.
habit with him, and that he beat her and
threatened TO take her life. and finally left this
city, and, as she understood. went to the city OF
/ New York; that some time in the month OF June
| or July, III the same year,
I SHE MARRIED SMITH UNDER TIE ADVICE OF
4 HER MOTHER.
and she then deter mined th at her duty required
Catholic. Ssd at smith, mntSer sI Sn. being
had an interview with him, in which he was
violent and abusive, cursinS and swearing, and
that he seized her and
THREW HER DOWN FLIGHT OF STAIRS;
that she slept that night with Smith 3 mother,
and, after remaining day OF two SICK she left
! and took refuge with some relatives then in
New YORK, and in a day or two returned home.
She AYERS and charges that after that interview
she never saw or heard from the said 5 nith, by
letter or by word Of mouth, up to this day; and
that she ascertalned that during the winter of
| 10 and Ca he enlisted i'm the navy, and had been
| drafted into one OF the steamships commonly
known as iron-clads, and had sailed for some
southern station, and later in 1864 she was in
| formed that
TIE SHIP IN WHICH HE HAD SAILED WAS
SUNK
in the Pensacola harbor with all on board.
| That she had no means to pursue inquiries.
| having 10 support herself BY her own person 81
positive Intelligence could be- obtained, and if
any such there was che prays leave TO refer to
the testimony of &. w. Perkins, . personal
to certificates Of the War and Navy depart
| ments. That said Smiths family was in SYM
patty with him and never having heard from
| him
SIZE FULLY BELIHvkp HIN TO RR DEAD,
| and If he be living she requires the petitioner
TO bring proof OF il. OF all these facts the petit
toner ~as well advised before their marriage,
and in consequence OF this knowledge, and lest
there should be, by any possibility, . mistake,
she refused TO marry the petitioner for some
time, although she confesses she was and still is
strongly attached to him. Their marriage was
delayed and their intercourse ceased until he.
protesting he was satisfied as to the fact OF
Smiths death. stating that he had written TO
New York for his information, she yielded to h $
opportunities and the promptings of her own
heart and married him, and has ever been
POND, DxyoTED AND FAITHFUL WIFE
TO him. She denies having ever deceived him
In thought, word or deed, and AYERS that he
acted on his own Judgment entirely. She says
she knew not what his age was, and that she
WAS but about 10 years old when she married
him, and believes that he married without the
consent of his father or relatives; and she AYERS
and charges that because she was not con-
| sdered To be socially his equal, and they were
! Presbyterians and she Roman Catholic, there
arose q violent opposition on their part to their
marriage, which has produced for her great
! sOrIow, and estranged her husband. and led
him against his better nature to desert the de-
PENDANT and their little child while they were
absent with his consent visiting . relative for
4
| up their house and carry OF all the furniture
and clothing, together with her sewing machine
most il net all of which articles were acquired
by her through her own labor; that said Sc wing
machine, with which she obtained living, she
bought with her own earnings; that
4 he CAST HER OF,
and their innocent child. unaided BY him, Ia
struggle against poverty, obloquy and the crue
ISLANDERS OF his relatives and the suspicious OF
the world. She AYERS that in consequence OF
the hostility OF his relatives, and Is she nov
believes 18th the dehber ate purpose to iniure heI
and excite her husband 8 suspicious against her
and 10 give a semblAnce OF truth to the Islander
she was led by their representations to apply &c
~. Thompson, ESD, TO file for her petition foI
divorce from said Smith after her marriage
with Wannell, and by her desire to satisfy her
husband and his family che went to said Themp
SON and stated to him that said Smith was dead
but that some said he might be living, and in
point Of fact her husbands family had 50 stated
and made her husband unessy, and advised hon
| TO get divorce from him; that said Thompson
told her that she would have to proceed against
him as il he were living; that she signed said
petition without reading the same, supposing Il
| to be right and lawful for her to do 90, being
| entirely ignorant Of law and relying upon heI
| counsel's guidance. That she had no idea OF
1 rio NJ al rod IA finr