The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1871-02-17
THE ROBBINS DIVORCE CASE.

IHB HODBINO III HOhOD OAOH.
THE divorce case of Robbins VS.. Robbins,
which has been on trial before Judge Peirce
in the Court of Common Pleas during the
past two weeks, was concluded yesterday by
the jury rendering verdict in favor of the
respondent. This verdict has been antici-
pated by all who have carefully read the evil
dence produced on both sides and the admi-
rable summing up of the case made by Judge
Peirce in his charge to the jury. Mrs. Rob-
bins is legally and morally acquitted of the
scandalous charges made against her, but
neither the verdict of the jury nor the SYM
pathy of all decent men and women in the
community can recompense her for the suffer-
ings she must have endured previous to and
during the progress of the trial. She was
charged with most degrading offenses,
and witnesses of the most degraded
description were placed one after
another upon the witness stand to swear her
character away. The story they told, how
ever, was too systematically straightforward
to stand the tests of cross-examin alton and
rebuttal, and long before the end of the trial
it was perfectly evident that Mrs. Robbins
was the victim of vile conspiracy, the head
and front of which was the man who had
promised at the altar to love, cherish, and pro-
tect her. more utterly disgracefui trial
than this has never taken place in this city,
and its result should have the effect Of Danish
ing forever from the society of decent people
the man who caused it to take place. Rob-
bins being tired of his wife-for he cannot be
credited with being the victim of even 80
mean passion as jealousy-seems to have
deliberately planned to get rid of her by
trumping up the vilest accusation husband
can bring against his wife.
The witnesses upon whom he chiefly relied
to sustain his accusation are persons who
would not be entitled to belief unless their
testimony was strongly corroborated, and
complete as was the disgusting story told by
these people, all appearance of truth van
ished from il when the witnesses for the
respondent gave their version of the affair
The accusation against Mrs. Robbins was not
sustained in one single point, but the case of
the ibelant rested entirely upon exaggera-
tions of words and actions wholly innocent,
and upon mass of fabrication was
evidently invented, and witnesses en-
ployed who were ready to swear to them
as facts for consideration. One of the wit
nesses was forced to confess himself per-
jurer, while the majority of the others were
clearly shown to be SO.
The charge of Judge Peirce to the jury was
as impartial summing up of the case as
could have been made, but it was impossible
for the Judge, even if he desired to, to con-
ceal his opinion that Mrs. Robbins was clearly
entitled to verdict, and that no ground
whatever had been left for the libellant to
stand upon. The Judge balanced the evil
dence on both sides, and gave every point
due consideration, and the only possible re-
suit of this method of treating it was to make
the charge the strongest argument for Mrs.
Robbins that could have been made.
Mrs. Robbins has established her inno-
cence, but nothing can compensate her for
the outrage done her in being obliged to sub
NIT to osuch accusations as were brought against
her, to the defence of her character in long
and tedious trial, exposed to the gaze and
comments of hundreds of spectators, and all
the sufferings which a lady must endure
under such circumstances. She practically
has no remedy for the great wrongs she
has endured, but the people of Philadelphia
owe it to her, to themselves, and 10 the
cause ofpublic decency, to make MIR. Robbins
feel the weight of their indignation. He
should be made to understand by the plainly
expressed contempt of his fellow-citizens
that men cannot perpetrate such outrages as
he has been guilty of with impunity, and if
he cannot be made to suffer any legal punish
ment, he can at least be made to feel that
Philadelphia will not be desirable place of
residence in the future.