The Cairo bulletin., 1875-12-14
A STRANGE CASE.


Ss shs faskss-
Several days ago we stated that an In
teresting ha5eos corpus case was then. on
trial before Judge Baker In the johnson
county circuit court; that a young man
named Hodge and daughter of Capt.
Ali. Cutting were the parties, and the
contest for possession Of child--a little |
boy. At the time the item referred to |
Was written We were ignorant Of the real |
facts In the case, and In order that we
might not do either party injustice, re. |
Trained from comment.
Since then. we have learned more about
the matter, and now are able to give our
readcrs the facts, as we gathered them
from q gentleman who was IN VI
cnna during the progress Of the
trial, aad who put himself to some
trouble to learn all about 1t and the his
tory Of the parties to the suit.
In 1879. a young lawyer named Berry
Hodge. and Miss Alice Cutting, beautl.
fnl and accomplished young lady. daugh-
ter Of Capt. ALI. Cutting, the well.known
boat builder at Metropolis, were married.
MIR. and Mrs. Hodge lived together for
about = year, or until February 1873,
when child, q little boy, was born to
them. They were, to all appearance,
happily mated, and much attached to
each other. II there was ever any cause
Of disagreement or difficulty between
them, no one but themselves was
| aware OF it.
shortly after the birth OF their child
Mr.. Hodge was attacked with hsmor.
rhage Of the lungs, and failing to obtain
relief from home physicians, lie resolved
to 20 to Colorado, In the hope Of regain
ing his health. His wife accompanied
him as far as this city on his journey,
and the two spent day or two together
here before he proceeded on his way
to the 'far West" Mrs. Hodge re-
turned to Metropolis, and Mr.. Hodge
went to Colorado.
Husband and wife kept up u cor
respOndenee. and the letters which passed
between them were full Of expressions of
love, and hope for the speedy recovery Of
the husband.
Mr.. Hodges spent six months in Colo
RADIO, at the expiration OF which time,
haying regained his health, and liking
the country, he concluded to locate
there. lie wrote to his wife informing
her Of his intentions aud requesting her
to 60 to hun. In answer to this request
she refused to 60 unless he should come
to Metropolis after her. Ia the Spring OF
1874, having been successful in business,
Mr.. Hedges came to Metropolis for his
wife, but she declined to 90 with him.
Before comiug he had several times urged
her to 60 to him, but she steadily re-
fused to do so. He also sent money for
the support Of the child; but his wife re-
turned the money TO him without max
ing any explanation Of her reasons tor
so doing.
At the last term Of the Massac county
circuit court. the wife, Mrs. Hodge, filed
her bill for divorce. Information Of
this action on the part of his wife being
made known to the husband, he came on
to defend himself. Arriving ut Metrop-
oils, Hodges wrote note to
his wife urging her to forget the
past, and 60 with him to his home in Col
oradO. 10 this note he never received a
reply. Despairing Of ever getting his
wife to go with him to Colorado, Hodge
resolved to take legal steps to get posses
sion of the child. TO this end he sued
out writ Of haJeas corpus for the Gus.
tody Of the child. The case was tried be-
fore Judge Baker in the johnson county
circuit court last week, and resulted in
the father obtaining the custody Of tile
boy.
Our informant states that during all
the trial there was nothing brought out
to show that there had ever been trouble
between the husband and wife but on
the contrary, while they lived together,
they were, vt least TO the
outside world, the happiest
when alone together. Their correspond
ence, which was Of = most interesting
would lead owe to believe they
were as much attached to one another rs
ever.
Indeed, the whole affair seems to he an
nexplicablc mystery, and it is doubted
the parties themselves really
know the causes leading to their es-
Mrs. Hodge Is most accomplished
and beautiful young lady. now about
twenty-one years OF age. MIR. Hodge Is
N his twenty-iifth year, and represented
70 be 4 young lawyer of extraordinary
in his profession. and very
Judge w. ii. Green, Of Cairo, and II. ,
w. Mccartney, Of Metropolis, appeared
Tor Mr.. Hodge, and Judge j. II. Mul. /
key, OF Cairo, aud Judge Allen, of Car
bondale. for Mrs. Hodge.
PORTRAITS 0laces."
This is a new style of piclure now be-
ing produced by VIM. Winter, the artist,
Of this city. These pictures are creating
much interest Ia all the principal Eastern
and Western cities. beinQ altogether now,