The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-07-03
THE DIvoRCE LAWYERS WIFE.
The Story that IL Told By the Woman whs
KILLED her Abusive Husband.

Irene House, who killed her husband,
Orson A. House, occupies an ordinary cell In
the Jail in Trenton, the one recently Inhabited
by defaulting State Treasurer Sooy. She Is sick.
She collected her senses .ater In the iday, and
feeling grateful to THE SUN for Its impartial re-
port, sat up and wrote her version Of the TRACE
DIV as we'll az her life experiences.
She says that their entire property Is not
worth over $4,000. She made her will bequeath-
ing her property to the two sons OF Mr.. House
by his nrst wio. She Is very low splrited and
tho Sheriff said she would gladly stop to the gal
lows. Her father and sisters have been with
her all day. Application will be made to Chief
Justice Deasley In the morning to admit her to
bail.
Numerous stories are told about Houses ques-
tionable practices as a cheap divorce lawyer.
flo came here in 1895 and opened an once at 70
Nassau street. He had partner, Timothy T.
Burger Of Portchester. Westchester county.
Burger died in 1903, aud House then started as
cheap divorce lawyer. lie advertised extern
siveiy to procure "divorces for twenty-five dol
lars without publicity" lie was INSCRIPTIONS
about the means he employed In his business,
and frequently got into trouble with the courts.
Any case i9A' wVS,S he tsady
he expressed II, regardless OF Its merits:
The work Of hunting up divorces was performed
employed In his ONCE, and paid lberay for
| their services. HIS practice was great. Clients
have divorces procured the minority OF them
| were women, and II Is said by those who knew
| him that Ia the ten years he opCr tied he OBJ
tained over go DEGREES OF divorce. The ian,tor
at IS Nassau street said yesterday. IL did an
immense business here, and made fortune
one of the nrst cases that House undertook
was the divorce Of Josephine Mansneld from her
Flax, Jr, paid bin tl,600. In ls12 he moved to
iei Broadway, where he has 81, ce kept % once l,
two Se5rs with his wife. Their quarrels there
at night after tie business tenant, had gone
three rooms, the walls OF whien are adorned
| with paintings, and photographs OF women,
snd enSIavinss Of iSs' s%ss sUrss'' uoass %slss
tull name was orson Alonlo Moore Hor,se, r,ss
eeunseIld2 &c nae Pa,a'ff an law, and below Il 70 M
House, Lawyer" lie advertised under the
into court. In 1873 he WIS arrested by Chief Of
| Police Allen OF New Haven for procuring u
ofnS,on Of perjury perjury ana nd was @ held in $500 ball.
but through the exertions Of his wife MANAGED
TO escape trial: She pleaded WITH the com con,
ton. House was several times arrested on tho
complaint OF husbands and wives whose charAc-
The murdered man and his murderess were
both divorced persons at the time OF their 70
puted marriage, six years ago. She bad two nus
bands (some persons say threel before House
from each OF whom she had been divorced
| Her marriage to House n6S Oeeu repeateuly
questioned, but she has claimed To be bis wife
ana on one occasion she produced. In the Bel
mont Hotel paper pvgpor.na % to be @ eer,n n,,nl
| relling with House she assisted him preparing
papers In his divorce cases: :,
House threatened her life several times. IL
January, 1875, she had a savage nght with hin
about her SON and she packed up her Jewels an.
reconciled to hip, and wrote to a friend:
There is no doubt / am most at fault;
always beat Mr.. II. 50 badly In controversy thai
| ha 1t4a nt q a h 4
to nshtins me 10 the only way he can maste
me. II could praetice, In courts and USE vi
s"' paTtSer SPHSa'i OF townsend. / commence t6'
study OF law this day, and will succeed
health !. spared me. assure. assure ySS,,
vorces without publicity. although l vii
take such cases. offered my dsrline husban,
preferred II. He wanted ne only IN preferenc
to all the wealth Ia New York. OF course ths
| was too much for weak woman. aud caved.
am to have everything my own way hereafter
| with Townsend as our counsel TO Keep ou
tempers 10 chains. , !, 's l1s, nnS 'oln
one hnds out one's best friends and enemel
Mr.. II. says that would be comfortable wif
II ] were not 50 AIRY, seli.wllled, overeearinI
PFa'Rfss'0' .FSs r. proud abusive concerted sens
Hous.t wife dressed eItravagantly. and wa
} | couspicu )us wherever she went. one OF be
T ornaments was a diamond necklace that COS
| 1900. House was liberal patron Of the Thea
;. Tres, and always visited them on first nigh'
House W S thrown over the bar 10 1872 Edwar
Gebhatd, lawyer. hed TO Europe with the vii
| Of MIR. William Nichols, whose brother Is
wealthy lawyer living in Fifth avenue. Hous
, | got one OF his without publicity divorces u
Hrs. Nichols, nd Geohard returned TO this cit
4 Proceedings for tho disbarment Of both Hous
5 and Eberhard were begun before Henri Nicol
J. referee. Detective Leyons collected tes lmon
a | against House aud Eberhard that could not
I | set aside, and thev were disoarred, House WI
| Il uch annoyed, seemingly, by this reverse
fortune. and for months kept quiet, even esA
| 40