National Republican., 1877-04-15

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nlr. Brvwp ". Mrs. Brswn.c
A majority Of fhe parties rushing into equity
for relief from their domestic infelicities seem
to be Of The tcuder ser. Now ani tiicn the
head Of the family, monarch fthe household, /,
gets bis back up at the poor cooking or half
laundried ebirts, or sou,ething else that goes
wrong, and determines to withdraw from the
marriage contract. Here Is one OF those
cases. Jefferson Brown married Mary Vir-
gihia Brown on December 90, 1875, Rev. Nr.
Mitchell tying the knot and dong Il well. Up
TO seven months ago they lived together, and
despite their incompstibility Of temper, man
aged TO escape ao open rupture, but A. came
At last. They had, as Jefferson tells Il, pretty
hot times, and some of tho engagements we,s
fierce and warmly contested. None resaised
10 drawn battles, for Mary Virginia would
have the last word, " Il dii not happen 10 be
accompanied by blow from the dtist hrusa
or potato mashcr. Theec conflicts became
frequent, and so increased In the warmth Of
encounter that finally Jefferson was driven
from his own room and compelled to seek
quarters elsewhere In the house.
Here be expected to lud little quiet ami
rest, but II came not, and the enssnguinsry
wife was poklug at him In the solitude thst he
had chosen. He believes that these demon-
strations Of cruelty have uniermined his
health. She threatens to take bis life, and he
entertains sufficient confidence In her word TO
believe that she will carry out the threat. s.,
he comes 10 the Chsncellor, makes known his
troubles, and Graves divorce.
Mrs. hasten ". Mr.. hasten.
Here is another woman that has made the
discovery that she made mistake and aAr-
ried the wrong man, or In other vords, that
he has turned cut diIerent from What she
or for WORSE" and thinks thst u mast have
been for worte, as she claims that the good
qualities have all disappeared. 4a
John Herbert Louis Bastea and Autoinette
Caroline Basten were married In this city, BY
Rev. Samuel Finkle, pastor Of the Gcrmsn
Lutheran church, on February ., 1858, and
the result Of that marriage vas nvs cAildres,
four Of whom are now living. Through her
attorney, Mr.. A. X. Browne, she has wovea
tale OF suffering and privstion pitiful In the
extreme.
Since the msrriaec they have resided mos.
Of the time In this city, with. the ex,epiion Of
two months in Baltimore, one year In Book.
lyn and six months In Newark, N. J. These
changes were IN consequence Of her husbands
busihets, who was employed In the different
places at the time Of their residence there
The charges laid against the husband are
those Of cruel treatment, intemperate habits,
threats OF violence and not supporting hi
family. Most any one OF these would b sun.
cent on which 10 base q divorce suit. but when
u comes TO combine them It would appear as
10 the man was . monster In human iorm-a
creature not only dangerous to woman, bu.
unsafe to be at large.
Not contest with this, Mrs. Bss,eu proceeds
to make good her allegations by statements OF
the time and place where she hecims the We
time Of her husbands brutality and nf g.ecs.
She says that about one year after ma riAge,
when confined with her lrst child, and oefore
her recovery, John Hubert Louis len her Ia
Brooklyn, helpless, and went 10 PHILADELPHIA,
He took with him her SILK wedding dress AMI
jewclry. Funds bein: shorf he called on 4
pawnbroker, and left them SIS collateral Tor q
few dollars that he borrowed. she, being des,i-
tutc, was compelled 10 call upon her parents
for relief, and they took her and her .nfan. TO
their home.
Afterwards he came to her fathers hons,
expressed sorrow At what happooed, promised
TO do better in the future, and prevailed upon
her to live with him again. She, believing
that his contrition was sincere, indusei In
hopes OF prolonged happiness in the future,
which, unfortunately, time dispelled. Since
their return to this city, In 1870, be has con-
tributed little or nothing 10 the support OF the
family, spends what means he obtains In
the purchase Of liquors, and b frequently iu-
toxicated. While In this condition he abuses
hsr, and In the presence Of their children
uses profane and indecent language. He has
also threatened her life, as we'll as the chill
dren's, and she lives In daily fear lest, while
under the influence Of liquor, he will do them
some bodily harm. She says that her life has
become burden 10 her, that she Il impaired
In health, her constitution broken down, and
was compelled 10 leave him, and asks for q
divorce and the custody Of the children.
lAr. Bastsn ~. Mrs.. hasten.
The husband considers himself q much
abused man and wants the public to remsm.
Der that there are two sides to . story, and
asks that opinions be suspended until he
answers the bill Of complaint, which he now
proceeds TO do. He acknowledges the mar
riage, birth Of children, and living in the re-
epective places that have been named by Mrs.
Basten. He denies that he took the dress and
jewelry to Philadelphia, but went there to zee
his uncle (not the pawnbroker) for the double
purpose Of obtaining some money that was
owing him, and see II he could not secure work
as his late employer in New York city h.d sold
out and as consequence he was out Of posi-.
tion. 1t was mutually agreed upon between
them that she should wish her parents during
his absence, and there is no truth In tho state
meut that they had to take her In to keep her
from starving. As direct and positive con
tradiction that he was destitute ard unable To
support the family, he alleges that he had
money In the bank aud che knew Il, sd that
some Of It was used for the maintenance of the
family.
He goes further and denies that he erer As.
saulted her, or that he is frequently intoxi
Gated. He thinks that be can explain the
cause Of this sudden acton on her pArs. IL
the first place he claims that she has beeu
neither q Kind nor afiectionate wife, but the
contrary, and controlled by bad aiyisers
Second. That she had q vicious and ugly tenn
per, and carries her passion and hate TO such
an extent as even to refuse to cook his yictuals
aud II he wants to get any food In that hous.
he Is compelled TO do the cooking himself
Third. That on the 2sd OF last February b,
went to work rs usual, and when he re.urne.
home In the evening be found the place thor
oughly cleaned out. The family had gone ant
all the furniture with them. She dii no, q
TO her widowed mother but to another porliou
| of the city. The child that was sad 70 hAyl
died from neglect did not die from such 9
cause he says, but from pneumonia, and wa
provided with all the comforts that none,
could procure. He, therefore, denies that shi
has . sufficient claim against him for divorce
and proposes to resist her obtaining u.