The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1877-01-24
WOMAN'S WEAKNESS.
A Leaf from tho Docket Of II Divorce Court
Not 1onp sinca q s;no111ar s11it for iii.


A Leaf from the Docket of II Divorce Court
Not long since a singular suit for Iii.
vorce was tried in one of the courts OF
the West. The plaintiff, from all &C.
counts, appears to have been a reckless
and unscr1lpulous adventurer, and the
defendant a very good, amiable, much
abused, long suffering woman. The
husband, in order to have some pretext
for getting rid of his wife, claimed that
she had neglected his personal comfort
in the grossest manner, dctied his all-
thority, stolen his money and been
connubially ,lnfaithful to him in repeated
instances. 70 prove this lie produced
witnesses of very questionable charac-
ter, who were made to contradict them
selves by the defendants counsel, and
shown to have no social or moral stand
ing, even in o community where the
requirements for what is vaguely known
as respectability are not remarkably high.
Indeed, their testimony was SO tffectually
oyerthrown as to leave little doubt OIL
the mind of the Judge that they had been
suborned, though lie had no means of
proving his belief.
The plaintiff, with sublime alldacity,
intimated that injustice had been done
| him, and asked through his counsel for
postponement of the case, that he
might bring more witnesses, since those
he had introduced seemed to be dis
credited. The court refused to grant the
motion, and the trial went on, the testi-
mony for the defendant being duly
opened. Then a number Of well known
! and trustworthy witnesses swore that the
! husband had treated his wife shaTefully;
that he had often been seen drunk; that
he had repeatedly beateu her: that he
had pawned her jewelry to get molcy to
gamble with: that lie had consorted with
vile women, and behaved, in word, like
thorough paced villain. When this
damaging evidence had been given, and
the feeling Of the court and the specta-
tors had been plainly foreshadowed, the
! plaintiffs counsel, with view to coun-
tcracting the effect, arose and asked, if
any such state of facts were credible, why
the defendant would have resisted the
! divorce. els it in human nature for
anybody to endure such treatment" he
! inquired, "Gnd yet show nnwillingness
to be free from its continuation, when
the opportunity is not only offered, but
the demand frequently urged ?" This
question was so pertinent, and the an
swer so difficult, apparently, that some
thing like reaction set in, and the law
yer looked delightedly around the room,
regarding with an air of triumph the
spectators, who, in the remote West, have
quite as much to do with trying causes
as the Judge himself. Nothing discom-
fitel, the defendants counsel recalled
one of his witnesses, and elected the
information that he (the witness) often
asked Mrs. -- why she did not leave
her husband; that he had told her that
it was duty she owed to her friends
as well rs to herself. Her invariable re-
ply, with broken sobs, was in substance ::
II cannot, cannot leave him, for l love
him so. He doesn't mean to be bad;
he's good sometimes: it is his bad as
sociations that are the cause of it all.
He'll be better after awhile, I'm sure.
You wouldn't want me to leave him if
you know how I loved him"
Here the loungers i'll the courtroom
were plainly moved, and when the young
wife, who, though pale, wrctched, and
crushed looking, bore traces of past
.beartr, gave way to her suppressed emo
tons in flood of tears, there were loud
murmurs and audible threats, portending
no good to the plaintiff The Judge him
self, who was not all adamant, remarked,
in few moments, with a culver in his
voice, that there was no need OF continue
ing the case; that the suit was dismissed,
with costs to the plaintiff. The decision
was received with shout Of mingled Joy
and rage. The otGous husband under
stood it's meaning and. declined to quit
the courthouse. The spectators were
finally got out by the sheriff and his
deputies, after which the plaintiff claim
ed their protection, and stole off secretly.
Otherwise, no doubt, he would have
been roug gh]y handled by the crowd,
who hung about for some time, waiting
for his appearance, rs one OF them GRIM
" observed, in order to get better ac-
q,lainted with the gentleman.
According to the local journal, the
gentleman departed abruptly from town
the same evening, greatly to the disap:
pointment of the community who would
have been only too happy to show its
appreciation of him in well fitting coat
of tar and feathers. The same journal
also mentions that the maltreated wife
disappeared the day following, and ex-
presses the opinion, based on trust
worthy information. that she had gone
after her scoundrel husband. Its conclu-
sion is that "women are awfully queer.
Further advices indicate that the late
plaintiff has probably married a number
of women for such property as they
might have; Turned it into cash; spent it;
got rid of them by abuse, flight or law;
and that he e.has thus far escaped tbe con-
sequence of his manifold sins. He is
represented as a "mean looking cuss, J"
but " regular heart smasher among the
fair sex. "--Ncw York Times.