Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1877-01-12

nartirS belong 10 inc SO-caieu piutoclacy VI
Nov York and Connecticut, and have tbt
bich.ut associations in the church, 10 soclet!
and the business world. The Nichols divorce
ea.c. now being tried 10 Bridgeport, Conn, ha
ov,.t2i profound interest throughout tht
Nutmce State End in this city and lSrooAlyp
where several Of tue parties reside and where
~ are well suosu Mrs. Georelana Nichols
was married at seyeDteels ADD is now lady
ann,reuly little over forty, siaa IN stature,
wi,h dark hair and eyes, saIlow conpletlon
,nJ small delicate features. She dresses ln
,ieeo black and listens to the testimony auduc'
eJ tv her husbands witnesses, which Is SO ter
rible an arraigoiAeIt Of her wtely virtue, with
a scorDtuI interest, With contemptlor5 clfi
- her Inns which she tries in vain 10 conceal
ba,;nc dainty handkerchief. Ever and anon
.Ln heaves ! painful sigh, as though The b!t
:.rnass ol the exposure Vas TOO cruel lor hcr 10
bear even mcneat longer. Her husband,
William J. Nichols, It's son oil an esteemed
c,erpvuan, is a wealthy real estate dealer,
whose office is at No. 9 Pine street, ln.:hls
city. lie is rather tall, shtn mau, with
sharp, pointed, MephstopheiIan cast OF coun
tcuance, trim little mustache ana curly mar.
Mr. Thomas c. Lyman, who Is alleged 10 ps
the cause oi the husbands unhappiucss ana
the object OF the iady's pass.Gn2te but uulaW'
ful devotion, is wealthy brewer, a maa OF at
tractlve appearance and ei ways pecniaf'y iaS
cinatiDg to the fair sex.
Whe testimony on the wite's side, and which
q intended as an offset to the grave charges
brought by the husband, was furnished by the
,:crvants nu.aes and three daughters, aged
,.asnectiveIy eighteen, sixteen and twelve, who
all testified TO the barDarO.lS inhumanity oil
,beir iatbeI. They fully bore out the picture
which their mother had drawn oil her husband
as man in constant volcanic state OF anger
and profanity. Demnlion Nlantalini accord
;np TO Mrs. Nichols complaint never swore
ha,r az much as the wicked Nichols. :!cr eom..
plaipA states that he assaulted her, threatened
her wiii pistol, called her foul names ana
ouce even dubbed her an 'IDlerDal hend OF
hell" refused 10 provide pew lor her at
church, Ec. The last mentioned offence gained
her profound sympathy among the church 60
,up classes of Connecticut society. and the
arcsence of several c!frgymen teshhes tins
deeD svmpathy in behalf Of Mrs Nichols.
According to the testimony OF tho daughters,
- vhom their father listened with an express
sion of the greatest modification and PAIN,
Nichols once threw tumbler OF cold water ct
her land ia this freezing weather 1t is easy to
apnreciatc how unpleasant that douche must
have beep). On another occasion he flung
nitcher ut her. He pushed her off her chair
lie started for Washington at one time and
left The family without the sneWs OF war
certainly aisagreeablc position to be 10, more
cspecially when, as in this instance. the heater
bursts and the house has to remain without
fire. lie threatened to throw the daughter On
the hoor--a proceeding which that young iaa7
lid not at all relish. The family were going TO
lr
% inrnish the money. lie was too mean to pay
tho gas bill, and what was the consequence
'rhc gas was cut off and Egyptian darkness
ro;rncd in the Nichols mapslou. lie often got
argrv and when at table hurried the dishes to
the Aoor. lie swore at everybody aud every
shinp, One time the colorcd servant girl Was
<,rstinp the piano. and he, thinking she was
nlap;np upon it, cursed her. Mrs. Nichols asked
Aim for money-the best wives 10 the world
must have noncy-and he struck her with an
umbrella. when they promptly sent out fora
nol;cemap but alas couldnt iiod one. lie
would strike her and pull her round the room.
So had tempered was he that he even sworc
once because one of the boys got peaah ana
stained his dress with 1t. The moustcr was so
nlggsrdly to his family that one Sunday ne com
plained OF the quantity OF bael purchaseu'
which was only niue pouuds!
One of the most harrowlg lncidents lq ms
recital Of fathers inhumanty turns OF l pew
cloak worn By onc OF the daughters. mt'
Nichols. according to their testimony. actually
called her back alter they had gooc to church
and compelled her TO put 40 old cloak over the
bright. elegant, now one on the iInSy pretcXt
,hnt il was warmer. Think OF 4 father who
will even grudgc his daughter the pleasure OF
showing her new cloak to an admlrlog ehurch
.onrrcration 1t is too much! Mrs Nichols
was so i'll provided with money by Eer hui'
:.aul that she had to borrow even car laro on
certain occasions and had to take up cnllec
fjon among the notwithstanding clntl SIT
nation for the mistress of Il house 10 bt placed
10. Because she asked for money he threw
teapot at her, aud when she called the servant
girls to her rescue he cried, 'tdet on, you
damned niggers,' thus swearing again Nheh
the family moved 10 SeVenty'iour1h s'Tte,'
New York. he did not furnish the house with
any OF the barcSt comforts inr ycar-'hsre
was no Garnet, mo nothing, in fact.
At one time one of the daughters long, dear
curs was cut off. He found it out, aud was so
mad that he declared he would cit her head
,tf lie wouldn't pay their school bills, mod
vte as they were, believing, undoubtedly,
e. 81. selrcuture 1as the best mode oil cduca'
: s Once he got angry with Que OF ilie
uon. I'd and with Il trightful imprccatlon, hc
a;l M &e this girl away il you don want to
sa'o, Ia. e." The mother not desiring 'o
80 ,ol Iolp ies's corpse, complied with the
n,i 81. Ief aauS" tie called the children damned
S.u.'c oeiaeS., I .h, the servant girls disturbed
HHnelps' an'I "ne" M! he 20; ssgtully mad
us papers DC sot-r i, = Turk. And then
horrid man-hc would >'eh n..pSe'' u "'' !"
hrary and not let his sro, ss 81. o,rar, rs
Perhaps the climax OF III ''''". t ,isnsn, u sr
testified that his cbulluns OF "S 49, bsnI W." .
50 far once as TO cause him to ac S.Hy osou oan
Silver teaspoon. which was we'd. S !sr h'eSIo 80,
to her mammal Mamma was iii w III ""t "4
for three weeks and he failed cv'' 'n' '''s ~"
see her. The servant girl spit OIL ont inau
telpiece, aud the saugulnarS 'uaSt'r as, ON
she must pay $50 tiuc Tor the damage ana 70
l. .I. Ii lIr