Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1878-05-18
Laura Joyce. re Actress, Suing for
nfN OrCe.

BOTH HUSBAND AND WE MAKING SERIOUS
ACCUSATIONS AGAINST EACH OTHER.
A telegram from Boston, May 10, says OF the
divorce suit OF Laura Joyce, who Is well re-
membered by play -goerS here as member of
Laura Joyce Taylor against James Valentine
Taylor, which had been called and postponed
several times in the past two years. was begun
cambridge, Judge Lord presiding. The libel
laht Is known to the public by her stage name
r Iauta Joyce. She obtained most of her not0
IietS In the burletta Evangeline. The grounds
OF the petition for divorce are gross and con.
nLmed hablts OF intoNication and cruel and
ABUSIVE ara treatment The specific allegations
repeatedly in the face, threw a glass of gin in
her lace, and seized her violently by the wrist
ard wrenched and twisted it; that he pinched
and bruised her, drawing blood and leaving
marks upon her person that in the month Of
December he struck, kicked, and Knocked her
down; that in April, 1876, he threw her down
times he used gross, profane, violent and
indecent language to and about her: that he
mas repeatedly carried firearms upon his per
SG a h Ike KEPT them IN the sleeping room occu
edly threatened her.
The husband answers by denying the charges
Speccnlfhlcally, and affirming that he expended
sSnW0 in purchasing land and building a
house in Cambridge :: that for the gratiicatioa
i his wife he received James H. ana Maria ID
haskell. his Wifes parents as members of his
Gil tnat ue Has Always maintained lib
eTal household, of which the annual eos, has
not been less than $4,000 or $1,000: that mis-
"ifeS father and mother were supported at
ms expense; that the father has been yer,
intemperate, and when intoxicated was QUAR-
Eesome and abusive, and inSulted the libellep
beyond the power of endurance; that at the
,ime OF his MARI age she desired to leave the
Stage, and promised TO do SO, but has broken
hat promise and that she has frequently at
tempted to scratch and strike him, and that
his only violence was in preventing this.
The only witness to-day was the libellant.
and she rehearSed her tale to an interested
gathering OF stage people and their friends
her maiden name was Laura Joyce Maskell
and she had been on the stage since early life
IS12 and met Taylor at Niblo'S Garden. New
York. Her marriage was on New Years 1874
and they then went to the st. James, in BoS-
ton, to live, but soon removed to The Fins
IN North Cambridge. She related instances of
ms locking her into room and calling il fun,
OF coming home late, drunk, and beating her,
throwing soup spoons at her, tlinging his Slip
perS at her, throw ing water i'm her face and gin
On her person, plnching her. kicking her out
OF bed. dragging her dresses about the floor
pulllng the rings from her ears so forcibly as
10 make them bleed striking her with his fist
and cutting her lip, and telling her, You are
my OK, my ass, my anything: l have bought
you" She continued:
In April, 1870, was driven out of bed by
his beastly conduct. l laid down upon the
>0f'i, and he caught me by the throat aud
chOked me- and committed indignitieS of the
SrosSeSt character. After our return from the
beach he tipped ME OF the sofa and slapped
my face and kicked me with such force that il
sent me on my knees at the bottom of the
stairs. On the 18th of June, at Lawrence he
tore my clothes and saturated me with cold
water.
On the crosS-examination she testified that
she had received letters from Mr. Nat Chlds
dramatic critic of the TrdreIer Before mar
rage she and her mother were Mr. Taylor's
invited guests at the Rockland House. Nan.
taSket Beach. Her father paid the bills at the
ADAMS House. Questioned concerning Mr.
Nathaniel Childs, she said he had not been
more intimate at her house than any others,
He never made any long visit to her except at
the beach. when he stayed a week. Counsel
onered to put in evidence of intimacy with
Mr. ChlldS, i'm order to prove a conspiracy to
obtain divorce and get possession of Mr..
Taylor property, but the court held adultery
could not be shown, because not alleged i'm the
answer. A few letters from Mr.. Childs were
Identified by witness, who said her husband
knew ABOUT them and opened them. One read
=, Many, many happy returns of the day.
heaven cannot send you more Joy year by
year than wish you, nor can sum iIp enough
10 give you The comfort, ease. and peace |
be always the Same toward you and you to-
ward me, as is now. Yours, ever
tSigned,) NAT.
answer to gift of slippers, in which occurs
such expressions as these:
III my pen was made of rose leaves and dia-
mond pointed, and if my brain never formed
anything but poems, might write somewhat
as desire to do in this letter. When
l think that was considered during all these
workings of the hundreds of stitches which
form so lovely pattern, when | remember
that In all the odd minutes formed themselves
into hours and then days was thought of, how
can pc but proud as well as grateful. =
l came as near to crying as l ever did i'm my
life when received them"
In another note he tells her til at he was re-
Gently In the company of pretty ladies who
had so little charm for him that he went on
and got good square drink. The case will
continue tomorrow, the libelant having four
more