Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1880-03-04
A Spiritual Divorce Trial.

There was an interesting divorce case tried
in the last days Of the late Grant County ses-
sion of the Circuit Court. The plaintiff
is a good looking woman past middle age,
said to be an intelligent as well as good
woman. The defendant is her husband,
man with an unusually intellectually devel-
oped head, and physiognomy much better
than the average of men. The charge on
which divorce is claimed is adultery. The
court sat with closed doors. That is, such
was the word put out, and many, under the
impression tina, they could not get in, staid
away. The person named by the plaintiff az
her husbands partner il &C nltery is lady
since married, and now a resident of Kansas.
Her deposition was read, It stated that she
is 80 years old. In 1878 she was called upon
to doctor the defendant, who she said was
suffering from general debility and weak
ness and his whole nervous system was prose
trated." As his physician she wished to re.
store him to health and strength. How she
should do this appears. however, to have
been suggested by the plaintiff. She, the
lady physician, was urged to lie down with
him and rule him. She objected, but the
plaintiff said that il would do him good
He was old, his vitality nearly gone, and she
was young and full of strength, and he would
draw strength aud vitality from her. Plaintiff
did not think he could harm her II he
would, he was 90 weak, and she had all conf.
dsnce in both him and the doctress. As an
illustration to show how harmless he was she
related that a certain other respectable lady
had frequently sat 10 his lap and kissed him,
and rode about the country with him. The
end Of the persuasion was that the lady ply
stefan did "lie with the defendant, and rub
him, and spread his back with plassers, all for
the restoration of his health" The result, too,
was magical. He was restored, and accord
ing to the testimony Of the defendant him.
self, as we understand. he became even
stronger than the young and vital doctress,
and finally II became necessary for him to
return 10 her some of his vitality in the same
manner he received il. The psrties--plain.
tilt, defendant and doctress-were all spiritu.
alists, and these methods. not prescribed BY
the eclectics or allopaths, were dictated by
the spirits.
The trial was grave and dignifei. Much
of the testimony was so secret that we can't
tell il. Whether any spiritual influences had
a presiding influence in the court Is not
stated. In the jury box sat the following
good and true men, selected apparently by
his honor, Judge Cothren: n. Y. johnson.
the Fever river Member Of Congress John
Lorraine, the Galena railroad king; q. d.
York, the able lawyer Of Hazel Green VIM.
| n ebel, Oh. Potter, G. W. Cowan. John An
derson, the capital miller Of Greene river
Felix Nor,hey, Joe Guernsey. 0. S. Jones,
W. w. Allen and John Cox. No more csps-
BILE jury could have been chosen and none
could have been found to take deeper inter
es. in the trial But they did not see the end
Of il. Sorrowfully they heard the Judges
announcement that the case was continued
to next term, and spirits and jury are as YET
divided on the question OF divorciug the
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