Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1881-07-24

moist, and after well-marked rigor it is bathed
in sweat; there are occasional shiverings, and
wandering pains are felt in various parts.
With all this there is great prostraton and rapid
wasting, and tendency to delirium. The urine
often contains albumen."
CITY AND DISTRICT.
->-
THE CAREER OF A FREE-LOyER.
The Burlingame Divorce Suit.
THE PRACTICAL WORKINGS OF AN UNWHOLE-
SOME DOCTRINE.
The unique document published below is the
answer of Franklin Buringame to his wifes
petition for divorce from him. The plaintiff,
Mrs. Burlingame, bases her application for
divorce upon the grounds of desertOn ill-treat-
ment of herself and children, and of general inn
morality in theory and practice on the part of
Burlingame. Burlingame has conducted the
news stand in the Capitol corridor near the
main entrance to the hall of Representatives for
years, and his wife has assisted him. Some
months ago, while Mrs. B. was quite ill, Burln-
game moved all the furniture from the house
they occupied in Shermans row on F street,
between 1st and I'd northeast. Ruringame's
free-love ideas and practices had it is alleged,
been the cause of continued trouble between
husband and wife. He had-taken a fancy to a
female fOrtune-teller and insisted upon sharing
his home with her. To this Mrs. B. objected
and finally he concluded to take up his abode
with the fortune-teler. In leaving his wife
Burlingame told her he had no complaint to
make against her, but they had been married
twenty years and her magnetism was exhausted:
that he wanted to find female companion Of
the magnetic kind. Some of the neighbors
learned Of Burlingames desertiOn of his WIFE
and provided her with the attention her con-
ditlon required The next incident in the fam
lily difficulty was an attempt of Burlingame's to
take forcible possession of his youngest child.
DOy about eight years of age. He handled the
Child so roughly that some of the neighbOrs
interfered. The result was that Burlingame got
knocked down and the child escaped. The
charge made by the wife that Burlingame abuses
his children can be substantiated by several
families residing in Sherman's row. Since Bur-
lingame left his family his wife has had no home
OF her own. The children have been staying
with neighbOrs near her. When the Youngest
boy first left his father the members of the
family into which he was received say he was
literally covered with bruises and welts, and had
besides several running sores caused by beatings
and kickings his father had administered. The
people of Sherman's row generally pronounce
Buriingame crazy.
IN THE SUPREME COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF
COLUMBIA
Sarah A. Burlingame
Franklin bar,,nsame. d Equity No. u
To the Supreme Court of the District of Columbia,
Hotda'g a" Equity Court for said District:
THE DEFENDANT REPLIES AS FOLLOWS:
LIST. That his legal residence is in the town of
Warwick, in the state of Rhode Island, That
he came to Washington as soldier in the Union
army, and has since resided here because he has
most OF the time been employed by the US. gov
ernment.
2d That no uas N, arriad opd ho. oh;Iarov, -,
stated by the plaintiff in her complaint
3d. The defendant has no wish to attack any
statement the plaintiff makes in relation to her
conduct during the twenty-one years of their
married life, and sincerely regrets that he is
required to defend himself from any attack on
the part of the plaintiff He is compelled to
deny the charge OF deSertiOn contained in this
count, and to assert in the most positive and
truthful manner that it is unjust and untrue, and
that the idea Of desertion was never entertained
by and is very repugnant to him.
4th. This count charges that about eight years
ago the defendant abandoned the Christian
church, became an Infdel, Spiritualist and a
believer in the s0ealled doctrine of Free Love.
and from that time ceased to be either a good
husband or a kind father" The defendant ad-
mits with profound satisfaction that he ''aban-
dOned the Christian church" somewhat longer
ago than the time named); that he became an
Infidel," a Spritualist and a believer in Social
Freedom. He, however, denies that "from that
kind father" and claims that these proofs of
moral, intellectual and spiritual growth have
been priceless aids to him in all the relations of
life. The defendant AYERS in this connection that
the plaintiff also abandoned the Christian church
at the same time. and has not. to the best of his
knowledge and belief, been inside of one since:
that she also became, and has ever since been
known as an Infdel, a Spiritualst and believer
in Social Freedom. And as sufficient proof of
this the defendant cites the fact that our young
est child. now nearly years of age, is named
after one of the grandest Infidels and Spiritual
lists Of modern times.
5th. In this count the defendant is charged
with "brutal and ferOciOus" treatment Of the
children, and threats of personal punishment to
the plaintiff at times when she interfered in
their behalf. BRUTAL and ferociOuS'' are very
repulsive and expressive words, and excite in
the mind of the defendant a feeling of deep alb
hOrrence. They are grossly unjust and untruth-
full in their application, and the defendant be-
lieyes would be repudiated by the children them
selves in an unbiased expression of opinion.
The views of the plaintiff and defendant upon
parental discipline have clashed. and this fact
has greatly increased the difficulty of attaining
to the best methods Of training the children. The
defendant has never punished the children when
he would not gladly have received more severe
punishment himself if the object could as we'll
have been attained in that way. While i'm the
opinion of the defendant the children excelled i'm
obedience, respectfulness, affection modesty,
good manners, DC, they were afflicted with two
gross and pernicious vices which were intensely
aggrayating to the defendant, and very destruc-
tive to themselves. These exasperating vices
were lying and stealing. They operated in the
defendants business with the most vicious and
perplexins results. The necessity of suffering
the consequences and the responsibility of cor
recting these devices devolved almost entirely
upon the defendant. The plaintiffs contribution
to this very trying branch of domestic life con-
sisted mostly of theory and criticism, which as
often as they were put to the test were acknowl-
edged by the plaintiff herself to be utterly futile
and valueless.
9Th. This count is composed OF charge Of the
habitHal use OF vulgar profane and bIasphemous
iangnage In the presence Of the children. an ac-
count Of the efforts Of the plaintifl to counteract
It's influence and an expression Of her fears FOR
the future Of the children unless they are placed
in her custody.
In regard to the use Of vulgar language the
defendant is obliged to deny not only the habit
Of using It, but that he was ever known to use
It By his most intimate ass0ciates, including the
plaintiff, and he invites any menbef of this cou-