Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1881-07-25
THE CAREER OF A FREE-LOvER.

w." N>'A,Ni.oiS NotIoeoSN luio VI f1tttl
THE CAREER OF A FREE-L0vER.
The Burlingame Divorce Suit.
THE PRACTICAL WORKINGS OF AN UNWHOLE-
SOME DOCTRINE.
The unique document published below is the
answer OF Franklin Burngame to his wife's
petition for divorce from him. The plaintiff.
Mrs. Burlingame bases her application for
divorce upon the grounds of desertiOn. ill-treat
ment Of herself and children. and of general i'm
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 i'll. Burlin-
game moved all the furniture from the house
they occupied in Shermans row on street.
between 1st and Cd northeast. Burlingame'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
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-teller. In leaving his wife
BurilnSame 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-
ditiOn required. The next incident in the fam
lily difficulty was an attempt of BuIlingameS to
take tOrcible possession OF his youngest child. a
boy about eight years of age. He handled the
child so roughly that some of the neighbors
interfered. The result was that Burlinganie got
knocked down and the child escaped. The
charge made by the wife that Burlingame abuses
his children can be subStantiatea by several
families residing in Sha:mans row. Since Bur-
lingame left his family his wife has had no home
of her own. The children have been Stayin9
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 Shermans row generally pronounce
Burngame crazy.
IN THE SUPREME COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF
COLUMBIA
rr,ns,,n in nsr',nrsms :; a,,S Equity No. n
To the Supreme Court of the district of Columbia.
Holding an Equity Court for SAID District:
THE DEFENDANT REPLIES AS FOLLOWS
1st. 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 U S. gov-
ernment.
Cd. That he was married. and has children as
stated by the plaintiff in her complaint
Sd. The defendant has no wish to attack any
statement the plaintiff makes in relation to her
conduct during the twentyone 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 antrue 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 Intidel. Spirituast and
''believer i'll the sO-ealed doctrine of Free Love-
and from that time ceased to be either 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
| 1nfidel," Spiritualist and a believer in Social
Freedom. He, however, denies that from that
| time he ceased to be either good husband or
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 Infidel, Spiritualist 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 Intidels 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 feeling of deep alb
horrence. They are grossly unjust and untruth-
full in their application and the defendant be-
| lieves would be repudated 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 bes. methods of training the children. The
defendant has nc,er punished the children when
| he would not gladly naTra received more severe
punishment himself if the oEE;;ect could as well
have been attained in that way. vile in the
opinion of the defendant the children excelleu q
| oDedlence, respectfulness, affection, mOdesty,
| good manners, &C., they were afflicted with two
gross and perniciOus vices which were intensely
aggravating 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
perplexing results The necessity of suffering
the consequences and the responsibility of cor.
recting these devices devolved almost entirely
| upon the defendant. The plaintiffs contribntinn
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 valneless '-'S
9th This count is composed of charge of the
naDitual use OF vulgar profane and blasphen1ous
| language IN the presence Of the children. an ac-
count OF the Efforts of the plaintiff to counteract
| It's innuence 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 csslgar language the
defendant is obliged to deny not only the habit
ef using IL, bnt that he was ever known 70 use
BY his most intimate associates, including the
plaintiff end he invites any member Of thu COM