Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1883-08-15
A PLEA.
Petition of - Prison-Bird. Begging a
Court to Refuse His wife a y0rce

The Detroit Post and Tribune Gays: In DC.
tober, 1881, Lewis Collins, then sged twenty
four, a graduate Of the law department Of
Ann Abr, married Minnie S. Fisher, seed
six cen, at Grand Rapids. 10 January, 1888,
Collins pleaded guilty TO an in
formation for highway robbery and
was s-ntenc-d to Ionia for four year,.
june Sin Mrs. Collins filed an application
for divorce on the ground that her husband
il a convict for sn Infamous crime. In Col
lins's answer TO her bill-an answer written
by himself filed Monday, he says that bis
wife urged him TO commit the crime, slso,
that he has provided her with a house and
means CT support till his sentence expires.
He asks for a continuance; shows his in
ability to be present at the trial, and prays
that no action may be taken till his release.
He then continues ia the following eloquent
words, even if they should prove TO be words
and pothiug more:
Your honor, l trust you will adhere 10 my
motion for continuance with interest and
ease, and give me the full benefit Of your
moral wisdom when / ask you to protect my
legal and equitable rights in a lawsuit insti-
suited sgainst me, and to be trusted to your
wisdom for settlement. am an bundle pris-
oner under your own sentence, whereby you
ought TO have great interest in my reforms
tIOu duu luluTc Wclldrc duu III tBis III
gatiou TO be placed before you, whereby
my loving vile, Minnie s. Collins, is APP
plicant for divorce, is vested all my hopes of
iulure comfort and prosperity in life, for it
is an attempt, without any legal or equitable
rishr, as l verify bslieve, 10 take advantage
of me ard tear away from my heart all there
is dear and precious 10 me in this life, by the
evil design of one Mrs. Louisa Fisher, an
adopted mother-in-l law, on purpose 10 sepa-
rate me and my loving wife from the
divine ties of love and mstrimony,
which ought to be held sacred by wisdom
aud get legal possession of my child by
adoption. l do not believe this to b. the
voluntary act of that one who ia dear to me
in love, whose last words ever uttered 10 me
were in tears of love, as she said: Lewis, /
will stand by you until l die" These were
the last words my loving wife ever spoke TO
me. They have penetrated my heart; they
stand like diamonds in the frame of my life,
shining with that pure light which
lights my manhood 10 a higher ambition.
Will your honor tear those diamond words
from their socket in my heart by a divorce
without giving me a chance 10 be heard in
defense, simply because my wife has been
taught, influenced and forced 10
this suit by disconnected parties ON purpose
to get legal possession of my little daughter
by adoption, which God gave me as
a living idol frem my own blood
10 worship with love and to look after and
care for with the wa,chful anxiety of a
father? In the legal POSSESSION of this little
treasure are embodied all my hopes of com
fort and prosperity, and ! trust thst you
will not tear from the prisoners heart the
precious food that nourished manhood,
tha. builds up life, and entrances manly
hope 10 aspiring ambition, Without Civ
! ing me a chance 70 BE- heard in self defense.
1 trust you are not going to turn round aud
tear down our HOPES. and purposes 10 my
reformation by tesring away from my heart
those precious golden keys OF love that turos
| the lock to MY life. l Know l have fallen,
but it wss a sudden drop, caused by an i'm
paired mind I'm Ter bad influence and cramp-
ing ciTumtsnce, which / could 70.
help, and fer which Minnie is responsi-
| bic, for her illegal and wrongful acts that
| forced me 10 do az l did. Lei me once more
| feel that ! am a man whose natural and
| legal rights are still held sacred by courts oil
| chancery, and that the foolish, idle thoughts
| Of getting q divorce is something that courts
! of chancery do not trifie with when there arc
l children born that are dear to natural love
l 10 the parents on both sides.