The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1884-06-26
LILLIAN SPENCER
HER W0ES-HER HUSBAND SAYS
THEY WERE CAUSED BY
HER MOTHER.
He Denies All Her Charges o
Cruelty and Says He Will
Fight Her Suit for Di-
yorce to the Bitter End.
From the New York World.

HIOlH llC 4NCh ANlh HSAAN'
Mr.. Edward Clayburg, the husband
of Lillian Spencer, the actress, who is
suing in PiItsburg for a divorce, said
Yesterday to World reporter that the
allegations OF his wife in her bill OF |
particulars are entirely false. He is
about tWenty-seven years old, and
stylish in appearance. He does not |
appear to be in the least degree lerce
or dangerous, but he does speak in a
highly f1orid style, in which his meta
phorS are fearfully and wonderfully
mixed.
81 am confident" he said, that these
charges are the Vaccinations OF my
mother-in-law, at whose door the en-
tire cause of our rupture is laid. Ev-
er since our marriage her family have
used their best endeaVors to separate
us. First the father, and since his
death, at his dying request, the moth
er has more bitterly than ever taken
up the theme where he left off, and as
a constant dripping wears away
stone, she has at last succeeded IN see
| ing the virus take effect with which my
wife has been inoculated for the past
three years"
Quoting from letter received from
his wife while she was in the country,
Mr.. Clayburgh read as follows:
II have lust received another terri
bic letter from mother and all about
you, and, Edward, l feel so badly over
it. as it nearly drives me wild. have
torn it up and written her an answer
which l inclose to you. l thought
when father died the persecution OF
YOU would have ceased, thinking that
father controlled mother; but l see
now it was her fault more than it was
his. don't want you ever to notice
any of my family as they have all
treated you shamefully.
have hidden mother good-buy forev'
er. l cannot see my husband, who
has elevated me to the position now
occupy. who has sacrificed everything
for my sake, SO wrongfully abused
"You can see by this portion of thu
letter" continued Mr.. Clayburgh, 'tha
it is purely case of mother-in-law
| will prove at the trial that the poo
child was afraid to go home prior t.
her fathers death, fearful OF the lnces
SAINT torture she would have eXperienc
ed owing to our marriage"
$ "How about the money they CLAIM
was made by her and extravaganza.
: spent by your
: and never emanated from my wife
e Suffice it to say that l have ever bee
|, faithful to her interests. We hav
q been married nearly four years, no
p quite five months of which time d1
$ she act under my management an
with success. have nothing but tn
kindliest of feelings for her, and onl
| 81 and rifu
have stated the whole thing is inf1l
l. ence. Her family have been naggin
e at her so persistantly that l fear sh
Il has been driven into the belief hersel
IL She has always been the soul {
y honor"
"You have demanded jury trial. !"
"My cause is in the hands of my Law
yer. Personally shall leave no stor
unturned to prove my rights for II
% sake of my family and child. l hay
IT been a martyr and philanthropist fl
Y. nearly four years, suffering only as
% man can who not only has the worl
le to fight, having wife on the stag
lie but suffering from the worst of all a
flictionS- -mother-in-laW. / may n
win my case, but certainly snail
able to establish to the world the falls
ty of the assertion that have been il
- human or brutal to my wife. We Ii
- ed in perfect harmony together al
u were happy in each others societ
y All reports to the contrary are lies"
"Was your wife on the stage Whe
you married her"
"She was an amateur just maxim
.. her debut in November, 1880, and a
% though the play was not a success
- and the engagement was DISASTROUS,
~ saw talent in the lady, secured h
u services and endeayored to extinguis
the aroma of failure which general
clings to star once figuring
an unsuccessful play. We marie
Or shortly after, and, as she has on val
re riOus occasions stated, she owes h
o. foothold in the profession to my hal
h work and untiring energy. togeth
with $4,000 which / have spent
manipulating her business interest
and had it not been for her mother 81
would occupy position to-day secoI
9d to no other actress in America"
s. "They further allege you were e.
travagant and gambled-"
If was, my extravaganza consistt
in living up to the full extent of n
meansIso that my wife might enje
the benefit. AS regards gambling
defy any one to say that have bee
inside Of gambling room or hazart
ed a dollar on any game of chant
since my marriage, save once Whe
my wife and l were at the Saratog
races-we jointly invested the magni
icent sum of about $25-and lost"
'How about your attempt to shoe
r, her as charged in the complaint?"
lie DO look like such man? I wi
he prove that my wife and l attende
the base ball match at Grand Rapid
Mich, on the day when it is charge
this thing occurred. Do you suppos
that my wife would have lived wit
re me three years after such an act? He
&. letters will prove all that is necessar