Wood River times. [volume] (Hailey, Idaho) 1882-1915, 1885-10-01
A HOME WRECKED.
THE RESULT OF TRYING tn v.rr
"A BETTER MAN" OLA
MEDIUM.

tense.
About two years ago N. NJ. Pur.
Vance came here from Kansas with
his family. Mr.. Purviance had be.,
a pract'ci"g attorney, a law partner of
Receiver Waters, of the United State.
Land Othce, aud man of consider.
able prominence in his former home
but long-continued i'll health had re.
ouced his means ard soured his tenn.
per. He was also Spiritualist, and
so was his wife, but both we're highly
respected. The Judge bought out
the possessory right to ranch about
one mile above Haley, and he seemed
to be getting along we'll, notwith.
standing his illness. At a Spirit.
ualistic "circle" in this city the Judge
met young man named Long, a pi.
ano'player addicted to opium. smok.
ing, whom he looked upon as a tine.
dunn" The Judge took him home
intending, as he expressed it, to make
"a better man" of him. Mrs. Purvi.
ance also became interested in Long,
and proposed to make better man of
him. Then trouble began. Rumors
OF 'nfelicity in the Purviance house.
hold we're soon followed by an open
breach, and Judge Purviance returned
East with his two daughters, leaving
the remainder of his household here.
lit is not our province to fix the
blame, but to state the facts. We
therefore abstain.-ED.] The sequel
can be ascertained by perusal of the
following documents:
STEuBENvILLE, Ohio,
Sept. rs, 1885.
To THE EDITOR OF THE TIMES
Enclosed find a document which YOU
are at liberty to publish. As you will
see by enclosed envelope in which it
reached me, it was directed to "Steu.
benville, PENN" instead of "Steuben.
vile, Ohio" This was done so that
it should not reach me. 1t appears
from this paper that my wife verified
it at Lewiston, ldaho-5OO miles
northwest of Haifey-on August 31st.
She wrote me September 18th, in her
usually kind style, and said nothing
about divorce. would not give pub.
licity to this matter, were it not evil
dent that some smart Aleck in HALEY
is assisting, under the impression that
he is doing something extremely
smart and "Honorable."
The purpose was, of course, to get
my wife divorced from me without nv
knowing it. am here, 5000 miles
away from my family, helplessly sick,
and no more suspected an occurrence
of this kind than any other citizen of
Haley, until accidentally receiving
this paper.
l do not know who is aiding and
prompting my wife in the premises.
The people Of HALEY may be able to
find out by little observation. If
some fri, nd would write me l would
be obliged, giving me some clue to
this matter.
The scandal in all probability &C.
companied her to Lewiston. On my
children's account feel crushed and
Frustrated.
Of course l shall make no defense
to the action. Yours truly,
N. NJ. PURvIANCE.
THE COMPLAINT.
Emma B. Purviance, plaintiff, VS..
N. NJ. Purviance, defendant.
The plaintiff complains and alleges
that plaintiff and defendant intermar'
ried at Pinesvillo, Pike county, in the
State of illinois, in the year A. d.,
1870, aud ever since have been, and
are now, husband and wife; that the
plaintiff is, and has been, resident OF
the Territory of Idaho for the period
OF more than six months Immediately
preceding the commencement of this
action; that since said marriage, the
defendant has treated her in cruel
and inhuman manner, and in particu-
lar as follows:
In the month of March, 1884, in the
County of Alturas, Territory OF Idaho,
by at night, between eleven and
twelve o'clock, while plaintiff was
asleep in bed, suddenly waking her
up by holding lighted candle over
her face, and after waking her up
without cause or reason, thereafter
saying: Emma, if l had bed to sleep
in l would not sleep with you, you
should never be my wife again; and
among other things saying was not
AL - tha rosuocf 0f a doc.