St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1885-01-19
CRUELTY wRONGED.
Sad Experience of az, American Cir
dbyodd

Sad Experience of dst american Girl
Ibrodd.
special cabegram of the 10th inst gives
sad story of domestic misery between an
American couple just come to light through
the intervention of the American Legation
in London. The husband ia Mr.. Hicks, a
quasi journalist, who was married at Buffalo
I n 1878 to Miss Caroline Sloan, daughter of
Judge Sloan, of that city. 1t was known
that Hicks had been married before, and in
order to satisfy the scruples of Miss Sloan
and her relatives he made an affidavit just
before his second marriage that he had not
seen his first wife for seven years and that
he believed her dead.
Soon after their marriage Mr.. and Mrs.
Hicks came to England, and for the paste
years they have lived in London. During
this time three children were born to them.
From the first, however, Mrs. Hicks had been
haunted by the fear that the first wife was
alive, and that Hicks would desert his new
family for her. Eleven weeks ago Mrs.
Hicks found concealed in the inside band of
Mr.. Hicks hat two photographs which had
been recently taken and which correspon ded
with the descriptions she had heard of the
| first Mrs. Hicks. Her husband had lately
been very remi SIS in his attention to his
family and was spending more and more of
his time away from home. The second wife
became satisfied that she had been deceived
for years, aud she fed from home, taking
her three little children with her.
When Hicks returned to his house he was
maddened to find that his victim had escaped,
and seemed to be especially angered by this
loss of his children. With the aid of private
detectives he finally discovered the fugitives,
who had taken refuge in an humble lodging
behind 4 rag shopin Nottinghill and were al
most absolutely destitute. Hicks roughly Or
dered his wife to return home. She taxed
him with his deceit, and he refused either to
admit that he was guilty or to relieve her fears
by denying the charge. He asserted his
martial authority, and threatened to have her
arrested and her children taken from her II
she did not speedily return. In order to gain
| time she promised that she would return to
| Hicks house with her children ON the fol-
lowing Friday. AS soon as Hicks left the
lodgings Mrs. Hicks hurried to the American
| embassy and claimed protection as dis
| tressed American citizen. She related her
history, and Mr.. White, the second secretary
| of legation, championed her cause and Sc
cured lodgings for her aud her children where
| they would be safe from molestation.
/ In some way Hicks heard of this movement
| and be called at the emil assy but was refused
an interview with Mr.. Lowell. He became
Infatuated aud demanded his wife's address.
This was also refused, and Hicks became still
more furious. He ragged up and down the
office, Disappearing and vowing that he
would find means to smash everybody con-
cerned in what he called the conspiracy to
rob him of his wife. The noise brought Mr..
Lowell to the scene. He questioned Hicks,
who admitted that his first wife was alive .
He protested, however, that he would at once
take steps to get a divorce from her and
would then remarry his second wife.
Mr.. Lowell was thoroughly Disguised BY
this time and he Indignantly left the room.
Hicks became more violent than ever, Yell
ing that he would move Heaven and earth to
find his Caroline and his children, and swear
ing that at his next visit he would bring his
revolver and compel information as to where
they were hidden. Finally Hicks became so
obstreperous that policeman was sent for
aud he was elected from the embassy, still
raving and vowiug vengeance. He proceed
ed 10 police court and demanded sum
mons for his wife, but the magistrate declined
to interfere.
Mr. White has since advanced money to
enable the unfortunate lady to return to her
friends in America, and she is now on her
way with her children to New York. Hicks
will probably follow.
Hicks American record is that he is an
Enclishmau, who married Miss Carolina
Sloan, in 1878. He was a printer and worked
on the Sunday Necs of Buffalo, N. Y, and
was afterwards employed on paper in Brad
ford, Pa. When he left the latter place his
accounts were short and his affairs mixed up
generally. He always claimed to be highly
onnected In England.