The Sunday tatler and Jersey City express. (Jersey City, N.J.) 1883-1886, 1885-01-18
T00G0ODFOR HER HUSBAND
ABANDONING HIN AND THKN FIGHT
ING FOE HIS ESTATE.
The Homantis story the Contest Over
john A. English's will ReveaIs-A
Case that Interests Gilt edged Society

| Case that Intervals Gilt edged Society
The will of John A. English has been
| offered for probatei in Surrogate McAvoy's
office, and Mrs. Abbie Il. English, the
widow of the deceased, has fled cayeat
against its probate. That means contest
on her part against its probate that, be-
cause of the social prominence of the par
ties interested, as well as because of the
intrinsic merits of the story itself, promises
70 be of large public interest. The hearing
is set down in Judge McGilps Orphans
Court for Saturday of next week, the 31st
day Of January.
Mrs. English belongs to an aristocratic
Bergen family. She is the sister of John
Nj. Jones, whose handsome brown stone
residence, surrounded by its spacious and
attractive lawn and gardens, on Sipp ave-
nue., is known to every citizen whom bust
ness or pleasure has ever called to that
section of the city. Her family moved in
the highest society. She is lady of great
refinement and taste, and was carefully
educated to adorn the social circle to which
her parents introduced her. What it was
that she found to admire in John A. Eng
lish no one has ever dared to say. He was
tinsmith by trade, and untitled by educa-
ton and surroundings for the society of
which she was bright particular star. Be
sides that, he was ten years or more her
senior in point of years. When she made
known to her family the fact that he had
proposed marriage to her, there was re-
volt in the household at once. She was Of
age, however, her own mistress, and bound
to have her own way, and sixteen or sew
enteen years ago they were married The
rIxr scu as1 IL
stration of their disapproval of the match,
but accepted the situation with such grace
as they could, and Miss Jones. who had
now become Mrs. English, set up house
keeping with her tinsmith husband.
They lived happily for seven or eight
years. Two children, son who is now
about fifteen years of age, and daughter
now thirteen, blessed the: union. The tin
smith treated his wife with distinguished
consideration, and provided for her wants
with gentlest care. Business prospered
with him, and she had such comforts as
his means could supply her. Their chill
dren were pretty and healthy, and both
parents adored them Not a shadow
crossed the threshold till one evening eight
or nine years ago, the tinsmith returned to
his home on Jersey avenue from the tolls
of the day to learn that his wife had aban-
doned him and taken the children with her.
little season later, he was served with
papers from which he learned that his wife
had commenced proceedings TO secure
limited divorce from him. To his surprise,
the application for the separation was
based on the allegation that he had treated
her cruelty. The specification with which
it was sought to sustain this allegation was
of so delicate q nature that it cannot
be stated in print. She had retained the
late Congressman Scudder and Jacob
Weart to prosecute her case. He retained
exChancellor to Benjamin Williamson and
ex-Attorney General Robert Gilchrist to
defend him, and the case was one
of the most bitterly contestes cases
ever tried in court of justice.
The Court of Chancery held that the act
complained of by the wife constituted
cruelty, and granted her the separation
papers. He appealed, however, and the
Court of Errors and Appeals set the de-
cree of separation aside, but Mrs. English
never returned to her husband, but CON
tinued to reside with her brother, John NJ.
Jones, to whose house she went after her
flight trombone.
The divorce was followed by a bitter
contest for the custody of the children.
The Court temporarily awarded them to
the mother. An effort was made, however,
to arrange for the fa az to have them a
the Court required hin. to give bonds CON
ditioned for cir return to their mother.
and that he would not do.
sIf I can't be trusted with my children, :"
he said, without being put under bonds I
don't want to zee them all.
And his friends say that he never saw
them except occasionally in Court after
thoir mother took them away.
English continued to reside after his
wife's abandonment on the corner of Second
street and Jersey avenue He confded
the story of his domestic troubles to his
sister, Bridget Fitzgerald, and her daugh-
ter made her home with him and kept his
house in order.
"But," said one of his friends to the TAT
Tier yesterday, che was never the same
man after his wife left him.. He was sur
prised and mortified by her allegations Of
cruelty, and always insisted that it was
only pretext.
".My wife, he would say, believed
was good enough for her, but her family
thought l was beneath her level. Since my
marriage her brother, Jones, has welded
himself to the daughter of New York mil
ionaire, and / believe that she discarded
was blight upon his social prominence. |
don't want to see my children, while the
Courts order stands as it does, but if
should ever getlegal control of them shall
make ample provision for them in my
will )"
1t was while he was smarting under the
indignities that the Court had, through his
wife. put upon him, that English devised
the will that is now about to be contested
in the courts. One day in April, 1876, he
sent for Counselor John Garrick and had it
put in shape. In it he dominates and APP
points his brother Richard, who is q wealthy
builder, his cousin, James English, of New
York, and John Ryan, executors It be-
queaths the sum Of 500, out of his per-
sonal estate, to each of his two children.
To his sister, Bridget Fitzgerald, it be-
| queaths his personal property and a life in
terest in his real estate, barring his wife's
right of dover. the property to go to
Bridget's children after her death. The
witnesses are John and Richard Garrick,
and John A. Hopper
Christmas Day Mr.. English was in good
health, and in as good spirits as his family
troubles would permit. Two days later he
was Frustrated by heavy cold Itquickly
developed into pneumonia, and on the day
before New Year he died. His widow hon
ored his bier by attending his funeral, and
soon after the opening of the New Year the
will was offered for probate. The grounds
on which Mrs. English proposes to contest
are not stated in the caveat, and they are
not yet known.
| English was about fifty years Of age. and
his estate was valued at between $4,000
and 100000.
scarlet Fever stfn Prevalent.