Morning journal and courier., 1885-05-28
News by Telegraph
 FROM ALL QUARTERS. THE WOES OF WOMAN. A Sad Tale By Sulli-
 vans Wife. THE DEMANDS OF RUSSIA. Drunken Men Play Will
 liam Tell. IA TENEMENT HOUSE HORROR. Half A Million Lost By Fire.
sULL1vAN,s LIFE AT HOME.

A Sad Story of Cruelty and Abuse Told in the Court by the Great Boxers Wife.
 BOSTON, May 27.-The long expected trial of the divorce suit of Annie Sullivan vs. John L. Sullivan, the champion slugger, for "cruel and abusive treatment and gross and confirmed habits of intoxication" began in the Superior court at o'clock this after noon. Sullivan was on hand and it may be said without reserve that the idolized hero of the ring never looked better in his life. He ! has allowed his mo1stache to grow. He wore silk-faced Prince Albert coat closely buttoned up and light trousers with modest check He had his top-coat on his arm and ! carried his new, glossy silk tile in his hand. | The libellant is tall and stately brunette of majestic proportions, whose weight is probably one hundred and eighty pounds. | She wore close fitting black dress and long silk gloves of chromo yellow. A small bon net of black and yellow was perched on top of her head, pair of diamond drops glis- ! tened in her ears and over her face she wore | a half veil of black which barely shaded the handsome eyes. Though a large woman, ! Mrs. Sullivan is very attractive and not  l est in the case brought 8 great crowd into the court room and every seat in | the floor and gallery was filled with friends of both parties and curious public. The l bar was packed and many lawyers were un- ! able to obtain seats there. In the audience | were many sporting men. The great pugilist ! took seat at the table with his counsel, ! Charles P. Whitcomb and Thomas B. Barry. In the absence of General Butler, F. L.. | Washburn, counsel for the ibellant, had as- | sociated with him Augustus Russ. MT. Sullivan at first appeared nervous, but soon assumed | 8 don't care" expression, and from the time his wife entered the witness box stared ! straight in front of him, only occasionally l glancing at the gentle Annie. The ibellant | un1er examination of MT. Russ told her story:
 sI was married to John l.. Sullivan May 1, 1888, at Roxbury. His habits were l good before our marriage and for six months afterwards, when he began to ! drink and became intoxicated very frequent ! ly He would be brought home drunk and l had to undress and take of him many time. This state of things continued up to ! the time left him. The first time he abused I me was while travelling in the West. We stopped at.a place in Montana few hours and he came into the dining room car and kicked me and threw things at me for no cause whatever. At Leadville he drank hard and drove me out | OI d was in my wrapper and slippers; went be- cause was afraid of my life. There was no further personal violence during the trip. After we returned to Boston he never came home until or o'clock in the morning; he did not carry 8 latch key and required for him; he expected me to do this even if he did not come home until next night. I have. frequently sat up all night for him. I went to bed one night tired out with long waiting; he came home and kicked the door in and abused me for | locking him out. left him in December, 1884. For year previous to that he was drunk nearly all the time and would come home and abuse me frequently. Last sum- mer I was in ,Natick, R. T., at my brothers house; he came up to Natick | from Providence one Saturday night to see 1 me, he was drunk and asleep in a carriage | We refused to let him in. John came back Sunday morning and came into my room; I ! was afraid of him and ran into Mrs. Adams | part of the house where my baby was He | came after me and struck me with his fist in ! the face and knocked me senseless. did ! nothing to make him strike me. He went to Providence and Boston and came back to Natick very drunk; he said he was never going to drink any more. October 26 | he came in sober and was very cross to me , and struck me with the end of an umbrella from that time until December 6, 1884, the 7 date left him, his conduct towards me was very bad. I had one child who is now thir- tssn months ;n the old' hsd the .t child n.,os when he knocked me down. ] } | experienced great change in my health after marriage and have been under the doctors care ever since I left MT. Sulli
 van. knew MT. Sullivan about six months
 before we were married; as know | am twenty-eight years. I lived in New York previous to my marriage, with MT. Davis; never roomed with, or lived in the
 house with 8 woman known Lida Pierce
 and do not know any such woman"
 At this point the champion lost his sci ! look and changing his position he threw his l eyes on his wife with an indefnable expres- ). sion and smiled grimly. The witness ap
 peared to take no notice of the peculiar glance
 and continued:
 Mir. Stickney, a hack driver, introduced me to MT
 Sullivan: I did not ask Mr. Stckney to introduc'
 MT. Sullivan to me Do not remember where tn . introduction took place. The first time I eve
 Mir stiekney, whomI had known for several years
 l met MT Sullivan on Shawnut avenue shortly af | ter; he had g carriage driven by Stickney and l went to ride with him.
 The ibellant showed evident reluctance t,
 answer questions about the ride, but admit
 ted that they drove about the streets ant n | stopped at several places, she remaining il li the carriage and MT. Sullivan getting out "Igot out at the Haw wthorne," continued the la
 dy, land we had dinner there Mr. Sullivan drank
 Ibid you live with Mir Sullivan as his wife prio
 to your marriage with him 7'' asked Mr. Barry.
 Mrs. Sullivan here became very much agi
 tated and looked appealingly at her counsel
 who promptly objected to the question a Judge Allen. II propose to show your honor, : that this woman
 had lived in questionable house; that sh
 had frequently been on trips with Mir. Sulli
 van previous to the marriage and that sh
 knew his habits thoroughly" replied MT
 Barry. 'sIf lady of high character and re
 fined feelings had married this champion i '' might make a difference" argued MT. Russ
 'fbut such was not the case. She knew h.
 was champion, and married him as such
 defense claim true, would that be any ex
 cuse for violent or abusive treatments" 'tI
 we don't prove to your honor's entire satis
 faction that this gross, cruel and abusiv
 treatment did not occur, your honor cal e dismiss the case," replied MT. Barry.
 q think said Judge Allen, Git is compe Itent te show the relations of the parties be
 fore the marriage if the testimony come
 from other sources, but the ibel1ant is no
 obliged to answer the question unless sh
 wishes to do so"
 MT. Barry repeated the question with
 qualifying phrase. After pausing some tim
 during which the blushes chased each othe across her pale cheeks, Mrs. Sullivan keI 's back her tears and said in low voice, q
 decline to answer" MT. Barry put the mex ! question on the same subject 1n very muc ! altered form. "She declined to answer tn y question" said Judge Allen. "You need nc
 follow it up" Counsel then started anothe topic and witness continued: 'I knew whs ! MT. Sullivan's occupation was; don't rt -l member seeing him drink much previous t
 our marriage; saw him drink beer occasion
 ally, but I didn't drink myself"
 Here John L. looked somewhat weariet
 and changing his position again, fshed ou
 a toothpick and began to chew it with evi
 dent relish.
 sI don't remember whether not I went on
 tour with him before we were married | continued the witness Didn't you , matter of fact take pride in
 TsP do n not Know as to that, said Mrs Sui
 van, rather doubtfully; he always told me he VI
 66eWT 66e would T when he made money enough and he as make money enough but spent it. l never M kne 3e- of his having any other Dus1ness wanted him a retire before he made money enough al ,e- | asled him to do so several time