The Indianapolis sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1880-1904, 1885-03-09
From the Sunday sentinel. !

lfr0m the sunday sentinel
On the Sd day of July last the Sentinel con
tanned an article purporting to be short history
az a wife trade made between August Richter and
enc BaumueIier in the early part of 1881. The
article published at that time is as follows:
"In the trial OF Emma Shultz in the Criminal
Court, charged with poisoning COW belonging to
one of her neiehbors, an old matter came to the
surface which is of sufficient interest TO warrant
Drief statement of the facts, together with some
rev ones which have come to the surface.
Mrs August Richter, OF Shelby street. was put
or the witness stand to testify on Denslf of the
ceiense. she claimed TO be the wife OF August
Richter. and said on cross examination that her
IUsbsnd. Baumiller, is dead. Baumiller ana
Richter traded wives over two years ago. Richter
agreeing to give his wife, a bow and $1,000 in ex-
change Tor Mrs. Baumiller. This proposition was
accepted and proceedings were begun by Bau-
miller for divorce. The Courts refused him
divorce, and he took Mrs. Richter and her son,
who was known as Bismarck" and moved 70
in Judge Adams court alleging abandonment
for cause. The divorce was about to be
granted and. in fact, the Judge had said ii would
ne. but by fortunate circumstance Tor unfoftu-
nate according as IL Is viewed, the Court was in
70 .na ,he safa.rad ~ wa III, scre
refused Not long after this Richter and his wife
were marred-at least so they claim. Folio wing
returned from Minnesota. She said Bsumilier
had gone 10 drinking. and his failure to cherish
gross that she had been compelled to sell her
watch, chain and other valuables in order to o.
lain money 70 return TO indianapolis. However:
against ner. and she is now housekeeper for Dr.
6Ieiner. She has entered into arrangements
with well-known attorney TO bring suit against
August Richter in which action she Will allege
that Richter, in consideration of the trade IN
wives, was to pay her SO monthly until her s0a
became OF age. This sum. she says. has never
been paid, and her is now about eighteen
years old. II remains 10 be seen what the courts
viii do with the case con,idering all It's features
but the suit is to be based on section OF the
statute which has but recently become lay,
which allows wife to sue her husband on an ac-
count. IL 1t is based upon this statute. and Mrs
Baumiller Cor Richterl obtains a Judgment, the
hndlng Will carry with 1t the inference that she Is
still the legal wife OF August Richter. Mr. Rchters
howeyer gIowing out Of .n the tsade
very amusing. 10 all, OF course, but himself
Among others was the settlement and dissolution
h a with hcb his brother s Fred Fred
Commissioner G. A. Dryer. he claimed, among
other things. that August would not WORK, and
August went on the stand he testified that he had
WORKED all summer. Yes replied Fred like
HI you worked. You was laying round town,
swapping wives all de dime. already
"Adolph Harder also managed 10 get into trouble
IN this connection. He had made some derogatory
remark concerning Mrs. Richter No. before she
lett Baumiller. For this Baumiller preferred
charges against him in the lodge of the Knights of
Honor. and, although the trade OF wives was
made about that time. the charges still rest in the
lodge the first trial resulted IN H6rder's expul-
sion. He appealed. and the case was reversed and
suited as be.ote, and sgain Harder appealed, With
like result. II came back for trial. and for the
higher lodge, and the decision was affirmed tie
appealed 10 the Grand Chancellor aud again the
decision OF his lodge was sustained He then went
Into the Supreme Lodge of the United States and
tie case was reversed, and is now back again for
n new fisl tbs makes eignt trials up to da5e aud
and Mrs. Richter No. are living together, aud
Mrs. Richter No. is housekeeping for another
public again in the future
The closing sentence OF the foregoing appears to
pec;es at the ilme Of its Writing that it Would
come before the public in relation so init
mateiy corrected with this paper. Such, how
ever, proved TO be the and six days after the
publication OF the article August Richter and his
wife, Lena each filed suit in the Circuit Court
lbellous and asking for $40 eco damages sustained
by spreading the same broadcast over the country.
AS the matters contained il the alleged libellous
article had been the common talk on the South
side since the occurrences related therein, the
gall in bringing suit on the article, put
TO The tender calls of August and Lena, pleaded
Justification IN answer, and the trial oil Lena 5
cause came up on the 10th OF February and
dragged along until Friday, WI en- the argument
closed and the jury took the case. The facts
elected in the trial fully substsntiate the article
sued on and furnish q story which is stranger in
many regards than the hctons which are born in
the bIsin Of the novelist. From the testimony the
following appears 10 be the story of the melo-
drama, c. 6eived and acted out in this city.
Ia lc56 August Richter then young man anu
out recently married, located in the southern
part OF the city. and soon after became street
SoAuaCtol. auu ultimately, CITY street couulasOu-
er. to which cfice he elected representative
German; Being economical and industrious he
SECURED competency, and in the latter part OF
ioeV was worth between $4,000 and sl5,O 900. Dur.
-ins this time his wife Christina had contributed
her share IN building ny the fortune. aud no
-ortatn OF suspicion or scandal had ever disturbed
tne family so lar as was known to the public. IN
the latter part of 1850 the Richter family occu
pylng a neat residence on Prospect street, and
about this time there moved TO the city ana To-
-cateo on the corner OF Buchanan street and Nfr-
glnla avenue German family named Baumueller.
~ II Da
mueller, his wife Lena and little daughter The
baumuelier family were IN very reduced circum-
Stances, having scarcely any furniture in the
mouse, anu, IN fact without so much as q
stove upon which TO cook their meals Soon after
their advent in the city they formed the acq uaint
ance 81 the Richters. The acquaintance rlpened
into friendship, and the friendship into close in
tlnacy the two families being frequently together
during the latter part OF 1850 and the early part
ISL.
The close intimacy of the two families excited
iem s curing the time but 1t was not until
wife trade had taken place between August Rich
ter and Dr.. Baumueller in which the latter re-
Selyed Christina Richter and $1,000 in exchange
summated on Saturday, the 9th OF April lsslin the
law office OF well known firm IN this city. Rich
Ter there giving his wife 81 000-sS00 in cash aud
10 IN notes. which was immediately
bsnmneller. the four parties TO the trade being
present IN the Office. Within en- hour after the
psvment Of the money Richter filed suit for di-
stoInes tbe Sheriff served notice OF the same
.pon NIT Richter in the attorneys Office where
,ssn, ,'son vas eonsumamed On the same dav
vile, ana az II o'loek that night he and Christina
lle1Ser srd the vile of the former and the hus.
rano OF the latter went to the Union Depot to-
son othe latter took the train ior st. Louis Richter