Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-12-09
MARRIED IN HASTE.
Lydia Kasson's Experience as a
Ranchman's Bride.
From the Nsqo York Herald.

Lydia kasson's Experience as a
Ranchman's Bride.
From the Ns4o York Herald.
81 think that it would be unsafe for me
to live under the same roof with my hus-
band again." So says Mrs. Lydia Kasson
in an affidavit she has made in the suit
just begun in the Superior Court to obtain
an absolute divorce from her husband. And
she appears to be very much in earnest
and to have excellent reason to fear him.
The story set forth in the complaint and
the accompanying affidavits in the suit
disclose many strange features.
Mrs. Kasson is but p years of age. She
is an attractive young woman OF slender
build. scarcely more than FIVE feet tall.
Her eyes are blue. and mass of wavy,
golden hair crowns her shapely head.
Her mother died while she was mere
child. Lydia was educated in the pu bile
schools of this city, and about six years
ago she became a saleswoman in en-
Eighth avenue dry goods establishment,
retaining this position up to the time of
her marriage. She resided with her
father, respectable bookkeeper,
named Phillips, in King street boarding
house.
So matters stood in December, 1884,
when she made the acquaintance OF Henry
Kasson. Naturally romantic, her fancy
was Immediately captlvated by her new
friend, who appeared TO her to possess
every virtue of the conventional novel
hero. Tall, stout and powerful OF build,
with heavy features, dark hair and a
luXuriant black mustache, Kasson was
well calculated to impress the average
city girl. He was Western ranchman,
only visiting New York for brief bust
ness trip, and he gave everybody to
understand that he was man OF con-
siderable means. His own stories about
his adventures IN the West showed him to
be a man OF valor if his veracity could be
trusted.
The big ranchman was very attentive
to the fair haired girl. He invited her to
go to the theatre with him and made him
self unusually agreeable. After the per-
formance he asked her to become his wife.
Lydia, although secretly delighted. beg
ged for time to consider before giving
any decided answer, saying that she
wanted to become better acquainted first
and to consult her father. But KassOn
wanted an immediate answer. He said
he was head over heels in love, and as he
was obliged to return to the West he
must know his fate. Lydia still hesitated.
She did not want to refuse such an
available sutton, yet she felt that his
action in proposing the day after he met
her was rather hasty. What should she
do?
The ranchman took her to a private
dining room over big restaurant 10 have
some supper, and continued to impress
her with the desirability of answering him
at once. He told her stories OF the
splendid things that would be herS if she
Il, Ito s,,ai taI
having her drink wine with him. A lew
minutes later she lost her senses, and she
claims that she must have been drugged,
She saws she knew nothing or what hap
pened until she awoke the next morning
ana found Kasson by her side. She was
frightened and begun to cry. kasson
then took her IN his arms and told her she
was his legal wife under the laws Of this
State, az he had registered her as such on
the hotel books.
That night Kasson made her leave the
city with him without giving her an OPP
portunity of bidding her father good-by or
telling him what had happened. She
round that the ranch was a. out go miles
from the station Of the AtcEison, Topeka
and Santa Fe railroad, in Valencia
county. n. NJ. For a time she was very
happy in her new home. Every thing was
comfortable, and she made up her mind
that she had been very wise in accepting
Kasson. But she soon changed her opin-
ion. She noticed that the ranchman was
very familiar with pretty Mexican SER
want girl in his employ named Yda. She
charged him with forgetting his duty
as d husband. Kasson turned upon her,
called her a vile name and told her to
mind her own business. To impress this
admonition upon her mind he slapped her
face.
strike womanY
"I would most assuredly," was the
calm response, and the man struck her
with his clenched fist and then left her
bathed in tears.
From that time on Mrs. Kasson's life
was made burden to her. Whenever
she said anything to which her husband
objected In any manner che was unmerci-
fuilv beaten. Kasson had been drinking
on Jan. %, with one OF his cowboys called
.sTex," when the young wife entered the
room. s'Texv tried to kiss her. Mrs.
Kasson struggled to escape from him,
and called upon her husband to protect
her. The ranchman exclaimed with an
oath: III you can't treat a friend OF mine
decently Pll kill you" She was coln-
PEELED to submit to the odious caress OF
the drunken rough.
In September last Kasson told bis wire
that wealthy old Mexican was thinking
of buying his ranch for 100000, and
warned her that when he came to see the
Mace she would have to keep out OF the
way. His reason for this was that the
Mexican had a daughter who would
inherit all his money. hassOn dlu not
know this girl, but he thought that he
might possibly have a chance OF marrying
her II his wife's existence was kept
secret. TO such plan Mrs. Kasson could
not consent.
The day that the Mexican was TO come
Kaseon dragged his wife into the stable,
an adobe building at some little distance
from the house, and tied her there by tbe
hands TO one OF the stalls. she struggled
In vain 10 free herself. sud was uballY