St. Paul daily globe., 1888-05-23
MINNEAPOLIS NEWS.
The Dobbin Divorce Suit
Proves Of More Than Or
dinary Interest.
Mr.. Dobbin Closely Questions
His Wife While on
the Stand.
A Mismated Pair -- Queer
Stories Related by Serv-
ants and Others.
Preparations for Memorial
Day--Bennett Seminary
Commencement.
"NANCY AND ARE OUT"
The Dobbin Divorce Case on Trial
in the District Court.

tCIudl lllC SAdiIllllollOil VA
Mrs. Dobbin was continued. She stated
that one time she forgot and left gas
Jet burning in the bath room, and it
burned all night, and Mr. Dobbin
claimed that she left it burning
on purpose. He kept Scoldlng
about it for several days and refused to
believe her when she said she had for
gotten it, until she took an oath on the
Bible that she did not leave it burning
on purpose He frequently told her
that her extravaganza would ruin MN,
as for example, when she used eggs
that cost p cents dozen to settle the
coffee. When the plaintiffs counsel an
nomced that he was through with the
direct examination Mr.. Dobbin stopped
counsel (NIr. Miller) from COM
mencing Ethe croSS-eXaminatlon, and
conducted it himself. He acted as
calm and unmoved as though paid
attorney in the cese, and when, i'll the
course of the examination references
were made to the premature birth OF her
baby, which only lived four days,
Mrs Dobbin broke down completely,
and sobbed violently. His wife's dis
treSs, however, did not appear to have
any effect on Mr.. Dobbin, who pro-
ceeded with the examination and asked
ner which he followed throughout the
entire croSs-eXaminatiOn. Mr.. Brewer,
Mrs. Dobbin's counsel, came to her res
cue and said: ''If it please the court, L
object to the defendant conducting the
cross-eXamination."
The court, however, hell that 1t was
mere matter of taste, and the husband
could conduct the crOSSe-eXamlnatlon II
he wished.
Mrs. Dobbin," asked Mr.. Dobbin,
"When you moved into the Fremont
avenue house, there was something said
about a servant, was there not?''
"YeS, sir; but | told my husband that
] preferred to do the housewOrk my
self, as | wished to show him that l was
practical"
"Your husband got up and started the
fires, did he not?''
"YeS, Sir.''
Ibid your husband complain about
your wOrk?"
Eyes. sir, he frequently found fault,
and said there was not enough variety
in the food on the table"
did your husband not help make the
beds and do part of the houseWork on
Sunday"
mo. sir. 1 had no assistance from
him in doing the housework."
did you regard the wishes of your
husband in associating with DR.. Nc
Murdy's wife?"
Il always regarded the wishes of my
husband"
Did you not tell your husband that
DR.. McMurdy at one time tried to put
his arm around yOu?"
mo, sir; no such thing ever hap
hened."
Now think, now think; remember
your are under Oath," said Mr. Dobbin,
in & sepulchral tone.
''Mr. DObbin, no such thing ever hap
pened, nor did ever hear you speak of
such a thing before"
Mrs. Dobbin'S attorney at this point
said to the court: "If it please the
court, this is no crOss-eXamination. 1t
is brought in here for the purpose of
insulting the witness. l object TO such
questions"
This witness will be treated right.
The husband is more interested than an
attorney" said Mr.. DObbin.
'Do you remember conversation
with your husband in which he found
fault with you for aSSoclating with the
McMurdys?" ne continued.
YES, sir"
Your husband objected to your as
Sociating with them on account of GER
tain rumorS that were atloat about DR..
McAIurdy, did he not?'
Il remember nothing of the kind. l
loved the McMurdys because they were
eStimable people and old friends of
mine, and you said that DR.. McMurdy
thought too much of his wife and was
too indulgent to her, and that you
thought that my associating with her
would have bad effect on me-"
Now, did not your husband sit up
with you night after night and try to
convince you that you were eXtravagant
and that you should learn to econo-
miZe?'
Eyes, sir.''
'Did not your husband call your at
tention to the fact that the buttons were
off his nightgOwn, and tell you that he
supposed that was an illustration of cult
ure?"
"He said something of the kind"
did you not persist in buying things
that your husband did not want?'
Yes, sir, butter and eggs. which l
was obliged to have in the house, until
he told the butcher and grocer not to
trust me-"
You said yesterday that your hus-
band drank liquor. Now how did
liquor affect him?''
II don't know. | cannot tell whether
he ever became intoxicated or not. He
always kept liquor in the house and was
in the habit of taking some before he
went down town in the morning, and at
other times in the day."
Now. Mrs. Dobbin, was not this
whisky kept in the house for medicinal
purpOses?'
THAT is what Mr.. Dobbin told me,
but he drank it himself regularly"
Did you not refuse TO eat at the table
with your husbaud?"
81 left the table several times when
you insulted Inc by placing all the food
on the table before me and referring to
my large appetite, and day that l lived
only to eat"
MIR. Dobbin then took up the various
statements which Mrs. DObbin had tes-
titled that he made to her, and asked her
If she knew what prompted them. She
answered that she could never account
nation was kept up until after 2
O'Clock, when Miss Nettie Wood,
the nurse who attended Mrs.
DObbin during her sickness, was
called. She stated that she found Mrs.
Dobbin in a very weak and nervous
condition, and that the second week
after the baby was born she was in a
very precariouS condition. 1t was dur
ing that week that Mr.. Dobbin was
absent from the house most of the time
81 did not see him for five days,"
she said, land while l was at
his house he asked me about the condi-
ton of his wife few times, but not
very often. He never assisted me in
caring for his wife but once or twice.
He came into her room and found fault
with me and dictated to me how |
should care for her. "You mean he
made suggestions to you?" said Mr..
DObbin'S attorney,
''No, sir. | mean that he dictated to
me. He seemed to have an idea that he