The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1888-02-14
DIVORCED FOR FALsEHooD.
A Man Tells a Woman Her Husband is Dead
He Marries Rer-She Gets Divorce.


From the Cincinnati Enquirer.
III there are any budding novelists in this
community here is an opportunity for them to
display their genius for weaving story on the
Enoch Arden style. The material for il is fur
niShed by divorce suit which was tried in
Judge kumlerS court yesterday morning
The crowd that usually COngregateS i'll this
court and f0rgetS to use any white rose or
other Swoct-scented perfume, has not had SO
strange suit to listen to for some time.
Years ago there lived in the town of Ironton
o., a Miss Josephine b. Schachleiter and
Joseph I. Potter. He was employed in one OF
the many rolling mills in that iron manufac-
turing town. She was left an orphan early in
life, and lived with her brother, George
Schachleiter who kept a restaurant. She be-
came proficient as q cook and general house
keeper, and was just such young woman as Il
laboring man would want for wife. The two
had almost grown up together, and when they
arrived at the maturity of manhood and wo-
manhood they were married.
This was Oh September 90, 1872. They
lived happily together for several years. and
two children were born to them. Potter
proved to be Il sort of shiftless fellow. He
earned good wages when lie worked, but he
would not work steadily. About 1881 or 1882
he left his wife for no reason other than that
lie took a notion to seek work in the west
She did not hear from him and knew nothing
about him. She came TO this city and earned
her living i'll restaurants as a forewOman, I'M
derstanding the business very well. During
1888 she met one John w. Bennette. who
earned his living at various occupations, hav-
ing no steady employment. He became enam-
ored of Mrs. Potter. He paid some attcn-
ton 70 her, and finally propose marriage
She told him OF her husband and said Size had
no knowledge whether he was dead or not
Bennette was equal to this emergency. A
short time afterward he showed her what APP
pclred to be q clipping from a Kansas City
paper, detailing the death. by accident on
railroad of Joseph =. Potter He said he had
from Iaf iaI 70
She was not satisfied with this. Not long af-
terward he exhibited to her a letter purporting
to havo been written by the mayor of st.
Joseph, Mo, corroborating the story as told in
the printed Slip She had seen. This convinced
Mrs. Potter and She married Bennette on the
first of January, 1854 They had lived to-
gether but short time, when one
day Mrs. Potter's daughter came
home and said she had seen
her father on the street and talked to him.
This was a sumner to the then Mrs. Bcnnette
She Mt once left Mr.. Benuette and would not
live with him any more. Soon aiterward she
saw her first husband, Mr.. Potter, was thus
convinced that lie was alive, and realized the
step She had iunOCently taken. She made
some inquiries. and found that Bcnnette had
the account OF Potter's death printed OF slip
OF paper and then pasted ii on a cagd so that no
one could see that the reverse side of the paper
had no printing on It and was not clipped from
a newspaper. He had also obtained the al
legged letter from the mayor OF ST. Joseph in
some way to substantiate his claim. 1t was all
a design TO further his desire to marry Mrs.
Potter
Mr., Potter remained here about week and
purchased some things for his child lie said
10 squire Bright, who talked 30 HIM that he
did not want to disturb his wife. Ii was inn
possible for them TO live together happily.
lie did not think she would be happy with
Beunette. but lie did not care 10 disturb her.
lie disappeared suddenly he had come,
and she has not heard auythingof him since
Soon after thiS, She began proceelines for
divorce from Bennette. She had been de-
ceivcd hy him and she wanted to clear herself
of any appearance % wrong-doing. This case
was the one heard yesterday and Judge Kuhn
or granted a divorce. She will now en- leav-
or 10 get = divorce from Potter ard get back
as far as possible 70 her original self