Los Angeles daily herald., 1889-01-02
LOCAL HAPPENINGS.
The Alleged Wife -Beater
Tells His Story.
THREE INTERESTING RACES.
Celia MOore's Mother Takes Her
HOme-Evidence Against a
Chinaman.
LOCAL HAPPENINGS.
THREE INTERESTING RACE,

II am d. 3. Richards, otherwise known
as the East Los Angeles WIFE, beater, -
said medium-sized, mild-mannered in
dividual, the silver in whose hair and
beard showed that he was on the down
grade in life. Time or care had left
divers wrinkles on his brow, and his gen.
eral appearance indicated that he had
experienced some hard knocks during his
journey through life. 1t was in the fore
going manner that he introduced himself
yesterday morning to HERALD reporter,
who was somewhat surprised to find a
man who voluntarily ascribed unto him
self so unenviable reputation as that of
a wife. beater, but he soon discovered that
it was for the purpose of vindication that
the New Years caller had sought him
out.
D. s. Richards is the man who has a
trial pending in Justice Savage's court
on the 18th inst, on the charge afore-
said, and whose wife mas also taken steps
to institute divorce proceedings. His
arrest was the subject of newspaper
COlhCA0 q ACW 00yo dkOJ hAA S6 AC " DO
severely "scorched" by some reporters
domestic discord which exists in the
Richards household, the alleged wife
beater thought it would be we'll to have
the public hear his side of the story.
Accordingto the tale related by Richards
his woes began on the 11th of June,
1880, in the city of San Francisco, with
his marriage to Mary Frances Virtue.
He says he soon learned that his
welded wife had a weakness for strong
drink and the society of other men. 1t
cost him $50 the first month to supply
her with grog. Her quarrelsome dispo-
sition made it impossible to keep rooms
more than few weeks at a time, as she
always quarreled with the landlady, SO
they were constantly on the move. She
was lavish entertainer, and would in
vite her gentlemen friends to her rooms
and treat them at his expense. She was
also constantly gadding about, and stay
ing out at nights.
After living in this manner for nine
months and parting and making-up again
a number of times, he came to Los Ange-
les. She soon followed, and they once
more began to live together, but with no
pleasant results. She has left him g
number OF times since living in this city,
but always returned when she was out OF
friends and money.
The husband claims that he bore with
her all these years, Notwithstanding the
fact that she broke rocking.
chair over his head, smashed cofee-pol
on his pate at another time, and on q
third occasion SHE'D teakettle at him,
badly scalding his arm. She would also
lay hold on him when she was in liquor
and tear his shirt off his back. She also
tried to cut his heart out with a
carving knife. Notwithstanding all
this, he claims to have never
beaten her, except to cuff her
slightly on the ears when she was par
ticularly obstreperous. She is very
good, he says, when she goes to church,
but makes up for it when she comes
home. The racket for which he was lately
arrested began over the breaking OF q
child's doll, and she is now bent on hav.
ing a divorce, he is very willing that she
shall have it, but he objects to her claim.
ing the whole or all of his property and
the custody of the children. The hus'
band alleges that he can prove that he
is the more abused of the two, and vii
have bis witnesses in court. In the
meantime they are still living under the
same roof, and he says he means to stay
there until it is decided whether his prop
erty is his own or his wife's.