Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1889-08-29
RUINED BY OPIUM.
The Fall of Handsome and Intel
lIRent Society Woman.

lBGnI oOCleIJ WOTnaTs
DIR. Theodore A. Wadsworth, of No.
159 West Thirty-fourth street, yester-
day received the signal and formal or
der OF the courts, giving him an abso-
Lutte divorce from his wife, Elizabeth
G. Wadsworth. DR.. Wadsworih is a
well-known man and possessed of
means. His wife was and still is
handsome woman OF, perhaps, 80 years
of age, aud quoting the language of
William p. Burr, counsel for the doc
tor, ''of charming manners, highly in
tclligent, and woman who naturally
would be a leader in society. Given,
even this day, decent wearing apparel,
and freed from vicious habits, she still
might be an adornment to a home.
Her downfall is due to opium. She is
an opium-uscr of the worst kind"
The story of the trouble which led
TO the suit for divorce is told in the
legal papers filed and the testimony
taken before Referee Langbein, is as
follows: On May 5, 1875, the couple
were married in the city OF Brooklyn.
Her maiden name was Wilbur, and she
lived in Pennington, Mass, where
her father was IA wealthy shipown-
or. At the age of 10 years she
was married to q man named Ed
munds, who died shortly after. This
fact, however, Mr. Burr says, was
not discovered until long after
ward. The doctor and his wife lived
happily for three years, when he made
the discovery that she was addicted to
the use OF opium. Dreading publicity,
he remained with her for two years
endoavoring TO reform her. They
moved in the first circle of Brooklyn
society, and were welcome wherever
they went. Hence the Doctors aver
sion TO creating scandal by leaving her.
Finding, however, that she still persist
ed in the use of the drug, he did leave
her, saying that if she reformed with
in year he would again live with her.
He gave her the house in which they
lived and furniture with it. He also
settled $50 a month on her. 1t was not
long before she began 10 squander the
money. Soon she sold the house and
furniture, the money going to a gam
bier named Clark; who died in Bellevue
Hospital in 1884. He, too, was an
opium fend. All this time she was
writing the Doctor that she was earn
estly trying to shake off the opium
habit. In one letter she said:
II ask ten thousand times that you
forgive me, as | am sure you would
could you see me trying day after day.
You would certainly feel that Lizzie
had done the best she could. did not
want to neglect you in any way or par
ticular, and under the circumsta nces,
if / did, / should consider that did a
great wrong to one of the noblest men
God ever gave to a woman"
She moved from place TO place, her
excuse being that she was trying TO
hide herself from the eyes of the
world while endeavoring to rid her.
self of her curse. She grew even
worse, and, as the drug fastened on
her with n frmer grip, became de-
graded. She was finally located in n
negro rooSery on West Fifty-fourth
street. Then the doctors eyes were
opened, and here he secured evidence
of a character which left him only one
course TO pursue. He commenced
proceedings for divorce, but still
regularly paid her $50 each month UNI
til the present month. She answered,
and. when before the referee. acknowl-
edged that she used opium. Her
memory seemed TO fail her, and, on
some days, the traces of the drug were
painfully marked in her appearance.
The odor OF it could also be detected.
Referee Langbein and the lawyers
on both sides visited the rookery in
Fifty-fourth street. and Mr.. Langbe in
was satisfied as to the possibility of
securing evidence such as DR.. Wads-
worth had advanced. The testimony
was overwhelmingly against Mrs.
Wadsworth, and couple OF weeks
ago the referee filed report recon-
mending that the divorce be granted.
In his report Mr. Langbeip said:
Before Mrs. Wadsworth began the
use OF opium she was a highly respect
able member of society, but her
looks, actions, place of dwelling and
associates of the present day plainly
show how she has debased herself. 1
/ find the plaintiff to be quiet, COR
sentative man of sentimental turn of
mind. He has an extreme horror of
anything which would in anywise
cause a sensation or expose his domes-
tic troubles to the public eye. find
that he had indeed a sincere affection
for his wife"
Judge Ingraham signed the decree of
divorce on Friday. York Star.