The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1889-07-25
RHODA WAS NAUGHTY
sTEFFINBURG CAUSED HER Ar
REST AND BROUGHT SUIT
FOR DIVORCE.

FOR
Her Daughters Against Her-The Smell
ling ScandaI-A Funny Attempt al
Suicide-The Widows Bad Check
General News Items.
Rhoda S~tefinburg, a married woman
and the wife of John Steff1nburg, a pros
porous Trenton mechanic, has had her
wild career brought to a sudden close
She is now confronted with the charge OF
keeping a disorderly house, and she must
soon answer a m why she should
not be divorced from her husband.
The Seventh Commandment has been
badly fractured by Mrs. S~tetfinburg,
the offences are said to be many. For up
wards of a year John and Rhoda have
lived apart. The husband owned the
house in which she resided, No. 23S FAR
street, which was comfortably furnished,
and which she occupied free. He also
allowed S. cash for the table. Mrs. SteI-
finburg has,: two daughters, VINO also
earned a heat sum each week that was
contributed to the support OF the mousse
hold. The story, as it goes, is thai mucn
of this money went for lager peer. 20
Liz huODcbIlu ChlpIOyO0 @
watch her and he was gradually acqulr-
ing considerable damaging evidence
against her. Last Saturday night ne was
informed thai his wife was entertaining a
strange man at her home. He quletly en-
tered the house and was assured by ms
step-daughters that Ibis suspicious We're
correct. He forced his way into the
chamber and saw enough to warrant
criminal proceeding. In the excitement
that followed the stranger, partly dis
robed made his escape to the street.
The injured man Immediately began
a suit for divorce. The wife was Then ar
rested for keeping q diSorderly house, IL
being alleged that considerable carous1ng
is going on at all times, to the detriment
OF the morals of the daughters, who are
young ladies of excellent character. Mrs.
S~teffinburg is now in Jail awaiting trial.
The correspondents named are Jesse
Wecker and William Clennyhan. The
latter is the individual who was caught
in the bedroom last Sunday morning. It
is thought that Mrs. S~teffinburg will
make no esponse to the summons. she
will have a hearing the latter part of this
weak on the charge of keeping a disor-
derby house.
The Smelling Divorce Suit.
The examination of Mrs. Alice L.
Smelling before Special Master in Chanc-
cry Anderson, in the divorce case in
which she is petitioner, occupied the
greater part of a day. Her story agreed
with her domestic's, Mary Cribbins'
story. in many ways. The most interest
ing part was the tale of Mr.. Snelling's
attempt to commit suicide when she up
braided him for his intercourse with
Sarah Doom and told him she intended
leaving him. -,
"He had a small phial," she said,
fG-ls1I ha o1oinoad contained nnienn /
prevented him from swallowing the con-
tents, but he succeeded in swallowing
the contents of another bottle, supposed
to contain the same drug. | sent the
servant to the doctors in great haste.
The latter didn't have to exert himself
much to,saye Mr.. Snelling's life"
Mrs. Smelling thought that his attempt
at suicide was q sham, intended to
brighten her into remaining with him.
Her story of Snelling's brutal treatment
of herself and children will go strongly
against him. She said that had she not
learned from the servant the fact of her
husbands relationship with Sarah Doom
she would have left him On account of his
brutality. According to her story he bit,
struck and in other ways maltreated her.
The children were also roughly treated,
she said.
The photograph of Smelling, which the
janitor of the High steeet house recog-
uIZeu DIS Uu0 pOfGIdlU u Uu0 uldu WIN N1o-
tied Sarah Doom, was put in evidence. 1t
was taken by Mrs. Smelling, who
is an expert amateur photographer.
Mrs. Smelling had heard of her hus-
bands intidelity as far back as the au-
tumn of 1887. She also at that time found
a letter of the husbands addressed to a
certain "Dear Salley," in which the
writer made an appointment with her.
When she confronted him with the letter
he attempted to take it away from her,
and, after dragging her over the floor, sue
ceeded in getting it. He then immedi-
ately destroyed it, she said.
Smelling has SO far not attempted a de-
tense as nearly as could be learned. Mrs.
Smelling is now residing with a sister-in-
law at Tena1y. She has two of their
three children, Snelling's mother, Mrs. S.
S. Birdson. having charge of the other.
AT the conclusion of the divorce proceed
ings Mrs. Smelling will return to Wash
ton, d. c.. The examination was adj
journed.