Butte semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1886-1890, 1889-02-02
MARITAL MISERIES.
THE DOMESTIC TROUBLES OF a
COUPLE NOW HERE.

n,e.rent stories Told by the Two Parties
M to the Present Condition of Affairs-
The Husband Here TO Get His Children,
file Can.
A case OF marital inielicity came to hgot
Yesterday in this city. The parties con"
nected with it passed their married hie ID
Idaho. and the husband is still a resident
OF Silver City in that Territory. The other
PARTY, the wife, has been a RESIDENT OF bupoe
for four months. James Dewitt, tne nus
band in the case, has Deen Id 'o"n
for a couple OF days. There are connicuna
accounts OF how he became awar tnat ms
wife was here. 1t was in search oil her that
he came here. Apparently he was doing
we'll in Silver City as . miner when MS
wife got his consent to her taking the chill
dren with her on a visit to her parents near
Seattle. During this time lie received and
sent letters to her at that address, leading
him to believe she was still there. He was
undeceived by a friend who claimed to have
met her working in a variety theater In
Butte. He wrote to her to come home but
not receiving q satisfactory answer he de.
termined to know the worst n started
out in search OF her.
He first learned that she had gone to
Spokane Falls, and on reaching that point
found that the information he had received
that she was in Butte was correct. BY
correspondence with Officer Jordan OF TINS
civ he received further verification OF the
fact and coming on here he met the officer
who took him to q variety theater where he
recognized his wife among the mattresses OF
the place. There were some repreacnes on
his part but no scene. He had no lnten-
ton OF hurting a hair OF her head. he &C.
COMMANDED her to q place on East Park
street where he asked for his children and
was told they were iu her mothers home in
Washington Territory. He intends to APP
nlv for a divorce with q view to obtaining
custody OF the children.
There being always two sides to a story
OF this character, q visit was PAID TO the
wife whose account differs materially from
the above. that appears to be Mr.. Devltt's
side of the case.
The wife is known here as Ada Blanchard,
and in company with her sister, Mrs. Rose,
runs a saloon or East Park street,
near Wyoming. Her presence at the 20
mique on the evening when she met Mr.
Dewitt there was accidental. She wac
shown the account in the afternoon paper,
OF which the foregoing is a synopsis, and
having read it through, said quietly when
she had finished it that the whole story
was false from beginning to end.
in the first place" said she, II left him
now nearly two years ago, and took the
children with me, and he knew when 1 leit
him that l would never return to blm. L
got the means to leave him from my folks,
and he knew it. 1 did not ask his permits
sion to 60, for 1 would never have gotlt, as
he would never nave given me the means to
leave him. He had treated me with cru
city, and l made up my mind to live
with him no longer. That is all
there is in that. We had been
married seven or eight years
and had twice been separated during that
time on account OF his cruelty. He knew
when 1 left him that I would never return
to him. When l left him I went to my
folks at Palouse, Washington Territory. L
stayed with them for some months there
when l removed to Spokane with them.
During this time l obtained an absolute
divorce from him from q court in Idaho
on grounds OF cruelty. He must know
this. as l took care he was sent the
papers. He did not contest the case
and l was granted custody OF the children.
The divorce was obtained shortly after L
left him."
"Since then, who has been supporting the
hildren?"
II have maintained them and myself ever
since l left him and have never received a
cent towards their or my support"
"Haye YOU c~orresponded with him since
then2"
~ have received several letters from him
but never answered any except the first
two. / never wrote to him from Spokane
or Butte"
us there any truth in the assertion in the
afternoon paper that your letters to him
were forwarded to a friend in Seattle m
mailed to Mr.. Dewitt from there?"
''None whatever. No letters have ever
been sent by the to him in O. round about
way. The letters l sent went direct: As l
said l have not correeponoeo "i'n h'u for
over a year."
"You think there can be no doubt he is
aware OF your getting a divorce?"
II don't see how he can TAIL to know
OF it,"
'Then what can De his object in following
you here?"
II can't say, unless he thinks l have got
money and wants to get some oil it,"
Suppose he divorce proceed
ings, what will you do2"
ut depends on what grounds he asks for
u uINOTCbs i vi u1lhiy NOuoSo 'NJ
effort OF his to get the children. l want to
be free from him in every way possible, n
shall only oppose any effort to get the chill
dren away from me-"
did you see him at the variety theater
the other evening""
Eyes, l saw him first before he saw me,
and accosted him first. There was no
scene at all. He asked me to let him &C.
company me home. When / got outside |
asked the officer to accompany me, but L
am not afraid of any personal violence
from him. He wanted to know where the
children were, and 1 told him they are Will
my mother"
This conversation took place in
the saloon on East Park street,
and as the reporter was leaving he saw
Mr.. Dewitt, a man about middle age,
medium height, with q pleasant cast ol
features and q healthy color in his face,
which was covered with a thick, light
beard, who was sitting in the saloon at ont
of the tables chatting with the Others pres
emit in a perfectly unembarrassed manner
Mrs. Blanchard exhibited no outward emo
ton when she saw him, nor did he. He
had been at the place several times since
his first visit, and to all appearances wal
a. undemonstrative in his demeanor as 9
total stranger would have been. There
can be no doubt, however, that MI. Dew
tits principal object in coming here is tt
gain possession of his children, and thai
his wife-or, il her story is correct, his di
vorced wife-is perfectly awar OF his mis-
sion, and has taken all precautions tt
checkmate him.