St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-06-09
SAINT PAUL.
DOMESTIC RROILS.
Two Suits for Divorce Result in
the Parade of Family Skeletons,


On June there was filed in the dis
trict court suit for divorce, in which
Annie Louise johnson was the plaintiff
and her husband, August johnson, the
defendant. In her complaint, which
was an exhaustive exposition of Mr..
Johnson's alleged villainy, she charged
nearly everything man might be
guilty of, including several specific allie
cations of inEdelity. Further than that,
Mrs. johnson charged her husband with
begetting with child certain Swede
girl named Ella Anderson, and having
borne 10 him another child from Miss
4ouugberg. The complaint was very
SulphuriouS sort of an affair, and made
charges which were simply astounding.
On June there was tried before Judge
Villas, the divorce suit of Peter w.
Olson, contractor of this city. against
his wife, Mariana J. Olson. This suit
the husbands charges of cruel and in
human treatment were found to
be untrue by the court. Olson
had simply made repeated and
specific charges of cruel and
inhuman treatment against his wife,
and that she had frequently accused
him of being an adulterer. When the
suit was being tried Mrs. Olson testified
that she had truthfully charged Olson
with intidelity. and proved by her own
and other testimony that Olson had
committed the alleged crime with Mrs.
Annie Louise Johnson at various times
and places. When Olson was called to
TO the stand he swOre that he had never
been guilty of such alleged acts, and
positively stated upon the witness
stand that he had never broken his mar
rlage VOWS III any way. The case
was too palpable, however, and after
fighting the matter for two days Judge
Villas threw the case out of court. and
Mr.. Olson had not only uncovered his
own pertidy, but had lost his case
against his wife. The testimony given
during the trial as to Olson'S Illicit rela-
tons with certain women was heard by
one who communicated the facts adj
duced to August Johnson. Johnson
began to mediate upon the actions of
his own wife upon certain past occa-
Sions and linked them with the
charges of adultery made against
Olson, and found a startling coincidence.
A thorough investigation into the rela-
ton of affairs and dates. and the diScov-
cry of convicting evidence, soon sent
Mr.. johnson after Mr.. Olson'S scalp.
He Swore out warrant for Olson'S ar
rest, charging that he (OlSon) did feloni-
ouSly swear falsely when questioned OH
the stand whether he ever cOhabited
with any other woman than his wife.
Olson, it is charged. had perjured him
self. and Johnson had him arrested and
lodged in the county Jail, where he
will remain until tried. johnson then
turns about and meets his wife's
charges in her suit for divorce against
him, and, answering the complaint, al
leges as follows: He first denies each
and every criminal charge his wife
makes. Then, for counter claim aud
recrimination, he alleges that on Feb.
81, at the office of Peter W. Olson, 1875
East Seventh street, Mrs. Johnson COM
mitted adultery with Mr.. Olson. Again
in December, 1888, Mrs. johnson and
Mr.. Olson were caught in fiagrante de-
licto at the Palmer house. Chicago. Mr..
Johnson, further answering and alleg-
ing, states in his document that since the
year 1884 Mrs. Johnson has been very
abusive to him and has called him
a vile name. He says she has prac-
tically abandoned her home for the past
nine months, and has led such life as
to exclude her from the company or
recognition of respectable people. On
the Sd of January she secretly left her
home. taking along her three children.
Mr.. Johnson then stated to the court
that OIson's divorce was denied on the
grounds of having committed adultery
with Mrs. Johnson. He says that he
has been Informed, and verify be-
lieves, that Olson is engaged in
diSpOSing of his property for the pur-