The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1889-08-20
A STRANGE CASE.
How Cleland Lindsey Lost Both
His Property and His
Wife.

Washington, Aug. ia suit which
has Just been entered and which will come
up for trial in the equity court one OF these
days, presents what is believed 20 be the
only case on record In which a divorce was
obtained by a wife while she and her hus-
band were living in love together, occupy
ing the same apartments, eating at the
same table and living, to outward appear
ances. Just as husband and wife should
live. The parties concerned are Clelsnd
Lindsey and May Ann Lindsey. Clelsnd
was formerly an engineer in the navy and
at one time was the owner OF property
worth 100000.
The bill which has been filed by Clelsnd
Lindsey affirms that May Ann was poor,
triendless girl when he married her al the
close of the civil war, but that he loved
her then and continued throughout his
married life to love her dearly. From
time to time ne transferred to her piece by
piece the property which was his. One CT
The reasons why he thus bestowed his
worldly possessions upon his wife was that
he knew he was in the habit of drinking to
excess and that bis property would be
better cared for by his wife than he could
be sure of caring for it himself. A few
years ago q stranger came on the scene, a
handsome young man, to board at the
house, because it wa one OF Mrs. Llpds-
ley's whims TO entertain boarder.
Mr.. Lindsey was never an oyer-suspi-
cious man. He did think that il was
hardly proper for his wife and the boarder
to be in each others apartments rather
scantily attired, or that there was room
for protest when, without consulting him
the two would leave town and spend sew
eral weeks together at some pleasure resort.
He didn't show his temper very badly,
because as soon as he uttered a word of
reproof the lady would declare that it was
very unfair to abuse the bosrder In tn At
way, would hint that the boarder had q
great deal of trouble to keep his hands of
Mr.. Lindsey, and would even threaten 10
sue for divorce on the ground OF Mr..
Lindsley's Incorporate habits. Such a
threat would invariably pacify Mr.. Lind
sley.
In the summer of 1886 Mrs. Llndsley
actually did sue for divorce. but her hus-
band appealed to her for mercy. He offer
ed to give over to her whatever OF the
property he had not already transferred
to her If she would only "let up" on him.
The agreed. The remainder of the prop
erty was given te her, and il was under
stood between them that the suit should go
no further. They resumed their former re
lations, and continued to live together as
loving husband and wife, but one fine
morning not many weeks after the the bar.
gain Mr.. Lindsey was furnished with a
notice of the decree of divorce which had
been given by the court in favor Of Mary
Ann on account of her husbands intemper-
ance Mary Ann had continued to prose-
cute the suit, and she was able. owing to
the peculiar system of administering the
law in this city, to prosecute the suit to a
final issue while the defendant IN the case
was entirely ignorant of the proceedings.
Now Clelsnd Lindsey sues to have the
case reopened and t. have his property
either restored to his own possession or
placed in the hands of trustees to be APP
pointed by the court, and by them to De
managed for the joint benefit of himself
and the wife whom he still loves notwith-
standing the handsome bosrder and the
occalt divorce.