The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1890-11-15
is IT A CONSPIRACY?
Byron W. Sickle Charged
with Attempting to
Incriminate His
Wife.
SUMMING Up The GREAT DIVORCE CASg
Her Counsel Deny She Received
the Letters Sickle Says He
Found in His Wife's
Trunk.
;TNHING Up THE GREAT DIVORCE CASE

The now famous divorce case Of Stick le
against Sickle was summed up before
Chancellor McGlll this morning Byron
K Sickle, who is the principle merchant
of Rockaway. Morris county, applied for
divorce from his wife, aud named as
correspondent Charles w. Fox Fox was
appointed Postmaster of Rockaway by
President Cleveland, and when his sue
cessor was appointed Mr.. Sickle took
him into his employ.
MIR. Llttle, Of Morristown, opened the
case for the plaintiff and said that Mr..
Sickle was forty years old and his wife
thlrty-two years old They have two
children. One evening last spring when
Sickle came home ne found his wife and
children away. He went into his wife's
bedroom, which was brilliantly lighted,
and saw pocketbook lying on the table
In the pocket was a letter which aroused
his suspicious. He could not sleep that
night aud In the morning he went TO
Morristown and consulted Mr.. Little.
Acting under Mr.. Little's advice ne said
nothing TO his wife, but furnished her
money with which to 90 to New York.
He spoke to Fox. who acknowledged that
he had carried on elandestine corre-
spondence with Mrs Sickle but had
destroyed her letters.
While Mrs Sickle was away Sickle
found one behind a looking glass hanging
on the wall. Her trunk was locked, but
Sickle procured a locksmith and broke
open the trunk, and there under her
clothing he found about one hundred let-
ters OF very amorous nature, the con-
tents of many Of which are unfit for pub
lication. 1t was upon these letters that
the plaintiff depended mainly to substan-
tate his charges.
THE SIGNAL FOR THEIR MEETING.
Mr.. Little claimed that the testimony
showed that Mrs. Sickle met Fox over
and over again by appointment at his So
hciIatiOn- She came 10 his Office when
the lights were put out, and the signal
for her to come was the putting out of
those lights. Fox went to the house so
frequently that the suspicion OF the neigh
bors were aroused.
Very few OF the letters had any date.
Mr.. Little said, and but few passed
through the post office.
Mr.. Little then read letter which re-
ferred TO the health of Mrs. Sickle and
her daughter and claimed that any woman
who would corre5p pond with a man other
than her husband upon such topics had
sunk very low indeed. He then read
the following extracts found in Mrs.
Stlcklefs trunk.
Ny darling girl:-You tell me you are cursed
with Jealous disposition. | am afraid you are
Jealous of me and are hiding it from me.
My darling; Ny love for you has become 50
inten 80 that am afraid we Will get into trouble
aud you will be the one to suffer. But can't
help il. II the old boy himself stood al the
door would have to express my feeling for
you.
that had 10 part from you without kissing you.
You say you are true steel. Well. darling.
you can't be true TO two. You are tied to one
and it may be only passing fancy you have for
me.
How did you get down from the store last
night. Didn't tell YOU your eyes would DO red
from weeping.
Ihope you viii never have 70 answer for such
a crime you say viii have to answer for If
/ am untrue to you
At this point the Chancellor interrupted
Mr.. Little, and asked him If there was
any evidence to show how these letters
were delivered Mr.. Little replied that
there was none, and his surmi5e was that
they were exchanged when Fox and Mrs.
Sickle met. In one of the letters Fox
refers 60 the fact that she placed letter
in his oyercoaJ while he was calling at
the house. and he chides her for doing so,
reminding her Of the serape they would
have gotten into il she had put the letter
into some one else's oyercoat.
THE MANY DANGERS THEY ESCAPED.
Mr.. Little then continued reading from
the letters.
The place was watched last night. Some one
went down the street and window was raised.
Well, darling, don't think It best that /
should come 10 the house for reasons you
derstand You can bet / was surprised when
the boss (Mr. Stickle) came to the window. It
was lucky he did not want to come, for II he had
you would have gone into that closet sure
Ii does seem that some one but the evil spirit
is watching over we have had 50 many
row escapes. l suppose there is 3 first time 70
get caught, but hope that flrst time VIII never
come TO US.
How did v GU get home last night / wonder il
those persons saw you come out. suppose we
will keep on until we get caught dead 70 rights
Do you know think some one will go to the
boss with story about US You win have to
suffer, as you know it is the poor woman who
has to take il all
Ny little girl suppose if We go on we do,
we will both get into trouble, and 10 give you
up, my darling, will be like tearing my heart
out.
Let me say to you right here that nothing that
has passed between you and me viii ever be
told by me- / will never let a word pass my lips.
would rather put my hand on the block and
have it severed
ssrhe miserable coward and beast, ["
commented Mr.. Little with unnecessary
disgust in his tones, and then continuing
he read
Il wonder if either Of US should get sick and
someone should get our letters what would they
as bad You are. Some one would say what
fool they are 10 write these letters but 10 US
they are sweet and lovely
II have thought several times what a narrow
escape we had last night. It's lucky you saw
the boss coming, Didn't you move Quicklys At
any rate we didn't get caught"
"His posi- Office duties didn't seem TO
interfere with his letter writing" dryly
remarked Mr. Little, as he turned over
the letters and selected this extract
Stolen fruit is the sweetest When you an
swered ths boss indferently before me last night
you did right always want you to appear IN
oiff erent 10 me when he IS about
Mr. Little then argued that the fact
that these letters were found in Mrs.
Mrs. Stickle's trunk were proof that she
was guilty of all her husband alleged
against her
MRS sTICKLE REPUDIATEs THE LETTERS
Mrs. VredenDerg claimed that there
was nothing In the evidence 10 show that
Mrs. Sickle ever evinced any affection
| for Fox, or even a desire TO be in his
society. As to the letters, he claimed
| that Fox and Sickle were trying TO inn
pose upon the Court, aud that they had
entered into a conspiracy to enable
Sickle to get a divorce from his wife.
| He showed how Fox was at the house
every Sunday at the invitation OF Sickle.
and that they were bosom companions
He admitted that the letters were in the
writing of Fox, aud pointed out what he
| Claimed were discrepancies in the evil
deuce of the plaintiffs witnesses on that
/ point.
The Chancellor asked him If Mrs
| Sickle had denied that she had received
the letters. Mr.. Vreaenberg replied that