Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1890-02-05
A WIFE'S HARD LOT.
Her Husbands Affection Sud.
denly Takes Flight
AFTER 80 YEARS OF MARRIED LIFE.

The Case OF Mr.. and Mrs. Harding, o
Chicago, as stated by the wife--A Mil
ionsire Whose Love Turns to Rate
without Known Causs-Cruel Treat.
ment AIleged-Extraordtnsr Conduc,
of an Old Man.
CHICAGO Feb 5-Mrs Adelaide II Has
ingS separate maintenance suit against
George I Harding, the lawyer and presi
dent of the Fireman's Insurance company
was yesterday open for inspection in the cir
cult court clerks office Mrs. Hardings bill
gives the details of her differences with her
husband at great length. From her state
ment il appears that the LAWYER is worth bs,
tween e., 000,o00 and $4,000, 900 She say.
she was married to Harding Nov I, 1855
at Peoria, and has resided in Chicago since
1852. They had seven children, the eldest 81
years old and married. Four are daughters
the eldest being 10 Mr. Harding inherited
large fortune on the death of his father.
the late Gen. A c Harding, of Monmouth.
HIS, and he has increased his holdings until
they now include large smount If real
estate III this city, ami i'll the states of Tin
noIs and Wisconsin, besides valuable per-
soma property
Their Happy Married Life.
Mrs Harding represents that up to Octo
Der, lsss, she and her husband lived happily
They resided at $3.50 Indiana avenue Every
summer they went to MIR Hsrding's country
home at Monmouth, TO the seashore, or To
Europe. Their household expenses were
never less than SIS 900 year In October
1888, Mrs Harding says Mr. Harding began
toward her course OF unkind and cruel
treatment She has never been able to ex
plain the reason, but il is reported that
there is young ami pretty woman at the
bottom of it. Mrs Harding says she stood
the abuse until Feb l, when she left him.
after exhausting every means to bring about
4 reconciliation.
Cutting Down Expenses.
The complaint cites as instances Of his bad
treatment that he occupied separate sleeping
apartments, stopped her credit al tbs stores
allowed her only $50 month, when for over
twenty years she had had 81 0t0 a month,
caused the servants to insult her and to re-
fuse TO obey her, would not speak TO her him.
self except TO abuse her and cali her a liar
and thief in the chiidren's presence; took
his meals at the Chicago and Union League
cluLs anu WHEN at nome Kept close TO Ills
own room and Established a system of re-
wards and punishments for the children,
whom he strove in every way to ALLEVIATE
from their mother.
Other nI-Treatment Alleged.
Mrs Harding asserts that he discharged
all the servants but the coacbman, aud she
was compelled to do the drudgery of the
house, which made her i'll for two weeks,
during which time her husband never came
near her, but told the children she was
Shamming He. also, it is charged, put it in
the power of the coachman to say when she
should drive, and encouraged him in
the use of insulting language toward
his wife. He drove his eldest daughter
Isabel, from the house, it is asserted
because she refused to side against hel
mother, and when she returned drove her
out again with violence Mrs. Harding as
serts that there have been times when she
had only meal and -four in the house Sh,
prays for the custody of her two youngest
daughters, Susan and Madeline, who aIs
said 10 be attached to her, and for a liberia
allowance 10y her husband for her and tbeiI
support The matter has not Yet come up il
open court
Mrs Harding Is 60 years old