St. Paul daily globe., 1892-05-15

In some years Ca tholic ireland
averages over 10000 marriages to l
divorce. Berlin,in 1885, had 10 marriages
to l divorce; while Stockholm, for the
same year, hae 81 to /. In 1885
there were 40 marriages in Russia to 1
divorce: in Switzerland. 90; in Belgium,
1873; iii Prussia, SO. Italy grants her
welded sufferers no absolute divorce.
The greater individuality and desire
for freedom in the United States, as
well as the fact that she has no state re-
ligion fOrbidding absolute separation,
would lead one to expect more divorces.
Besides, women here are more inde-
pendent and able to make their way in
the world.
Fortunate Wives.
From the government "report on
marriage and divorce" the following
cases are taken verbatim. They are
given to show those who are fearful of
being unable 10 obtain divorce that
there is hope for them.
Cruelty or extreme cruelty or cruel and
inhuman treatment when alleged, afford
wide field for judicial discretion. In the
course of this investigation some of the facts
which have been offered as substantiating
these causes have been furnished the depart
ment by its agents. The following are a few
of the instances under these causes where q
divorce has been granted 10 the wife:
80 Defendant does not speak to plain
tiff for months at a time, thereby making
life q burden.
lob Defendant got drunk day after the
marriage, causing this plaintiff 10 conceive
violent disgust for him. Divorce proceed
ings begun on the day after marriage.
"QU Plaintiff says that when she was
sick in bed the defendant, for the sole pur-
pose of harassing her, said he meant to sui.
eide. and did then and there drink bottle of
paregoric which said action of defendant
sorely grieved plaintiff in body and mind.
"(23l When defendant suffers financial
loss he lays 1t TO plaintiff, and censures her
in bitter terms. He treats her as child,
claiming the right to do SO because of his age
and sex.
SEQ Plaintiff says she is subject to sick
headaches that grow worse when she smells
tobacco Defendant uses tobacco and thus
aggravates her headaches.
'(3l) Plaintiff says Immediately after mar
riage defendant began importuning her to
deed him her property, which said Emporium
ity caused plaintiff mental anguish.
''34) Defendant threatened to knock
clutch her by the throat and pound her head
against thSwall.
',(3S) Defendant quotes verse from New
Testament about wives obeying their hus-
bands. He has even threatened to mash
plaintiff and drew back his hand to do it. In
the decree granting this divorce appears the
following: Il find that when plaintiff was sick
and unable to work. defendant told her the
Lord commanded her to work; that he was
also in the habit of frequently quoting scrip
tural passages in order to show her she was
to be Obedent to her husband
''(49) Defendant cut off my bangs by
force.
'(56) Defendant was cruel in this: He
caused a letter to be written saying he was
dead Plaintiff ordered a mourning garb,
and grieyed long time, but at last learned
the letter was fraud and that defendant
was not dead.
'16S) While defendant was confined to his
bed by lameness, he threw cups and saucers
at plaintiff and threatened to run his crutch
down her throat
"The following instances" says the
above report, ''ShOw the Interpretation
of courts as to cruelty where this has
been alleged by the husband as coming
from the Wife"
Lucky Husbands.
In these cases the husband secured
his divorce:
"(3) Defendant violently upbraided
plaintiff and said to him: You are no man
at ALL thus causing him mental suffering
and anguish.
.g5) Husband says: MY wife refused to
keep my clothing Ill repair: she refused to
cook aud never sewed on my buttons A
witness testified that he had seen plaintiff
with only one button On his vest Plaintiff
father alleged that his wife would not let
him go to see fires at night: that If he went
she would keep him awake until 3 o'clock
quarreling
..(6) Defendant pulled plaintiff out of
bed by his whiskers.
Z sQ2D Defendant took all the covering off
the bed, leaving the plaintiff to shiver until
morning. On one occasion she jumped on