The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1892-05-06
UGLY DIVORCE CASE.
Rev. Oliver w. Jennings, Formerly
of Columbia, the Defendant.
Mrs. Jennings, nee Miss Smith, Alleges
That He is Addicted to Opium.

That He is Addicted to Opium.
Many of the HERALD'S readers |
will remember the marriage in this
city in 1887 of Rev. Oliver w. Jen-
niDgs aud Miss Lula Smith. Rev.
Jennings was for time pastor of the
Christian Church here, and was quite
his wife by the tender and touching
little poem she wrote and which was
printed in the HERALD before their
honey moon beg n to wane. The first
two lines read:
al have a husband fond and true.
His hair is brown and his eyes are blue"
The following dispatch to the Gin
cinnati Enquirer, from Indianapolis,
where Mr.. Jennings is stationed as
pastor of the Sixth Christian Church,
| indicates that the honeymoon has
long since sunk tout of sight,, ana
that Mrs. Jennings has changed con-
siderably in her views:
Surprise came to-day in the discovery
| that Rev. Oliver w. Jennings, pastor OF
the Sixth Christian Church, was figuring
in divorce proceedings. He Is not only
defendant, but plaintiff in cross petl-
ton.
port, XIV, something over one year ago.
-Four weeks ago he went to New Albany
to attend a meeting of the 7 nlted Order
of the Golden Cross, he being the com
mander of the kentucky and Indiana
Jurisdiction. To his. overwhehnlng sur
prise upon his return he found that MS
wife had abandoned him, taking with
her their only child, and, although lie
succeeded by means of detectives IN To-
eating her with friends at Danville, this
state. he has not been successful III ef-
fecting reconciliation.
Some DAYS after her flight he diScOV'
tyaH-. a fsfsI
} alleging ill-treatment and that Mr.. Jen
nings was an habitual slave to the use o.
opium. The proceedings upon her par
= were quietly brought, and not an linking
of it would have reached the puDllc pui
for his cross complaint to-day, III Whlcl
he makes a specific and sweeping denla
I to every allegation affecting himself, ant
, alledges abandonment on her part.
MIR. Jennings reports that when h'
, went to New Albany his wife parted
. from him with Kiss and a tear. Sh'
; had q beautiful home, with a servant t.
wait upon her. He charges that half 1
dozen persons in the church Influenced
| her wrongfulIY, and he alleges that al
I though he still loves her, he is inIpelle(
{ to make the separation permanent t'De
9 cause she used vulgar language, calle'
u me liar and a dog, and kicked me
She also conducted herself i'll such
e way as to bring r-proach upon me. Sh
D had a fOndnesS for company and tn
society of other men" Mr.. JenninE
a adds that his congregation investigated
: the charges against him, sending com
}. mittee to his old home at Wesport, AM
= finding
l. NOTHING IN ANY MANNER
rejecting upon his ministerial stand
= ing. He first met his wife at Co'umbis
d Tenn, i'll October, 1887, and they wer
Is married OH the 22d of February follow
ing. She was member of the Chris
tian Church. Their union resulted i
n one child, boy 2 years old, named ate
n himself. Mr.. Jennings very navel
q adds that while his wife claims to be z
he has reason to believe she is y.
q for himself, he is 81. He is man {
q fine physique, and seemly of much sill
L certify of purpose. He continues to mil
lister TO his flock, although it is not de
II MED that there has been split in tn
,r congregation. This. however, is attrit
e uted to causes in existence before
@ was called to this city.
1t is due Mr.. Jennings not to Overloo
= the fact that i'll his cross-complaint
firms that no never took pinch {
opium in his life, and that he is free {
&c every vice calculated to impair his II
$ fluence a. a minister of the Gospel.