The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1893-04-12
L WICKED Dominic
Mrs. Jennie Jennings Tells
How Her Husband Cob
bled Her Checks.
QUARTS OF WHISKY CONSUMED
ordered to Pay S. a Week Alimony.
Hc Falls Into Contempt of
Court.
QUARTS OF WHISKY CONSUMED
snecial to The .leraeu cltu Ne,us.

TRENTON, April II, 1885,. LII the battle
ncw being waged In the New Jersey Su-
Dreme Court between Rector Joseph B.
Jennings of Westfeld ana Bishop Scar
boro and the vestrymen of his church, Is
decided in favor of the rector, a move
ment will be started to depose Jennings
from the church. He is charged with
having committed, In four dioceses. acts
Of immortality, which are sufficient to un-
frock him. 1t was for the purpose OF
avoiding scandal In the church that the
charges of drunkenness and immortality
nave not been forced. and 1T was the in-
tention of the church authorities to allow
the young clergyman to leave Westfield
withou ut being a disgraced priest. a
charges will be founded upon the sworn
stateme nts of Mrs. Jennie Jennings. the
rector's wife, and her brother. Dr.. James
HI. CASTOR, made before Master in Cham
Gerry Frederick Marsh in Mrs. jennings
suit for divorce.
MRS. JENNINGS STORY.
Mrs. Jennings testified hat she was
married to Joseph Bernard Jennings at
Baltimore, December 10, 1884. After he
wedding, they went to the Fifth Avenue
Hotel, where they remained a week.
Then they went TO Iarrytown, wnere
Mr.. Jennings had a parish. They had
been married only three months when,
Mrs. Jennings swears, he struck her and
treated her in a tantalizing manner until
she could endure it nc longer. de also
frank while there, but not enough to
prevent him from knowing what he was
doing. He drank so heavily and treated
his wife so cruelty while in Tarrytown.
that he was asked to leave the parish.
Mrs. Jennings then went to Baltimore
and remained there at the home OF her
parents until Jennings received the ap-
pointment TO a church IN sag Harbor.
He again drank heavily while there.
abused his wife most cruelty and neglect
ed the duties of his parish TO such an ex-
tent that he was requested to leave. While
at Sag Harbor, Mrs. Jennings swears, her
husband took her on a picnic to an ad-
Joining island. While there he drank
two bottles Of whisky and began to curse
and swear. When Mrs, Jennings at
tempted to demonstrate with him, he
knocked her senseless and she did not re-
cover consciousness for some time. She
asked to be taken home, but he kept her
there until evening, and he WAS IN a
proper condition to return home. She
was in bed w days from the effects OF
the experience. In 1888 she went to live
with Jennings in New York. aud for III
teen months she supported him out OF her
own private purse. ALI this time he
drank considerably.
PROSPERITY sPoILS HIM.
He secured q charge in Crawford, N. j..
about three miles from Wesifield, where
he continued his old habits, and went SO
far as to pawn his wife's wedding gifts.
When she asked where they were, he said
that he had them in storage. Later, she
found the pawn tickets. Mrs. Jennings
claims that she has advanced her hus-
band over So, 600. Whenever he was out
Of work, he was inclined to be civil.
but as soon as he obtained a parish and
control OF his pay, he would resume his
old habits of drinking and abuse. When
she was married. she had $500 in her
pocket for spending money. She gave 1t
TO him, and he spent 1t on himself, never
giving her any Information as TO wnat he
did with it. Ga another occasion she
gave him $50 to be used for church Jul
poses, but he took it to New YORK
and spent it. She received a check
for 500 as a welding present.
Jennings, she say received the money
and she never knew anything ABOUT II,
until some time after she met the dunor,
who asked her why she had never
acknowledged the gift. She was about
to say that she had not received the
money. when 1t flashed upon her that her
husband might have received the money,
and she was so EN- arrassed that she was
sure the donor discovered her confusion.
DR.. Castor testified that ne undertook
to get an explanation from Jennings, OF
his conduct towards his sister. The
Clergyman tried to avoid him, but when
inally %cornered, aid that his VIE was
Jealous, and accused him of paying too
much attention to other ladies.
The Rev. DR.. William N. Donneil tes-
titled that he gave Jennings employment
at his church while he went on his vaca-
lion. When he returned after a three
nonth's absence, he heard a great many
startling stories of Mr.. Jennings's con-
duct, aud learned that ne had passed him
self off as a single
IN CONTEMPT.
The Master recommended that Jen-
mugs pay his wife IS g week aIimony and
a counsel fee. The Chancellor made the
order, and, upon Jennings's ignoring il,
he was attached for contempt. Jennings
swore tina his salary pracricatly amounted
to nothing; and that he was dependent
on the collections for a living aud could
not pay alimony and costs.