The Sully County watchman. (Clifton, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1894, 1893-02-17
NINE. LOPEZ AFTER A DIVORCE.
Wife of the Ex-DictatOr of Argentine Seek
ing Release in Sioux Falls.

About nine months ago there
arrived in Sioux Falls a beautiful
young woman, accompanied by two
little girls, one eight and the other
six years of age. She registered at
the hotel as Nine. Lopez. 1t was
generally supposed that she was here
for divorce, but where she came
from and what was her story the
newspaper correspondents could not
find out. 1t has just leaked out that
the fair visitor is Nine. Maude
Alexandrine Lopez, who is here to
secure a divorce from her brilliant,
reckless and dissipated lord aud
master, Gen. Enrique Lopez, of
Buenos Ayres, Argentine Republic.
The story is romantic one. The
plaintiff was a member of distin-
guished family Of the Lloyds, of
London, Eng. She was married to
the defendant in London in June,
1882. The bridegroom was handsome,
ambitious and, at the time, wealthy
having inherited a large estate from
his father, Gen. Lopez, who, twenty
years ago, was dictator of the
Argentine Republic, and who was
1verthrown by one of the numerous
political upheavals Of the country.
Gen. and Nine Lopez returned at
once to Buenos Ayres, where the
general, in imitation of his father,
became conspicuous as leader of the
repeated rebellions against the gov
ernment. He was more enthusiastic
than discreet, and to raise money to
prosecute his attacks against the
government sacrificed his interest in
his fathers estate for 100000. With
this money he went to Europe and
purchashed guns and ammunition
sufficient to arm and equip 1000 men.
Returning to South America he
furnished vessel and was just
starting on an expedition when he
was intercepted and his armament
taken and destroyed This left him
a political outcast and a bankrupt.
His wife and children were thrown
upon the charity of friends. Nine.
LopeZ's mother arrived about this
time from London. The high bred
and aristocratic Spaniard plunged
into dissipations, to the neglect and
modification of his family. One day
he bought for his wife a diamond
necklace worth $4,000, for which he
secured credit. His wife, knowing
the diamonds were not paid for,
refused to wear them, and the
general soon after secured quite a
sum Of money upon the necklace at a
pawnshop. At another time he
secured credit for a bill of jewelry
amounting to $4,000. Nine. Lopez
has never seen any of the articles
purchased at that time. The
general was arrested for fraud, and
his motherin-law, to save him from
Imprisonment, guaranteed the pay
ment of the bills. One of the articles
purchased at this time was a gold
watch and chain, which the general
presented to his mistress. Nine.
Lopez herself has had the extreme
modification of paying these bills,
the one for the gold watch included,
out Of her interest in her mothers
estate.
Two years and a half ago Nine.
Lopez left South America, with her
children and her mother. The
mother died on the voyage, leaving a
large estate to her daughter. Nine.
Lopez then decided not to return to
South America, knowing that her
husband would soon again reduce her
to want. She came instead to Sioux
Falls, where, through her attorney,
Judge c. S. Palmer, she began an
action for divorce on the ground of
non-support and cruelty. Personal
service was secured On the defendant,
wh0 has made answer and proposes
to fight the case. His attorney is
Gen. B. Ferreira, who served in the
rebellion, led by the defendants
father, eighteen years or more ago.
About bushel of depositions have
already arrived. 1t is expected that
Gen. Lopez will be present to fight
the case, and an interesting trial
is anticipated.
Inter State: 1t is stated at the gen.
eral land offices that during the last
few months there has been an almost
unprecedented cali from the western
and northwestern states for informa-
tion as to the location of unoccupied
government lands, and as to what
steps are necessary to secure them
under the settlement law. This fact
is regarded by the officials as indica-
tive of a growing desire among the
unemployed to secure homes IN the
far west and it is confidently eX-
pected that within the next few years
nearly all of the desirable holdings in