The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1893-03-07
MRS. PRAE7'S STORY.
A Lively Arraignment of
Her Husband and Cousin
Cruelty and
Worse.

Mrs. Henry A. Praet, formerly OF NO.
2915 Sherman place. Jersey City Heights,
but now of No, 539 Bloomfield street. Ho-
boken, is very much opposed to her hus-
band, Mr.. Henry A. Praet, who is seek
ing divorce fromeher. Since January
last, neither husband nor wife has laid
eyes on the other, and to all appearances
the only happy hours of the young couple
have been since that date. The proceed
ings for divorce by the husband and the
counter charge OF the wife have been ex-
clusively published in THE JERSEY CITY
NEWS.
Yesterday met Mrs. Praet at the Of
fee of her legal advisers in Hoboken.
She is q pretty woman. She is about
twenty-five years of age, an interesting
conyersationalist, and ever on the alert
to impress fayora bly, those with whom
she comes In contact. asked her
what she had to say of her husband.
What she did say was very bitter, Ii she
once loved him, she does not now, that's
evident, and ii she could lay her hands
on Miss Grace Il. b. Tooker-well
there would be hair pulling match.
MRS PRAET'S STORY.
s'Six years ago we were married." said
Mrs Praet, land we went to live on the
Heights. We were very happy for a
month or SO. but my husbands uncon-
trollable temper caused trouble from the
start. He has terrible temper. i would
try to soothe him as best 1 could, as It
was my duty to do SO as his wife, but he
would beat me, and ofte1fiines has threat
ened TO shoot me. This went aiong till
May last, when Miss Grace R. =. Tooker.
| my cousin, came to live wien us.
She formerly lived with her sister
in Brooklyn, the wife of the Rev. Mr.
Baker, minister of church on Sixteenth
street. She was a very sliyely girl. only
eighteen years of age, and was 10Y COM
pauion. bought her clothes aud gave
her spending money. My husband never
gave me enough nancy tossupport tue
County and took with mo Miss Tooler.
MIR. Praet was awav on business. He is a
member of the United States Printing
Company, of No. ia Nassau street, New
York. We returned from the country in
September.
AN ALLEGED CONFESSION.
''In the latter part of October Harry
came to me and said he knew he had
been brute. and all that. but he wanted
TO make confession and secure my for
giveness. He said, in the first place, he
had been intimate with Grace both be-
fore and after we went to the country.
was surprised, and determined to hunt
fessed that in August he had married q
young Boston woman in Windham, Conn.
He said she was not accomplished. neither
was she pretty. but she had sweet dis
position which he admired. He
said the girl, who was employed
as a salesgirl, would be confined in May,
and he wanted TO do right by her. He
said he wanted me TO send my father
away. and bring the little Boston girl to
the house She was to live there as my
cousin, and Harry was to keep away from
both of us. Iagreed, for motives known
oply to myself. The next day Harry re-
turned and said he had changed his mind,
and he would go to Boston ana do what
ever the girl there said. he returned In
few days.
A PUT-UP JOB.
"In the meantime / had ordered Grace
from the house. Then il was that she
and Harry coneocted the story of my in
timacy with H. g. Peckenback. 1t is all
put up job. and no truth in it whatever.
In December Harry on several occasions
took my things away from the house. He
said he would get divorce, and Grace
would swear for him about Peckenback
apd me- He offered several men money
to swear against me. On January O. last
he chased me and said he would kill ME
if / didn't acknowledge my intimacy.
Rather than be killed, did so. EARLY
that evening he said he WAS going to take
our silver plate to his mothers. He went
out and hid the plate. Hereturned about
II O'Clock and when he found IT was gone
became very angry. feared for my life
so l made arrangements and had the
contents of three rooms taken to Hoboken
where now llve."