The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1893-11-12
NICE SORT OF HUBBY
Story of Fierce Brutality That
Would Melt a Heart of Stone.
Evidence in the Q~uackenboss Divorce
at Chicago Worse Than Anything
Judge Tuley Ever Heard.

TOT many months, caused an UNUSUAL
amount Of interest from the peculiar and
numerous allegations Of cruelty made by
he wife. The decision is a voluminous type
written affair, and says:
THE cruelty alleged in the case is peculiar
and extraordinary In its nature. In 1887
the defendant was a commission merchant
In st Paul, and when visiting Chicago, at
MT. and sirs. Chambers's, the aunt and
uncle OF the complainant he made COM
p~lainant's acquaintance. He was thirty
four years of age and ten years her senior.
They became engaged, and during the en-
gagement there occurred an incident of
trifing character, which was destined, how
ever, to have an important bearing upon
their future lives. One day Mrs. Chambers
said to the defendant: Il heard a lady to-
day pay you a compliment. She said that
you would be a most indulgent husband,
and that Ella would be the most pampered
womal in the world When the defendant
went back to St Paul he wrote Mrs- Cham
bers and said he presumed she thought it a
compliment. but that he would never mary
a woman with such an impression, and that
If he and Ella did not intend to do all they
could to make each other happy they had
better emain as they were. Mrs. Chambers
read the letter to Ella, who wrote to the de-
CAAAoAA oohAAo NANSN AZ A~SNAA OAA - ~
wanted to break the engagement. The de-
PENDANT came to Chicago and matters were
smoothed over. Jan. II, 1883, the parties
were married and went to St. Paul to re-
side. Two weeks after the marriage the de-
PENDANT upbraided his wife for writing the
letter mentioned and said Mrs.
maliciously prompted IL.
"ThiS was their first quarrel. The de-
PENDANT appears TO have become consumed
with a ferOciOus hatred OF Mrs. Chambers,
which embittered every hour Of his life. In
a few weeks he requested his wife to cease
all communication with Mr.. and Mrs. Cham
bers and to send back all the wedding pres
ents they had given. Time and again he
brought the matter up. and finally told her
that she must choose between him and her
uncle and aunt. She Fought temporary
peace by submitting. The wedding pres
ents were returned and a letter was writ
ten by Ella saying that she wished moth
ing more to do with them. The letter was
dictated by the defendant
"He further demanded that she sever all
intercourse with her father and all her
relatives who would not give up the Cham
bers'. The defendant told his wife's father
Chambers. his brother. This the father
would not do, so the defendant made Ella
write to her father, sending him back pres
ents which he had given her when she was
a little girl. telling him she never wished
to see or hear of him again The letter is
business-like in tone, and bears on its face
the evidence of the DEFENDANTS compost
'The complainant swears," says the de-
cision, that her husband made her go to q
physician, and when the doctor declined to
prescribe any medicine the defendant forced
her to take long walks, as much as fifteen
miles a day. She soon became absolutely
subject to his will and caprices.
HIS SYSTEMATIC TYRANNY.
HE then commenced to tyrannize over
her and shamefully abused the power thus
acquired by making her perform the most
mental duties. He appears to have been
very economical, allowing his wife only So
per week for the table. He made her cut
up old boxes which he brought from the
store. and furnished little other fuel. She
was made to take care of two horses for
months. She hitched up the horse and
drove it to the defendants store and re-
turned to her kitchen duties. At noon and
night she had to hitch up and go for him
to bring him to his meals. The reason he
gave for making her do the stable work was
that he did not like to go among his fellow
clerks smelling of the stable. He also made
her black his shoes.
HE became cross and sullen, accusing
her of lying, and often calling her a liar
which was just for a few months, he re-
quired his wife, when he came home in the
greet him with the words: oh, William,
I'm so glad you are come homei Come
and kiss me- If she failed to do this he
would get angry, and on one occasion
sent her TO bed for a whole day for failing
to greet him."
Quackenboss, from the evidence, seems TO
have devised ways and means to torture,
and harass his wife. One of his frequent
punishments seems TO have been sending
her TO bed. The decision says:
ION one occasion she had cooked a chick
en- for dinner. 1t was found to be tough.
He said she had not cooked ii enough,
which she denied, whereupon he accused her
of lying and ordered her to stay in bed one
week, going to bed after getting the break
fast and only getting up TO feed the horses.
He sent the nurse away for eleven days
after the baby was born, and then scolded
Ella because the nurse had talked to him
foo much Sha inGfCfn1 thar Gho "a not 10
blame for IT, and rising for the first time
from her bed after her confinement, at
tempted 10 so to him, saying:
oh, William, don't scOld me-. You see
the condition I'm in As she approached
him he roughly pushed her, and she fell To
the floor. He let her crawl into bed as best
she could. He then stood by the bed and
told her to cease her crying. When she
COULD not, he told her she should stay in
counted them until the number eleven was
reached. He made her stay in bed eleven
days; and restricted her in her weak condi-
Another occasion which the Judge cites
gives an example of Quackenboss's meth
DDS:
''One day the washtub came to pieces and
she put 1T together woman-faShion. She
told him she had fixed it. He looked at il
and saw that the handles were not opposite,
w~hereupon he called her a - liar and
sent her TO bed for one day. When the
baby was six weeks old he s'apped it for
crying. When she remonStrat / he sent her
to bed for a week.
SLEEPING IN THE wOODSHED.
ION another occasion they had some
words about some trifing matter and late
at night he ordered her to go and sleep IN
the buggy shed. He gave her a lantern. a
revolver and a buffalo robe and told her
that if a burglar came she could shoot off
the revolver. He admits that she slept in
the shed, but claims she did it of her own
accord. His own account only illustrates
the extreme selfshness which was mani
rested IN all his relations with his wife.
In February, 1891. they came TO Chicago.
The baby had scarcely any clothes and was
brought wrapped in a shawl. He insisted
that the babys p%etticoat should be put on
bottomSide up and IL was done so. He told
her to buy a certain kind of cookies. She
bought another kind. One day when they
were packing up he refused to allow her TO
stop long enough to nurse the baby and a
neighbor who bad an infant did so"
Now comes her experience in Chicago.
life in ST. Paul. as above related. was q
paradise compared with What she suffered
from February 10 July in Chicago"
QuackenbOSS'S most frequent instrument
OF punishment seems TO have been the bed.
and he made her stay in ii days at a time.
THE defendant actually made his wife go
to bed for one week for taking the milk
forbade her leaving the house. and for
three months she did not leave their house.
Nearly ali OF this time she Wis in bed by
his command. He not only sent her 10
bed but limited her for q greater portion
of the time TO a crust Of bread and water
three times "A day. The infant could OBJ
tain no nOurishment from a mother so fed
and Vghan Eha told him 60 10. n1Iaurn1 hnn