The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1894-06-28
WILL GET HER DIVORCE.
The Court Will Set Mrs. Brenneman
r. ee with Rir AIimoux

r. ee with Big AIimony.
At the night session of the court last
night Judge Bartholomew partially de-
cided a divorce case, the evidence in which
was probably the foulest that has ever
been detailed I'm Marion county court
room. 1t was the suit of Martha J. Bren>
neman against Isaac Brenneman for di-
vorce and alimony. Both the parties to
the suit are comparatively young persons.
and prior to their separation resided upon
farm in Perry township, three miles
south OF the city on the "Three-notch'
road. The complaint was filed by Mrs.
Brenneman in March and charges infde-
ity. In 1T she alleges that she and the
defendant were married on Feb. %, 1856;
that she left him on Feb. %. 1894; that
the defendant was worth, in his
right, $S0,000 and that he had an ex-
pectancy of another $4,000. Plaintiff asked
judgment for alimony in the sum of $4,000.
The time of the court was taken up
during the day by the trial OF damage
suit against the three gas companies.
which consumed more time than was an
ticipated, and night sessions of the court
were of necessity resorted to for the pur-
pose of disposing Of the divorce cases
pending. Last night the court room was
crowded. A large number of the persons
present were attracted by the nature of
the case. There were also a large num-
Der of witnesses subpoenaed, among them
number OF women and girls. The bulk
of the testimony was of such a character
that it could not be reproduced in print.
The defense introduced former domestic
in the Brenneman household to show that
Mrs. Brenneman had said three years ago
This was emphatically denied by Mrs.
Brenneman in rebuttal. AT the beginning
Judge Bartholomew notified Doth sides that
they would be permitted to Introduce but
a limited number OF witnesses. The evil
dence closed at 800 o'clock and the court
allowed forty minutes for argument, but
all OF the time was not consumed. Harding
Mccullough & Span for the defense Mr.;
the only question to be studied
over was the amount of ali
mony to be granted the plaintiff. In
case of the death of her husband the wife
would be entitled to one-third of his prop
erty and she could not, on account of
the immoral acts of her HUSBAND. ne let
his death. He vigorously scored the de-
PENDANT, and while he was talking the
plaintiff sat with her face buried in her
handkerchief and cried. Mr.: Harding said:
IF you could lay down before Mrs. Bren-
neman all Of the gold of the defendant
and his mother you could not compensate
her for the suffering she has and will en-
dure. Her husband would have been more
of a man and better citizen had he beat
en- his wife, like slave master, with a
blacksnake whip each morning until the
flesh was lacerated and the blood flowed
from her wounds" Continuing upon the
point of the amount of alimony TO which
she was entitled he said il was the spirit
of the law to leave the wife, were she
faithful, in no worse condition than she
would be upon the death of her husband.
and he thought $4,000 was as little as
should be allowed. a-o~
Mr.. Span was very brief in his argl-
ment for the defense claiming the plain
tiff had not proved the allegations of her
complaint Mr.. Harding offered to say
few words in rebuttal but was stopped
by Judge Bartholomew, who said: This
case Is one that shows lots of depravity
the like Of which is seldom found in the
courts. The evidence shows that this man
was warned by friends against marrying
at the time that he did, 1t seems to me
that a who would act as he has is
below civilization. The evidence shows
that he has violated the most sacred of all
laws, and he now comes into the court
and sits here and laughs at the evidence
of his own depravity. 1 will further in
vestigate the question of alimony, but
will say that / shall give the plaintiff
one-third of the property or the defendant
As to divorce there can be no question:
Ria Hilton also granted a divorce
Oct. II, 1887, and on March u of the year
following the defendant was convicted of
grand larceny and sentenced to the peni-
Tertiary.
Stella C. Walsh was granted divorce
from Edward w. Walsh on tIsa grounds
Of abandonment and failure to provide.