The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1894-07-14
sTEEL ON THE STAND.
his Story of the Wrongs He
Has Endured.
..es. gawson GETS A DIVORCE.
~..sse,s 20 his wffe's Inf1deifty-
wages at the Elevator to BE
Pad In Certificates.

-. s.sel divorce case. now on trial in q
Ia session Of the equity department
-, Judge pro ten Battle. occupied all
Z Yesterday. the evidence being OF char
80 sufficiently nasty TO glue the large
--oxd OF spectators 70 their chairs, inciud-
- .bout twenty women. The fight is
s:tssr on both sides, Mrs. Steel struggling
- divorce and division Of the prop
- and her husband opposing il in the
,xs~r,.t of their son, a young man some
& w.<rx old located somewhere in Oregon.
- .,ory Of both the wife. given the day
ssta,e and the husband, who testified
..s.Srday. form q sad narrative of poverty,
.t-urx,es and excessive hard work on the
rsrs of both IN the early years of their
.srrisge in order to make and save money.
~h,eh. when made. only brought about
a. greek Of the happiness they had mu-
tusuv enjoyed for years. The testimony
Z roth shows that both were energetic
.nd hard working and both made money,
~ seeKing work in any capacity Offering
sas she doing likewise in homework. each
tosfding the savings and jointly investing
taen In the hopes of enjoying q peaceful
sd happy old age.
nThe plaintiff yesterday closed her case,
"a the defense opened its side with Mr..
ttssf. " o was kept on the stand all after
soon until adjournment His cross
nomination will be resumed next Mon
az morning, to which time the trial was
nntlnued.
the first witness yesterday morning
1xs Mrs. (. r. Davis, who testified that
sAen moving out of n house on Yesler
rsnue in January. 1892, she saw Mr.. Steel
losn there between IL p. m. and IN the
morning. prowliug around and evidently
thsre for no good.
Mrs. Almira McQucsten lodged in the
sams house occupied by Mrs. Steel, whom
she had known since last june, and testi-
fsa 10 the poverty-stricken condition Of
Mrs. Steel and the paucity OF her furniture.
Mn. Jane Sullivan's testimony was to
the same purport. and she added that Mr.
Steel had told her that his wife was not
good company for him. that she could
neither play cards nor tho piano, and that
shs could die as soon as she wanted to.
The eo-rsspondent, James Dugan, was
put on The stand 10 testify TO the value Of
fhs property owned by the Steals The
Seattle property was worth about $4,000.
Tie cross-examination developed that
Dugan gave the valuation of the property
asst forth in the complaint. and that the
stmates were based on Organs valua-
tas. Dugan testified that he had some
inilng against Steel and had him crested
nd put under bonds TO keep the peace
Mrs. Steel was recalled to testify in re-
gard to taxes. This closed the case for the
Plaintiff.
Steel opened the case for the defense.
He said that when he first came into the
United States from Canada with his wife
10 the sixties, they brought $1,000, which
wm invested in Kansas City property.
This was sold at an advance and the pro-
eesds reinvested. and the same process
pursued over and and over. each time In
ersasing their holdings. He de-
MED that he ever struck his
vile, pulled q "gun" on her.
o. ehoked her. lie had repeatedly asked
lG 10 discharge Dugan, which she re-
fused 10 do. In 1892 about July 2. he saw
nspn In compromising position. Afew
ssilater Steel got deed from his wife
anaiAen told her what he had seen. She
nuionly admitted 10. bur said he (Steell
iseald not mind Dugsn, as other men had
been intimate with her before Dugan. On
oae occasion Steel overheard Dugan up
hrasding Mrs. Steel because she had kissed
him. Steel. and had heard Dugan say: "I
don't want you 10 do IL again" Relative
to the wiie's testimony that he had de-
prived her Of furniture, Mr.. Steel said that
the furniture in question was In an empty
house. which she had abandoned to moye
into hotel. and that he had removed the
furniture IN order TO rent the house. He
aenied ever questioning the paternity of
bis son. He had made repeated attempts
% leave Seattle and go to Ottawa, Kan. or
Montana; after the last trial he put money
N M Giiman's hands to provide her with
neans 10 get away from Dugan, but she
would not go. Steel said he did not want
sdvoree, as he did not want the property
divided on account of their son.