The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-01-05
OH, FIE! GEN. WEAVER!
Mrs Gillette Says You Didn't Always
Act Like a Gentleman.
1t Is the Husband That Sues for Ali
mony in This Case : Side Lights on
Greenbackers
From the New York World.

GreenDackerS.
From the New York World.
Des Moines, da., Dec. 30.-E. H, Gill
lette, formerly congressman from this dis
trict, has sued his wife, Sophie for di-
vorce, with alimony. The technical
ground is desertion.
They were married in 1866 The lady
had been engaged to one of her present
husbands brothers, who, on his DEATH
bed, asked her to marry E. H., and willed
her a large amount of property The
couple never were congenial, though
there was never any open breach until
Chester Turner came between them.
Turney was not very bright boy, who
was convicted when he was Is years old
of various larcenies of food in Jackson
county. He was convicted on seventeen
counts and sentenced to year on each
count. The trial was farce He had no
counsel and did not realize what was
being done to him. The jury signed the
verdict as matter of form, without leav-
ing their seats and did not know what
the result would be. 1t was charged that
this was done in order that the county
attorney might make large fees out of the
separate indictments and convictions.
The case aroused wide attention and
y
boys mother, started out in 1887,
the year after the conviction, to Sc
cure pardon. Gov. Larrabee was urged
in vain to interfere in the boys behalf.
Such attacks were made upon him in the
newspapers of both parties that he pub
lished a pamphlet explaining his position
and making extracts from the papers on
file with him which were derogatory to
Mrs. Turney's character. For this the
governor was indicted and tried for
criminal libel, but was finally acquitted
In all the efforts to secure a pardon
Mrs. Gillette was very active, and she
wrote much for the press concerning it.
She appeared in court with Mrs. Turney
at the trial. just before he went out of
office in 1890 Gov. Larrabee pardoned
Turney. AS soon as he was released
from the penitentiary Mrs Gillette took
him to her home in this city, and in spite
of the protests of her husband, kept him
there.
Finally. in the latter part of 1890, Gil
lette and his wife separated, and have
not lived together since. Mrs. Gillette
has continued to support Turney, and he
now lives on farm near the city owned
by her. She became infatuated with
him, and exercised such an influence over
him that he deserted his old mother, who
has been trying for three years in vain
to regain possession of her son. She says
he has fallen into worse bondage than
he was under in the penitentiary.
Meantime Gillette, who is brother of
William Gillette, the author of numerous
plays, has found it hard to live without
his wife's property, and so has brought
this suit to get some of it. The divorce
trial, which was concluded to-day, was
almost wholly a struggle for property,
though Gillette charges that Turney
alienated the affections of his wife.
The most interesting feature of the
trial was the dragging of Gen. James B.
Weaver into it. Weaver and Gillette
were partners in the publication Of the
Iowa Tribune, greenback paper, and in
the management of the Greenback party.
Mrs. Gillette contributed the brains of
the Gillette side, for she is not only the
most beautiful woman in Des Moines, but
she has also brilliant intellect, energy
and ambition Gen Weaver was very
fond of her. He used to. go to see her
very often, and after her separation from
her husband his visits became more fire.
quent.
In the present trial Mrs. Gillette tes-
titled:
ayes, Gen. Weaver came often to my
house, and often to my ROOM"
She said she always called Chester Tur-
ney into the room when Gen. Weaver
came to see her.
"Why did you do this9" asked the OPP
posing counsel.
because Gen. Weaver acted like a
gentleman when Chester Turney was
there, and when he was not there the
general did not act like a gentleman"
Ibid Gen. Weaver ever object to Ches-
ter Turney being in the roomf"
''Yes, he did. He said that he did not
want Chester Turney in the room when
he came there Once he said that he
would kill Chester if he came into the
room again when he was there"
Mrs. Gillette charges that Gillette and
Gen. Weaver have conspired to rob her
of her property.