St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1894-09-23
CAUGHT FLAGRANTE DELICTU
Four Families Involved in
What Promises to Be a
Salaeious Scandal.
TWAS AN EVENTFUL NIGHT.
Two Husbands and Two Wives
Preparing to Sue for Le-
gal Separation.

In the good old days of Ranelais a
man with an unfaithful spouse was
termed a ''cuckold." and referred to in
a contemptuous way as a man wear
ing the horns" Nowadays the husband
Is pitied. called unfortunate and be-
sought by attorneys to apply for a di.
vorce, that they may pocket fat fees.
The divorce courts of Minneapolis are
a paying investment. They give en-
ployment to judges and freedom to dis
hOnOred misunderstanding wives.
IL keeps the wolf away from the doors
of many IN impecuniOus notary, and
what is more and better. furnishes II d
less material for the scandal mongers to
grow seek and fat on. AS a diet it has
proved OF great importance, for when
used in the form of gossip it q~uickens
the circulation. aids the digestion of
scandal and scandalOus things. and is a
source of infinite pleasure, which in
itself is a factor in health.
A day does not pass in Minneapolis
excepting. of COURSE, the Day of Holies)
that some person does not apply at the
divorce gates of the district court for
permission 10 again assume a condition
of single blessedness. Philosophers
who hold that there is a psychical force
underlying the married state would
find it hard to maintain their philosophy
it they could hear the tales of woe, the
lugubrious Rotations of wrongs, real
or fancied. poured into the ears of the
none too willing
Divorce Judges.
In most cases It Is shown that ''phys.
lcal" force Is the case rather than
~"psychiral."
The public has grown to like the
glorious institution, divorce, and TO
clamOr for a recitation of all the de-
tails OF the trial and a complete tran
script OF the evidence, especially il the
case be one involving the chastity OF a
wife or the competency and moral be-
havior of a husband. In the Carpenter
divorce case the public was in high
clover, smacked its chops with a gusto,
and vowed that the evidence twas just
too tart for anything" There is now
all excellent chance that the case will
be tried over axain, and what a savory
dish 1t will make!
Apropos of this case, there is another
one likely to come up within the next
two weeks that will create even a
greater stir than the Carpenter affair.
The lawyers are working on the briefs
at the present time, ard they promise
that when the case to trial the
very court room walls will turn red
with blushing at the riSque nature of
the testimony 10 be introduced. Until
the papers are ready to serve and the
case becomes a legal certainty, the
names of the principals will be with
held. Suffice it TO say they are people
Of prominence. and foul families are
involved. 1t is understood that this one
case will lead to divorce proceedings in
all the families.
What richer mOrsel than this can the
gossips want?
The case referred to is one where a
wire whose feelings and honor have
been outraged" brings suit for an ALSO
lutte separation against her gay and
Parisian.Like Husband.
She has discovered that he has drift
ed away from her affections and taken
up with an old flame. a young married
woman, whose husband Is also on the
warpath.
The husband Of the 'old flame" sus-
pecting that his wife had crossed the
Rubicon in her loves, set himself about,
with the aid of several detectives and a
limb Of the law. to discover where and
how she was distributing her favors.
One night-O. eventful night!-the
husband learned that his wife had a
rendezvous with her lover. Accompa-
MED by the detectives and the afore-
mentioned limb of the law, he followed
the pair to a block on Fifth street.
where they entered. He bided his time,
though it was hard, very hard, to stand
on a street corner and watch the clouds
fit by the yellow moon, when he knew
that his wife was with another, and to
tell the truth. a handsomer man.
The party. after a short time. made
an advance on the block. The husband
secured a chair, and placing it by the
door of the room where the guilty
couple were ensconced, said Hist" to
the men with him, and mounted to the
transom. The glass was Opaque and he
could not see; SO, with a fierce yell, he
dashed his fist through it.
Non Dieu! what he saw caused him
to utter an exclamation like unto thai
of a dying Samoan, and to start back
with such suddenness and force that he
toppled over the chair. He had forgot.
ten to withdraw his hand FROM the hole
in the glass. and the result was that he
severed several arteries in the wrist
Then the party burst into the room and
discovered the couple
In FIagrante DelIctu.
The scene that followed cannot be
described in print. 1t was of such a
nature that it must be left as a story for
his friends.
The discovered" couple. while la,
menting their plight, were unable to
offer any excuse. The husband Crap
pied with the lover, and in the scufle
that ensued the latter got a black eye,
1t was a beautiful sight to see, and lee
to an investigation on the part of hi:
wife, which IS tine reason she has ordered
her lawyers to draw up divorce papers
The irate husband took his errine
spouse away with him after making tht
discovery that in an adjoining room were
located another loving though guilty
pair. The woman was a friend of the
family, and the man was a well-knowr
business man. who recently was obliged
to make an assignment for the benefit
of his creditors.
The "atfair" is the talk of the town
and has penetrated to the circles Of
society the families move in. The hus
bands in two instances will brins
actions of diynrca against their wixas