The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1896-03-31
TWO CENTS.
BETSEY AND ARE OUT.
Carleton's Poem Recalled by Case in
the District Court Today.
Today was farmers day in the di

Today was farmers day in the dis
trict court. A number of the better
halves of the horny handed sons of toll
were before Judge Hazen to get di-
vision of the property and children, and
incidentally, divorce.
There was an extra woman in the
case in the La Forge trial. This was
surprising, as they are both very old
people. They We're married on NOvem-
Der 25, 1879, and had sailed upon the
matrimonial sea before. But coquet-
ish Mrs. Ford awoke an unwonted af-
fection in the breast Of the Rip Van
Wrinkle of matrimony, Charles D. La
Forge, and caused him to cut queer
capers, at least, so Mrs. Eliza J. La
Forge took in the situation
Mrs. La Forge is a large, plump, good
natured looking old soul, who viewed
her wrongs with horror. when I'd
been to Lawrence and came back he
told me he had been over to see Mrs
Ford" she said He said he thought
she was a real nice woman salo
La Forge If you haven't got any res
pect for yourself, for PHYS sake have
some for me- A day or two after tnae
Mrs Ford passed our place, and he
hadn't finished his work, but he hur-
ried ND and caught her 1 stood where
I could see it all.
Two days after that she came to our
house. She never raped but bounced
right in in the front door and out the
back just as familiar as you please
Says She as she passed through, How
| dy do?' Says L, 'Howdy. Get out OF
| here, l haven't no use for you noway;
| and she got. The next day L told La
| Forge that if she ever came there again
| I was going to horsewhip her, and for
| two or three weeks after that couldn't
| find the horsewhip, cause it was hid
| Some days after he said L had best
/ rot divorce He couldn't get one be-
cause he had nothing agin me, but he
| knew he had not supported me, he said
| He wanted to divide up the little farm
| three miles north of town where we
| lived, and so we signed a deed each TAX
| ing half. After it was done he said he
would take care of Mrs. Ford"
Did he give you any support?'
| VERY little. I did the work on our
| farm, sold chickens and eggs, worked
| in the vineyard and apple orchard, and
| ran a notion wagon. paid on S40O
mortgage on the place, and was TOUR
year a-raising it. Two years ago L was
| sick and we nearly starved. We 5uf-
fered for fuel and he bought but %
cents of coal a week. When we were
| sitting close to the stove we shiVered-
My aged father suffered so that he had
to go to the poor farm in 1891.
Mrs. La Forge produced several
witnesses who corroborated her storZ-
For himself La Forge took the stand
He is an old hard handed country TT1sa n
with a gray moustache and goatee.
II have furnished all the support
and comforts 1 could afford" he salc-
| Il left the house because knew there
would be war if 1 didn't. She put my
| trunk out of the house, and L We Il
somewhere else to board. When 1
married her I had a farm, while she
| had four children to contribute La
Forge denied all the allegations made
by his wife, he said he had paid the
$500 mortgage. Judge HaZen thought
| the stories about balanced and refused
| to grant the divorce.