The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1896-12-04

PASTOR ALIENS Woes.
His Wife's Limited Divorce
Suit in Progress Before
Vice Chancellor
Stevens Today.
SHE ONCE HAD 5000 A YEAR
Now She Says She Has No Means
of support-The Hearings
in Newark.
SHE ONCE HAD 5000 A YEAR
Special to the Jersev Cifu Ne,cs.

| NEWARK, Dec. 4, 1S96.-Mrs. Annie
Sloan Alien, wife of Pastor John c. AL
len, of Bergen Baptist Church, Madison
and Bramhall avenues, Jersey City,
accompanied by her sister, was
in Chancery Chambers here this
morning to tell the story to Vice
| Chancellor Stevens of, the desertion by
| her husband whom she is now suing for
| divorce. Mrs. Allen is a middle aged
| woman of medium build She has dark
hair and deep rings make very prominent
| her dark eyes. Her dress was of some
black material; she was plainly but neatly
attired. Her sister was more fashionably
| dressed in an elegant costume of black
satin trimmed with silver. Both ladies
wore turbans and shrouded their faces
behind black veils
| Counsellor Richard " Lindabury rep
resented Mrs. Alien and Counse1lors Cort-
landt Parker and James c. Foley of New
| York conducted Rev. ]. c. Aliens case.
| Mr.. Lindabury in opening for Mrs Al
len, gave clear recital of the facts con-
| tanned in the wtfes bill, which in brief
| are: That she was married to the min
ister in Brooklyn on May u, 1887, and lived
with her husband for one year. Then she
left him and went to live with her sister
| in Elizabeth. Mr.. Allen and she entered
into an agreement by which he was to
| pay her certain amount of alimony,
| tfty dollars a month. He paid this for
two years, and then dropped it because he
| said his wife had money and he could
! not support her.
I Members of the church in BROOKLYN
Hanover Place Baptist Church." said
Mr.. Lindabury. in closing, went to Mr..
Allen and begged him to ef-
feet reconciliation with shis
wife. but he said he was not
desirous of doing So Then they told
him he ought to resign and he did so.
| After this Mr.. Allen accepted a call to
a church in Jersey City, where l under
| stand he is at present Then turning to
| stand.
Mrs, Allen removed her black cape,
| pushed back. her veil over her dainty
side of the head English cavalry style,
and in scarcely audible voice began
fr fer story. After she had recsted the main
| asked her when her married life began to
| be inharmonious.
About 1887, she replied
What was the cause Of this rupture?,
asked the lawyer.
Before our marriage, said Mrs. Al
len, looking scornfulIy at her husband
WHO WdS sitting sbehlnd1 gazing abSently
at the ceiling, my husband promised
me that his parents and sister, with
| whom he had been living should live by
themselves. ne He did not, however, keep
| What followed next?'' asked Mr.. Lin
| dabury
He one day informed me that he was
building a cottage in the Adirondacks, I,
| said Mrs. Allen, examining closely her
| gloves, and then he said that his family
was going to live there because he said
| suffered NV mr.
ence."
did he ask you to go with him to live
| in the new house?"
He told me that he didn't want me to
| go with him under any consideration. He
| had lived, he said, long enough without
his family replied Mrs. Allen.
| A sensation was caused at the answer
| OF Mrs. Allen when her counsel asked her
| II she received any message from mem
| Der of the church. When the question
was put Pastor Allen dropped his critical
| examination of the ceiling and fixed a cold
and slightly scornfm look at his wife.
Yes, 1 received a message" said Mrs
Allen with painful slowness ''and that
message told me not to go away for the
1 summer but to remain to save the repu-
| tation of my husband with the church,
What did your husband say 10 you
when you told him about this message?"
| asked Mr.. Lindabury.
HE said nothing then, but later" re-
| piled Mrs. Allen, who then told the Court
| that when her husband refused to take
/ her to the Adirondack Cottage he said he
would pay her board at resort in the
| White Mountains. She agreed to this
| and she packed her trunk and left the
| Brooklyn house Just before the depart
ure Mr. Allen came to see her in her room
j and asked her if she really thought him a
| bad man.
II told him." continued Mrs. Allen,
| that did not know what to think of
J his cruel conduct Then he begged me to
| say that he was not a bad man because
| If / did not it would hurt him. To his
| pleadings consented to sign q paper cay
/ ing that he was not bad man. and this
| paper was to be given to the church mem
| bers,
did he ask you to forgive him?'' said
| Mr.. Lindabury.
Yes, he did At first refused; but at
last / did so,' was Mrs Aliens reply.
! You parted affectionateiy?
! Eyes, very!" was the reply.
| Mrs. Allen resuming said that she went
away to the White Mountains, and her
went to the Adirondacks with his family.
He paid two months board at s6 per
1 week, and sent her check in blank
| sheet of paper for the next month
| month she wrote to him tell
| ing that the hotel was about to close for
| the summer and she wanted to know what
| she must do.
ibid you write to him in kindly
strain?" asked Mr.. Lindabury.
Eyes. l began My Dear John o."
\ ff1pdl W. 3tu ilica1i ny JOiiil "
| apked the lawyer.
4 THAT was pet name" replied Mrs Al
/ fen with a slight blush Pastor Allen
| fidgetted in his chair and his face flushed
a deep crimson.
7 Another sensation was caused when
| Mrs. Allen said that while ait the White
| Mountains in July, 1889. she received a
| visit from Deacons Wiley and Morse, of
1 the Hanson Place Church, and they told
| her that her husband had announced
| to the members of the church In private
meeting that he would no longer live
| with her and the menba~s iia1 replied !.
Reconciliation or resignation from the
pulpit.
ssD!d Deacon Morse tell you that Pastor
Alien said he would rather quit the min
istry than live with you' asked Mr.. Linda
bury.
ssYes, he did," replied Mrs. Allen, dart
ing any angry glance at her husband.
/ Continuing the examination Mrs. Allen
1 said that her husband refused to send
her any money and she was obliged to go
to her sisters home In Elizabeth, the
house of Prof. Watson. Here she was
visited by the Rev Mr.. Whitaker. a
friend of Mr.. Aliens. who proposed TO
Mrs. Allen that she Should name party,
| Mr.. Allen another and third should be
elected, all three Of whom would consider
sum Of money to be paid III her for her
maintenance.
Counsel at this point plunged into a
mild dispute as to the relevancy of cer-
tain letters passing between Mr.. Aliens
friend and Mrs. Allen on this question.
II Il wish fd show VDi1r Hnnarty aafd