The Wichita daily eagle., 1896-04-24
SHE TELLS HER SIDE
MRS. WERNER INFORMS THE COURT
OF HER TRIBULATI0NS.

VI dha lhlD Uuh 14OnSs
She Admits That She Was Married Prior to
Hor Present Matrimonial Alliance, but
That Her Former Husband Had a Wife
and Left Her-she Tells of the Tribula-
tions and Stormy Scenes Through Which
She Has Passed and Calls in Many Wit
nesses to Corroborate Her story-De-
Tense VIII Tell Their Story Today.
All day long yesterday the district
court was engaged in hearing testimony
in the case OF Werner VS.. Werner. From
a. m. till after noon and from p, m.
til after in the evening Stanley and
Vermilion attorneys for Mrs. Rosa Wer
ner. and Amidon and Conley attorneys
for Emil Werner, examined and cross
examined witnesses. When half past
five came Mrs. Werner's attorneys had
just got through their testimony and
the attorneys for the defense had just
begun to introduce their side of the
case. Judge Dale then adjourned
court till a. m. this morning.
This case has been of much interest
as Mr.. and Mrs. Werner have lived to-
gether in Wichita for the last twenty
years. The suit was brought by Mrs.
Werner a year ago for divorce and ali
mony. Mr.. Werner next filed a cross
petition claiming that she was not his
lawful wife. Since then paper after
paper has been filed till now the shield
,.t. L. I- i
enormous proportions.
Mrs. Werner was the first witness 10
take the stand and was kept there for
two hours. She testified that prior to
her marriage 10 Mr.. Werner she was
married TO J. ]. Cole and that it was
Cole who first introduced her TO Werner.
After living some time together Cole
left her telling her that he had a wife
and three children in the east. She was
living at that time in California, Mo,
but thereupon came TO Wichita. That
Werner called at her fathers house
where she was and that after some
time she accepted his proposal of mar
riage and that that event was duly cell
ebrated. She then went TO live with
him in the building where Ross fur
niture store now stands. She stated
that she helped around the saloon as
well as tended TO the household duties,
that she tended bar, scrubbed the floor
and washed the spittoons. She said
further that Mr.. Werner once struck
her blow that knocked her down, so
that in falling her head struck table.
She then said to him. Emil, this Is the
first time a man has ever struck me; +;
you shall never do that again." That
after that whenever he threatened 10
strike her, as he frequently did, she
would step straight up 10 him and say
now strike me if you dare" She would
then offer herself to be struck and then
he would not do it, so that he never
struck her but once.
She said that she always tended him
when he was sick. She had sometimes
to feed him like baby because he was
so helpless that he could not move his
arms. But that he would not wait on
her, however, when she was sick, and
that all the years they lived together
he never would get her any help; that
he swore at her and had no kind words
for her. At first she was healthy, but
later on she got sick; she then had no
one to wait upon her but the neighbors
came in and did what they could; that
at this time he would go up town early
and then would come home drunk that
when she asked Werner for a doctor he
said she didn't need one. She also
said that the grocery bill for quite a
number of years back did not amount
TO over IS per month; that she collected
rents, paid taxes and had TO help with
that part of the business.
On being cross examined she admitted
she brought nothing with her when she
married Werner. She also admitted
that Werner told her that they should
move up over the hardware store so
that he would not have so far 10 go to
and from the store. When asked il he
was not too lame to go up stairs for his
meals, she said che was able TO go up
other stairs" and when asked if she
had watched him go up other stairs and
where they were she said that she had
and the stairs were in the third block
east on Douglas avenue. When asked
if Werner had not mortgaged his prop
erty to help out her father and go on
the bond of her brother-in-law, she said
not that she ever knew.
Mrs. A. Bolte was put on the stand.
She said Werner called his wife vile
names; he would not get a doctor for
her when she needed one; he would not
wait on her when she was sick. but the
neighbors had to do IL out of sympa thy.
He would not get nurse and would go
away early and come home late. On
cross examination Mrs. BOlte said that
when she went 10 Werner and after
she insisted he got nurse and doctor.
That on one occasion she sent her own
son for doctor.
Mrs. Werner's mother was put on the
stand She testified that after Cole
left her daughter Werner came 10 their
farm and had her send for Rosa as he
wanted her 10 come and marry him.
At first Rosa refused. but finally came.
Werner then came out 10 the farm and
the marriage was arranged. She sta