The morning times., 1896-08-13
Judge Cole Read the Husband
a Temperance Lecture.
FATHERLY ADVICE TO BOTH
Witness After Witness Detailed the
Story ofthe Family Is Woes, Quarrels
and interchangeable Honor Said
Whisky and Quick Temper Were
TO Blame.

| case lhvoIvins the possession as between
theparentsoftwO-y year old Charlie Focrtsch,
"of man and wife who get along together
all right as long as he remains EGber.
| When he comes home drunk she is not as
kind and gentle nor as forebearing as she
mightbe. Buta great deal ma be conceded
to her on account OF her nervous condition
and the trials she has to undergo.
II think the whole difficulty between
these people would be remedied If he would
hereafter let drink alone. shall remand
the child to the custody OF the mother
to whom at Its tender age it belongs by
| natural right. l hope Mr.. FOertsch will
forever quit drinking and when he is sober
revisit his wife, reconcile their differences
| and that they will live together as happily
as any-as indeed they always have done
| when the husband was SOBER
The trial began at IL O'Clock yesterday
morning and proceeded as told by The
Evening Times, with charges of cruelty
and drunkenness against the husband,
Charles Foertsch, late of No. 2119 Penn
| sylvania avenue northwest, on the one hand,
and of ungovernabIe temper and infidelity
against the wife. Mrs. Matte G. Foertsch
| now living with her children at No.
1896 1-2 Four and half street SOUTH
| west, on the other.
Considerable evidence was brought out on
| all the charges except that of unfaithful-
ness in regard to which there was hardly
| a syllable.
WITNESSES TO HER TEMPER.
The husbands assertion in his re-
| sponse to the writ of habeas corpus that
his wife has a violent temper, and several
times struck him with cups, bottles, etc,
and threw a stovo litter at him, were veri-
| fled by the testimony Of Lulu Smith,
thirteen year-old colored girl who lived
with them for six months; by Mr.. and Mrs.
Frederick Schultz, who were their neigh
bors; by Mrs. Fannie Mcclure, the hus-
bands sister, and others.
Mrs. Foertscbs story that her husband
cruelty beat her and vas very often drunk
was substantiated by her mother. Susie
sneed and Blanche Dorsey. two servants
| employed at the Foertsch home, Police
man Alfred Palm and others.
When Messrs. ". W. MILAN, c. W. Darr
and P. j. Ryan, counsel for Mr.. Foertsch.
offered testimony to show that he was
not such u drunkard as painted by his
wife. Judge Cole shid;
"Oh, he is not an habitual drunkard. I
take 1t. You need not go into that. 1t
can be determined simply by seeing him
him and by the facts already known
When Messrs. II. n. Obear and A. E. L.
Leckie, for the wife. eaid they had about
| twenty witnesses to call In defense. but
| were ready to rest upon the case made out
| by the other side, the Judge again set
| the matter at rest by saying:
| "Nothing has been introduced that i'm
| peaches her character except to show that
she is a little quck-tempered with her
| husband"
Mrs. Frederick Schultz testified that
she lived next door to Mr.. Foertsch. He
| came 10 one evening with his chin cut and
his wife followed soon after and admitted
she had cut 1t by striking him with
cup. She had heard them quarreling.
| Mr.. Schultz, her husband, said he heard
Mrs. Foertsoh use bad language to her hus-
band so often that he couldn't remember
the timas. 1t was usually on pay-days.
| KIND TO HIS CHILDREN.
| He said Mr.. Foertsch was kind to his chill
dren. Also he was steady at his work
except he was sometimes absent after
| his Quanels with his wife. He saw Mr..
Foertsch at the time his wife struck him
| on the chin with a cup. He also remem
bered hearing Mrs. Foertsch cry .Murder!''
one pight, but heard nothing before or after
to warrant it. He saw Mr.. Foertsch carry
his wife into the house at that time. He
didn't think he dragged her in. He pulled
her In at the door by puttinghis arms about
her waist.
L AGr ric 1trrn osl !, k,ol 4,
Mr. Foertsch fifteen years; never had seen
him. drunk. He rented him a house and
had known nothing against him; had known
him to drink to a limited extent.
| Susie sneed, the colored nurse at the
| Foertsch home before the separation, said
the mother was very kind to the children,
took care of them herself and kept them
neat and clean. Nomother could have been
kinder or better.
When Mr.. Foertsch came home one Satur-
day Just before the separation he was
| drunk.
''was he much drunk?''
"Yes: he was right smart drunk
She told how Mr.. Foertsoh asked his wife fo-
| fifty cents and when she said she hadn'tit
he threatened to knock her down. When
she still said she hadn't any money he
struck her In the face. She screamed and
ran out On the street and went to Mrs
Potts, on Pennsylvania avenue. The
Foertsch house was on Twenty secondstreet,
near the Avenue.
After a little while she came back and
he asked her what she came back for.
| She said she wanted her clothes aud her
children he declared If she attempted
to take the children he would kill her.
Nevertheless she started to take the baby.
He knocked her down and asked for the
az TO strike her. He couldn't fluid it and
took the Ratchet as IL to cleave her head
open, but In some way she made her
escape.
SERVANT SAID he swoRE.
She had worked. for the family several
weeks and Mr Foertscb came home drunk
frequently and abnsed hts wife. He used
bad language to her very often, cursing
and swearing
How frequentiye'' asked Mr.. Darr.
"often as I've )got fingers an toes
was the response aud Mrs Foertscb
laughed nervously.
Mr.. Darr brought out that Susie heard Mr.
Foertsch mention the letter.
what did she say about the letter?''
"she said she hoped Christ would strike
her dead il she knew anything about it."
Were the children present when she
said tbat?''
Yes"
After more evidence along the same
|