St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1896-04-02

light Of THE LAW
800 ~ ,seBt tss
TURNED ONTO THE HOME LIFE
OF THE REGISTER OF
DEEDS.
MRS. WEBBER,,S DIVORCE SUIT.
WITNESSES TELL OF, ABUSE AND
NEGLECT AT HER HUSBANDS
HANDS.
HIS VISIT TO MINNEAPOLIS.
MRS. WEBBER'S DIVORCE SUIT.
The Defendant Testifies to the
Amount of Money He Is Receiv-
ing From the County.


Judge Brill is hearing the suit of Mrs.
Sophie Weber for divorce from her husband,
Henry Weber. the present register of deeds
of Ramsey county. Mrs. Weber claims her
husband treated her cruelty, even threatening
to shoot her; that he consorted with women
of bad repute. He and companion were
found in a Minneapolis lodging house when
Mrs. Weber and her sister visited the place
with two policemen one night last summer
in search of him. She further charges that
he has been an habitual drunkard for years
past, and has failed to provide for the sup
port of herself and children; that he has
frequently stayed away from home nights
and even for several days and weeks at a
time.
The defendant denies all the charges, ex-
cept that he left home and stayed away for
some time because his wife insisted on keep
ing her mother and sister in the house with
them, to his great annoyance. s.,st %
In confederation of Mrs. Webber's testi-
mony regarding cruel treatment, her sister,
Emma Hoefner, an unmarried lady, aged thir-
ty- six years, testified to being in the house on
one occasion when Mr.. Weber attempted to
strike his wife with a stick of wood. The
plaintiff called to witness for protection, but
the latter was afraid to enter the bedroom
On another occasion she heard him strike his
wife in the bedroom, which was adjoining the
room in which she was.
How did he strike herr" asked the attor-
ney for the defense, on cross examination.
'He slapped her,
"In the face?''
Eyes, sir"
The witness said she had contributed about
$500 to the support of the family during the
past twelve years. She admitted that Mr.
Weber did not like her and charged her
with creating trouble between himself and his
wife.
Mrs. Scott, the landlady of the Minneapolis
lodging house. corroborated Mrs. Webber's
testimony as to what had taken place up
there. Mrs. Weber told the court she had
had detectives on her husbands track, and
she had no personal knowledge of some things
she charged against him except as she had
been informed from this source
Weber was called by the plaintiffs attor-
ney, to testify under the statute with refer
ence to his income. He said the gross re-
ceipts of his Office for the year 1895 were $12,-
900, of which 81, 453 was paid out in expenses,
leaving the net income S., 465. For the last
three months the net income was only about
$3.50 month.
is the question of alimony, and the home
stead and some other property, being in Mrs.
Webbers name witnesses were called to
testify to the value of it. c. A. Pettingill,
of the st. Paul Title Insurance and Trust
company. placed the value of the homestead
at $1,000 but was forced to admit that it
would not sell for enough at present to pay
off the So, 600 encumbrance. He valued the
other property, which is on Twelfth street,
near Robert at Sc 900. William Cotton placed
the value of the homestead at $500, but ad
mitted that $500 mortgage on the property
was offered at $4,000. The other property he
valued at $500.
The disposition of the children is another
bone of contention, as Mrs. Weber says her
husband is not fit person to have the GUS
tody of any of them. There are five children
in all. Mr.. Weber says that he has been
keeping house with the three eldest since the
separation of himself and his wife, and he
proposes to continue to do SO. The eldest Is
a girl bordering on womanhood. The next
is girl apparently a couple of years young
er, and the third is boy aged about thirteen.