The San Francisco call., 1896-04-24
Mrs. Della Beratta Wants a Di-
vorce and Part of a Rich
Property.
TALE OF A HUSBANDS CRUELTY
Wife and Mother for Twenty Six
Years Prevented From Seeing
Her Children.

Mrs. Della Beratta tells pitiful tale of
marital woe and wrong, and if it is all
true she is certainly very badly abused
woman and the attorney who deceived
her very great rascal.
Mrs. Beratta prefaces her remarkable
story by the statement that she was mar
ried to Angelo Beratta over twenty-six
years ago and that until May of last year
they lived happily together and reared a
large family.
Now all her family has turned against
her. she says, and the 100000 or $4,000
that she helped to amass as community
property is withheld from her entirely,
and she is turned out to die among strang-
ers like an old horse that has outlived its
usefulness.
I'm the early part of May, 1895, my hus-
band wanted to raise $1,000 ready money
by placing mortgage on valuable piece
of property out on Clay street in the 1000
block" she says. 81 disapproved of the
measure and refused to sign the necessary
document.
"Then his inhuman cruelties began. l
was turned forcibly out of doors and left
to almost starve. My husband secured an
order of the court declaring me insane
and incompetent, and appointing himself
my ward. Then he secured the money
and had the order of court revoked.
"He drove me out of the house at the
point of pistol. Later on 1 began suit
for divorce. We lived at 1923 Clay street
then. [ trusted my case to an attorney.
He deceived me.
"Instead of prosecuting my suit for di-
vorce, he worked with my husband and
secured my signature to a paper that re-
leased my husband from all responsibility
for my maintenance. OF course had no
idea what the paper contained when l
signed it, Afterward I learned that, and
then the lawyer brutaIly told me that
had no case against my husband and could
not sue. / was deceived-base sely SO.
'Slnce then up to the present time
have had to look out for myself as best
could. l was also prevented from seeing
my children. As l said before, am like
the old farm horse turned out to die. l
have worked to help my husband amass
the $4,000 worth of property which he is
guarding so closely. / have been married
to him twenty-six years and raised nine
children. The oldest one, my daughter, is
"a, Our baby, as we call him, is 8. After
all these years of toll to help him in his
business and build up a happy home and
educate the children he has tried to turn
them against their own mother"
At this point in her story Mrs. Beratta
had struggle with her tears.
Continuing, she said: "Yes, he has
tried to turn the children against me and
has succeeded with the oldest boy and
girl. Two weeks ago l went to the house
to see my baby, who, had been told, was
sick. Mrs. Craft, with whom | am staying,
was with me. We were refused admit
tance to the house and my daughter in
suited Mrs. Craft. 1t almost broke my
heart.
''Since Mr.. Beratta learned that 1 in
tended to bring suit for maintenance
though, to be sure, he did not know then
| that / intend also TO sue for divorce in a
short time-he went to work at his trade
This was done for blind and also to aid
him, if possible, in his contest of my Just
claims. We have lived handsomely on
our income, and for nine years he has
never had any occasion to work. The
subterfuge is too palpable to have any
weight with an honest Judge.
Before | was kicked from the house he
One night when was in bed, and feeling
badly, he came into my bedroom and
fiourished pistol in a threatening man.
ner, and for a time / believed he really in
tended to shoot me.
The story is not nearly all told, and be-
fore ] succeed in getting my rights in the
courts | promise to show him up in his
true colors. This will prove all the blacker
by contrast with the fact that up to this
time-last May, | should say-we had
always lived happily"