The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1897-04-17
SUES HER MOTHER-IN-LAW
For Alternating the Affections of Her
husband

A suit without precedent In the dis
trict court of Shawnee county was filed
in that court this morning. A wife is
suing her mother-in-law for $1,000 dam
ages for alternating the love, affection,
society and maintenance" of her hus-
band.
Mrs Mary T. Butts, the wife of Chas.
E. Butts, is the plaintiff in the suit, and
Mrs. Catharine A. Butts is made the
defendant.
If the petition of the junior Mrs Butts
is the whole truth and nothing but the
truth, there never was a harSher or
more cunning mother-in-laW than
Mrs. Butts, senior, and never a more
prosecuted and Victimized wife than the
petitioner.
In September, 1893, the petition states,
the plaintiff became the wife of Chas.
E. Butts in this city, and for a time
lived happily together with future be-
fore them apparently as bright as the
aura of the theOSOphiStS- But the SEN
iOr Mrs. Butts did not take kindly to
her daughter-in-laW, and soon cOntrived
to force the bright spots out of the
young couples existence and destroy
the plaintiffs peace of body and mind. -
AT divers times during the years of
1898, 1894 and 1895" she states in her
petition, the defendant made false,
vile and slanderous accuse tons against
her, and in 1895 induced her husband
to leave her and go to Hot Springs, s
D., for the purpose of securing d1-
Vorce"
South Dakota, under the direct instruc-
lions and advice of his mother, the pc
tition says, he sent for his wife to join
him, and the day she arrived there
caused her to be served with summons
as a party to the action for divorce. But
as quickly as the sheriff handed her the
summons, and before she had time to
see what it was, her husband snatched
it from her hand, saying it was a paper
for him, and afterwards had the sheriff
return a report of personal summons
Later he sent the plaintiff to Iowa.
promising to follow IN a lew DAYS, ana
while she was absent from Hot Springs
took a decree of divorce by default. The
entire transaction, she says, was at
tempted and accomplished at the in
stance of her mOther-in-laW-
Instead of following her to Iowa, the
petition goes on to say Butts returned
to his mother in Topeka. Then it states
in a rather indiStinct way that he was
about to be arrested on the charge of
viola ting the postal Ia VS., in which case
the testimony of Mrs. Butts, junior,
would be damaging, and in order to
save himself he went to his wife, rep
resented that he was sorry for his past
actions and remarked her. But just as
soon as the marriage knot was tied for
the second time, the plaintiffs mother
in-laW again commenced her accuSa-
lions against her character, and soon
cOntriVed to have her son abandon the
plaintiff and take up his home with the
defendant, leaving her to provide for
herself.
This is all of the district court story.
But there was another chapter in one
of the justice courts today. This morn
ing Mrs. Mary A. Butts appeared before
Deputy County Attorney Guy and
swore out a complaint against her hus-
pand, stating that he visited her last
night and threatened to kill her. Butts
was bound over to keep the peace.
Mrs. Catherine A. Butts. the defend
ant in the S., 900 damage suit, is a widow
and resides at I'll Madison street. She
is said to be worth cOnsidera BILE money.