The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1897-12-06
MARITAL NISFI1S.
Men and Women Ask Chan
Gerry to Release Them
From Calling Matri-
monial Ties.
MANY ASK FOR ALIMoNY.
Colonel Smiths Case Being Heard
Behind Closed Doors-Mrs.
Wilson's Allegations.
MANY ASK FOR ALIMONY.

yice Chancellor Emery heard. this
morning, the application of Elizabeth A.
Wilson for aIimony and counsel fee pend
ing her suit for divorce from her hus-
band. William E. Wilson. In her petition
read by her counsel, Mrs. Wilson alleged
that she was married to Wilson in New
York. July S. 1882, by the Rev. L. l.. Fer
guson. then superintendent of the rive
Points Mission. After their marriage
they lived together in New York, Brook-
lyn and Jersey City. While living on
South street, Jersey City, she alleges ne
seized her by the throat and ehoked her.
He further treated her so cruelty that
she was obliged to leave him.. She also
alleged that he was a man OF heaVy
drinking habits and wasted his money for
LIQUOR. SO that Mrs. Wilson was obliged
TO do dress making and other sewing
for her living. Mr.. Alex. Simpson, VINO
anneared for Wilson. read an affidavit,
made by Wilson. denying all his wlfes
ALLEGATIONS of cruelty and what she had
sworn to concerning his drinking habits.
He said that on August 10 last his wife
came to his Office, No. 4 Oakland avenue,
ana told him something about his being
seen walking on a railroad track with
IN TdHSt O4l1d S~AAS
He denied the accusation and wanted TO
know who had told her. His wife, who
was very much excited, refused to tell ana
fearing a scene he told her to go home
and he would join her. She did so and he
followed her. He locked the door of the
room they were in and told her he would
not open it until she told him the name Of
her informant She sat on a coucn anu
he sat beside her. She began a strGegte
for possession of the key, during "flca
she scratched Wilson's face so that he had
to wear court plaster for several days.
Wilson also charged that on one occa-
sion his wife threw away ner Se nevsg
wear it again. He says that she leIt
home twenty or thirty times and ne sue
eeeded in getting her to come oach by by
humiliating himself to her, although he
was not at fault.
In rebuttal. Mrs. Wilson'S counsel read
another affidavit by Mrs. wilson IN
which she gives this version of her visit
to her husbands office on August ~ last.
Until about three or four weeks prior 70
this, her husband, who closed ms once
about FIVE O'Clock P. NJ, would leave her
alone with q young child until three or
four o'clock in the morning. She asked
him what kept him out SO late ana ne
said that he spent the night in a certain
saloon. She heard that he had a ticket
for a ball at Baldwin Park that even
ing. She went there and saw MN danc-
ing with miscellaneous women Sne
missed him after a while and then Went
home. She looked in the window and
saw that he had gone home before her.
About nine o'clock the next morning a
girl, thirteen years old, called at her
house. and during their conversation tod
Mrs. Wilson that her two brothers had
met Mr.. Wilson early IN lne ln rifh
strange woman. Mrs. Wilson then Went 10
her husbands Office and told h1m what
she had heard sa III He tb tried iaf 10 lnG fioa. 1 End %
ing that she could get no satisfactory ex-
plantation from MIN she left the office. she
denied that there was any struggle Tor me
kew or thai she scratched her husbands
face. On the contrary, she alleges, ne
struck her in the face, and she threw, up
he nit her again. Then he became
frightened and unlocked the door, saying
TO her. Get out and never come hack
again. You need not think I'll follow
you, because ] don't want you again.
She further says that her relatives have
done much for Wilson. In Brooklyn ne
tity of jewelry which he was selling on
commission, and her sister, Mrs; Emma
Taylor. let Mrs. Wilson have 500, which
the latter gave to Wilson to redeem the
jewelry. On another occasion another
sister of Mrs. Wilson. Maggie Staples, ad-
vanced money to enable Wilson to refund
money belonging to an insurance company
for which he worked and which he had
lost in gambling.
dy,s watch which did not belong to him,
and when threatened with arrest, Mrs.
Wilson says she Rawned e n s1g OF her
husband from prison. She declared that
when her husband put her out Of the
house she had not z dollar to her name,
and she has been living with and been
supported by her relatives since.
Vice-Chancellor Emery said he was in q
Quandary as to the ability of Wilson TO
pay anything. as nothing was said about
his financial standing in any of the afl-.
davits. The two counsel got together
and agreed h Wilson snould pay $oo
counsel fee and $15 L week alimony.
smith Versus Smith.
Sensational testimony is being taken to-
day before Master in Chancery Isaac Tay-
lor in his private Office, No. 239 Washing
ton street, this city, in the suit for d.
vorce which Colonel Robert G. Smith,
Commander of the Fourth Regiment. has
brought against his wife, Clara NJ. Smith.
The proceedings are being kept secret at
the request of City Attorney Douglas,
counsel for Colonel Smith. All persons
except witnesses are excluded from the
hearing. Colonel Smith was not present.
John Wedin and Michael Keegan are
named as correspondents. 1t is said hat
Mrs. Smiths defence will be a complete
denial Of her husbands allegations. She
will be put on the stand late this after
noon. This. mornings proceedings con-
sisted of the examination of several wit
nesses who testified to seeing men fire.
quently enter the house No. Al Gregory
oil & LW LIZ
Smith, who was separated from her hus-
band at the time. Some of the men enter !
ed her apartments through the rear win
dow.
Colonel Smith separated from his wife
five wears ago. He was married to Clara
Knapp on December l, 1879. Six children
were born of the marriage. They have
been in the custody of their father ever
since the separation occurred. Colonel
Smith in his petition names June II, 1897, |
as the date when the alleged mis-
conduct with Michael Keegan oc-
CURED. Mrs. Smith, a small, shapely
woman with dark features of a pleasing
mould and flashing black eyes said in
speaking of her case to a reporter:-"I
deny the statements in full and deny
that there is any truth in them. Mr.
Smiths action was q complete surprise to
nc, but now hat he has begun this
action I viii fight it to the bitter end.
/ have absolutely no fear of the out
come. The naming of Mr.. Wedin is
preposterous. he is simply an acQuaint-
ance. So far as Mr.. Keegan is con-
cerned I do not even know who he is-'
Mrs. Smith is represented by Lawyer
Warren Dixon, who viii put her on the
stand in her own behalf. Many startling
surprises are expected from her tet3ti-
n1ony. 1T is said that Colonel Smith will
also be called. Thu taking Of testimony
will probably take several days.
HIrs. Lock Wants AIim0ny.
Vice Chancellor Emery this morning
heard af1davits read on the application
Of Martha Lock of Hoboken for aIimony