The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1897-10-13
A SIMPLE QUAKER.
James Torr Causes a Rip
pie in Chancery in His
Divorce Suit Against
His Wife.
A LOG IN sRVEN LANGUAGES
Mrs. Torr Refuses 10 Tell in open
Court Why She and Her
Husband Differed.
A LOG IN SEVEN LANGUAGES

Husband Differed.
Vice-Chancellor Stevens had one of the
livelieSt days in his experience as a
Judge of Court Of Chancery here this
morning, when he considered the case OF
James II. Torr of Palmyra against his
wife, Lalia G. Torr, for divorce. Accord
ing to the petition the parties We're mar
ried December 16, 1874, in New York, and
lived together in various places until April
%, 1892. On or about that day his wife,
in whose name the house in which they
had been living in Brooklyn, was pur-
chased by him, had sold the house and
gone away. She has never returned to
him since. In consequence of this he
brings his suit on the ground of deser-
ton.
Through ex-senator Frederick C. Marsh
OF Elizabeth, Mrs. Torr filed an answer,
which was considered by the Court as a
cross bill. She denies the desertion and
also charges that her husband is not a
legal resident of New Jersey. She fur
ther charges that for at least one-halt
of their married life Torr had failed to
port, and that she has been obliged to
work for the maintenance of herself and
children. Torr was often out of work
on account of his illness, and at other
times at his own volition.
Mrs. Toll charges that at times her hus-
band treated her in a cruel and inhu-
man manner. In July, 1881, a week be-
fore her daughter Bertha was born he
knocked her down and abused her in a
shameful manner simply because he diff
fered from her as to the management OF
their son Harry. In the month of Sep
tember, according to the answer, TORI
caught his wife by the throat, and was
choking her when she was rescued by her
son. On that occasion she left the house
and returned only under the protection
of the police
Mrs. Torr admits the selling of the
Brooklyn home but declares that it was
done with her husbands consent, and that
she was compelled to dispose of the prop
erty to provide means for the support OF
herself and children. After paying the en-
cumbrances on the property, she had $500
left. She further charges that her hus-
band has most ungovernable temper
when aroused, and that he is subject to
that he has several times been in hospit-
ais. Torr is a peculiar individual, and
while he was on the stand as the first
witness insisted upon being judge, counsel
frequently remarked that he was plain
Quaker and was telling the truth. He in
sisted upon celebrating his answers, and
yxheneNer- his counsel Objected to- a ques-
ton, he wanted to argue the objection
with the Vice Chancellor, which enlivened
the proceedings considerably. He testified
to his marriage and old of his nervous
condition, which grew out of sunstroke he
had received in 1882. In October, 1888, he
went to the Homeopathic Hospital in
Brooklyn and stayed there six weeks. II
4 l. OI Cx,1 I,o,, I. 0t,1,rr cd
home his wife was very ugly and cross
grained. and ordered him out of the house
He was afraid to remain and declared that
he would have died had he not gone to
his brother-in-law's home in Palmyra
There he recovered and obtained a posi-
ton with the Philadelphia and Reading
Railroad. The company gave him pass
visit his wife and children. The witness
got his dates from a memorandum book
which he called his log. On Sunday, in
July 1893, when he went to his home he
found that it had been sold and his wife
and family gone.
At this point the witness again wan
dered from his subject TO remark thai
he was plain Quaker, and was tell
ing the truth. II have little Greek
Testament here which I always carry, ;
he said diving into his hip pocket anc
producing small leather-bound book
land the way those pages are thumbee
will show that l am not liar
The Vice Chancellor refused to look al
the book and Mr.. Speer besought TORI
to put away the little Testament and re
turn to business. Torr then continued
that he did not know where his wife hae
been since then, but he thought she was
living in Elizabeth MOVE
Mr. Marsh began the croSS-eXaminat1or
by asking the witness to let him reac
the log
..Oh, you can't read that replied Torr
Mr. Marsh wanted to know why he
could not read it. and after a squabbfe
between counsel Torr said that it was
in Sanscrit, Hebrew and other languages
witness saying that he could speak sever
languages. He denied that he struch
his wife or ever treated her cruelty.
Mr. Torrs brother-in-law and cousin
were examined to show that Palmyra was
Torr,s legal residence andN then the
petitioner rested Mr. Marsh called Mrs
TTarr as his first witness. Previous to her
marriage she had been dressmaker
She was twenty years old and her hus-
hand twenty eight when they We're mar
ried. Up to October, 1881, their married
life was as pleasant as that of most peo,
ple. In that month they had the quarrel
over Harry, and her husband pushed her
It was lust before her daughter was born
and she was very weak and the push
threw her down. The cause OF the next
disagreement, Mrs. Torr said, she did not
wish to rehearse in open court, and as
both LAWYERS consented not to push her
she was allowed to pass it over. Soon
after that she was sitting at the supper
table with her family when suddenly hef
husband sprang up and catching her by
the hair dragged her from her chair
threatening to kill her. Then he went into
mysteries. She thought he was out OF
his mind next day he was taken to the
hospital. Mrs Torr was on the stand al