The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1897-09-09
PUT her OUT IN SNOW,
Della Lil1ls Makes Charges
of Inhuman Cruelty
Against Her Hus-
band Patrick.
MADE HER TEND BAR WHEN ILL
The Husband Files a Cross Bill
Alleging InfideIity and Incrim-
mates His Own Brother.
MADE HER TEND BAR WHEN ILL

vice chancellor stevens ndu dHolASl
cruelty case before him this morning in
Chancery Chambers. Mrs. Della Lnlls,
through Queen & Tennant, filed bill for
divorce against her husband, Patrick
Lillis, who keeps a saloon at No. COL Hen
derson street. Mrs. Lillis states in her bill
that she was married in Jersey City on
December /, 1894, and lived with her hus-
band in apartments over his saloon until
January 6, 1897, when she was compelled
to leave him on account of his extreme
cruelty. She accuses him of being man
of high temper, ugly disposition and IN
temperate habits. He has been frequently
drunk for a month at time, on Whlcn
occasions he compelled her to tend bar.
Frequently and without any provocation
on the part of Mrs. Lillis. he struck her
in the face, blacked her eye and called
her vile and abusive names. On Au-
gust A he compelled her to open the
bar at six o'clock in the morning and
remain behind the bar until eight
O'Clock, when she went to early
church. When she came back she
was feeling very ill and lay down on the
bed, her husband came in the room and
grabbing her by the feet pulled her off
a blackening brush. Her husband dur
ing the same day became intoxicated, and
at four o'clock of that day picked up a
piece of crockery, threw 1t at her, strik-
ing her on the forehead and cutting big
cash in her forehead. The wound left a
permanent scar. During the hot term of
August, 1886, before her child was born,
her husband, Mrs. Lillis alleges, compelled
her to tend bar eight hours day, which
caused the death of her child at birth.
On the Sunday before Thanksgiving Day,
1896, she was feeling i'll and asked him to
let her lie down, and he said that sick
or well she would have to stand be-
hind the bar. Then Mrs. Lillis went tc
the home of a friend and when her nus
band found that she had gone, he burned
up the only dress he had given her since
her marriage. At the same time he
destroyed a diamond pendant belonging
to her. When she came back her hus.
band gathered together her clothes ant
| tell her he had no more use for her, said
| ''Take' them and CO."
| In December, 1896, one morning about
| 1:3O o'clock he dragged her out of bee
and compelled her to go down stairs ane
| see If the doors were locked. Her hus
| band followed her to the barroom, ant
| picking up a hammer that was there sai6
| he would commit murder that night. Mrs
| Lillis fed and her husband chased hel
with the hammer. She escaped from hin
| by climbing through window out on tt
| the roof of porch. A policeman saw hel
| there, and calling out to Lillis
| said that if he did not le
him in he would take Lillis out o
| the house. Mrs. Lilis refused tt
| go in unless her husband gave her tn,
| hammer. He did SO and she threw il
| away. On January 6, 1897. about two
| o'clock in the morning, Mrs. Lillis charges
| her husband came into her room ant
| compelled her to get up; dress hersel
| and leave the house. A policeman, Wht
saw her on the street.. compelled he
| husband to let her in, but as soon a.
the policeman was out, of sight Lilli'
put her out. again, and she spent tn,
/ remainder of the night with a friend
| On one occasion her husband, Mrs. Lilli
| charges, threatened her. with an axe ant
but for the interrogation -, Of her hus
| have carried out his threat.
| Lillis filed an answer which was a gen
eral denial of all his wife's charges ant
| faithfulness and naming his own brother
| William as correspondent. Accompanying
| the answer and cross bill was an afh
| davit made by William Lillis, in which h
| admitted with brutal frankness hi
| brothers accusations. Peter r. Murray
a policeman and others to this defen
dant unknown" were also mentioned il
1 the cross bill as correspondents.
| Mrs. Lillis filed an answer to the cross
| bill denying all the charges. She was the
| first witness at the hearing this morning
| She went over mfnutely all the allegation.
| of her bill and was positive that they al
| happened Just as she had told them.
| Mr. Warren Dixon who appeared fol
| the defendant subjected her to a length,
,fr,.,f ffsnr, ,taI1 IL
| tended to emphasize her charges o
| cruelty. She said that when sh
left her husband in January, sh
| went to live in New York
| Her huband's son by a previous marriag
called to see her and told her that hi
| father was sick and wanted to know
she wouldn't come and see him. Sh
consented and foG vent h, to he'd is and hosss Us
right away that he, was i'll from drinking
For four days he kept her prisoner il
the house. The vice-Chancellor exam
ined Mrs. Lillis very closely O
she shts could could not have escape
through the barroom and she said sh
not let her out, saying that he was work
ing for Mr.. Lillis and he had told him nc
to let her leave the place. Before ,thi
she had consulted her lawyers abou
bringing an action for divorce and Will
she was with her husband the time tn
Sheriffs officer called and served tn
| papers upon MIN. Sne went 10 the uOC
and got the papers and when she hande
them to her husband he threw thel
across the room and swore at her. Tw
| days after that she made her escape an
| has not gone back to her husband since.
Policeman William Baxter testified ths
| one night last November, when there wa
snow on the ground. he heard a woma
scream and, tracing the sound, foun
Mrs. Lillis on shed under the secon
story window of her home, with nothin
on but her nightdress. He saw Llli
| looking at her out of an open Wipdo
| and the policeman told him that 1t wa
| a shame to put a woman out Sucn
night and he should take her in. Lii
| replied by swearing at the policeman an
| telling him that it was none of his BUS
ness.
Lillis charged in his cross-bill, that h
wife was Incorporate and remained OIL
| late at nights
The Vice Chancel1 II closely questione
| the witness as to whether he ever sa
Mrs. Lillis under the influence of liqut
| or out late at night, and he said no.
Peter F. Murphy, another pollcema
who has done duty near Lillis saloo
| testified that about two o'clock one morl
| ing Mrs Lillis met him on the street ar
said her husband had put her out. T
went to the house with her and told Lill
| to admit her He did SO, but no soon,
had he reached the end of his post whe
he met Mrs. Lillis again and she to
, him that as soon as he had turned h
| back her husband put her out again. II
policeman then took her to a friend
house. The Vice Chancellor asked Murpf
| if he ever saw Mrs Lillis under the II
| f1uence of liquor or on the street late
night and he said no.
TO Cure Cold In One Day.