The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1897-09-08
E
!. Woes OF DENTIST.
The Troubles of Mr.. and
Mrs. Herman Richter
Aired in the Court
pa Of Chancery.
WIFE JUMPED OUT or THE WINDOW
She Testified to ManybsActs Of In
human Cruelty on the
Part of Her Husband.
WIFE JUMPED OUT or THE WINDOW

Vice Chancellor Stevens sat in Chancery
Chambers this morning and listened 10
testimony in the case of Emma Richter
against Herman John Richter for divorce
upon the ground of extreme cruelty. Mr.
Walter Collins appeared for Mrs. Rlcntei
and the husband was defended by Senator
DAILY. The petitioner sets forth in hef
bill that she was married to Dr.. Richter
August z, 1889, and has had two children
one of whom is dead.
Mrs. Richter was the first witness. She
is an attractive looking woman, eVidehliy
with a will of her own and a tendency ~
talk, which the combined efforts OF the
Vice Chancellor and both counsel couio
scarcely check. This caused her TO WANDER
in her ak and it was a difficult matter
to make out what she said. Her testi-
mony was a recital of a long list OF cruei-
ties. In September, 1895, they lived at NO.
3o6> Washington street, Hoboken, her nus
band chased her around the house with q
revolver and monkey wrench, swearing al
her and threatening her life. He also
beat her n gave her blue eye. he
afterward caught up a bottle of acid ana
threatened to blind her. She left her nus
band five times and every time he went
on his knees and begged her to come back
to him, promising her to do better. About
that time she started divorce proceedings.
but was obliged to discontinue it because
She had neither money nor witnesses to
continue the suit.
One morning in November, 1896, he came
to the house, No. 306 Washington street,
where they were living, and striking a
match put it in her ear until it was badly
burned. Then he passed the match
through her hair and set it ahre. He
patted the fire out with his hands. He
threatened to kill her, and she, packing
up some clothes, went to Busch,s Hotel,
wheAs she stayed a week. She pawned
her rings with the proprietor for her
board. Her husband came to see her and
raised such a row that he was put out
of the hotel.
Mrs. Richter had considerable difficulty
in reconciling her, dates, but said that
or. another occasion her husband met
her on the street,; her little girl was
with her. Richter at first was very gem
tie in his remarks and tried to persuade
sher to return and Hive with him. She
absolutely refused and finally saying that
the three of them would have to die,
grasped the little girl by the throat.
People gathereaoareupd and with Difficult
throat. Onsanothef occasion he beat his
hild and gave her g. blue eye" She went
out on the streetSapdo told her playmates
eye,se WhensuRichter heard of that he
wanted his wife to whip the child This
MES Richter refused to do. and then her
house. The husbapds1acts Of cruelty be-
game SO freq ept5aud C~dnhsarabIe that
thsrwife sought the sadyice' sof Recorder
McDonouGh n dayein June, 1895. She
had him arrested and he was bailed
out. She heard him enter the house and
come up the stairs. scursiag. Ther, call
he would Xii her Richter was in a
angry mood and his wife was filled with
terror. ~ his footsteps drew nearer she
and, seeing no chance7tos get away from
him. jumped through the second
story window. She landed on a shed and
aged. to crawl to a neighbor's house,
where she remained some time, being toe
i'll to leave.ysMrs. Richter was insured in
the HokekentLodge of knights and La,
her death, rwouldtg@ to cher husband, and
sd she determinedsrsrathe than have q
hsrsa gag w sso say e1s sser t iodga. D MeT hu ny
band told her If she did; that he would
surely kill her.
Senator DAILY subjected Mrs. Richter to
aomost Observation-Disclosures trying to
shpwpthat she assaulted her husband and
that all their differences were due to hei
insane jealousy of the patients Of hel
husband, who Is al dentist. The Senator
questioned her ESQ closely that she broke
down and with tears in her eyes said he
had ratified her SO that she did not know
what she was saying. h denied, how
ever. that she had ever struck her hus-
band or was Jealous of his patients. She
made some damaging statements against
her husband. but they were stricken oul
as being Irrelevant.
Louis Weinthal, a Hoboken detective
swore that he was sent to DR.. Richter's
home one night ~toApr0tect Mrs. Richter
who had .complainedefo sthe police tina
h was afraid of her life, as her husband
had threatened to shoot her. He wen
to the house and searched the doctor but
found no weapon upon him. Mrs. Richter
came down stairs and handed him a re.
yolver which she said she had found
up stairs. She old the detective that she
was afraid to stay in the house with hel
husband and Weinthal took her to thu
Continental Hotel.
Patrick Hayes, of the Hoboken police
force, testified that one night in August
1aS5. Mrs. Richter met him ON his pos
Inc asked him to go to her home and saw
her child from its father. Hayes wen
to the house and heard the child's scream.
before he came to the house.
He dashed into a bed room on The
second floor and there saw the doctor
Sitting on the bed and the little girl as
tar from him as she could get lying or
the bed n screaming in terror. Thu
policeman pushed the doctor away ant
catching up the child handed it TO ths
mother. Mrs. Richter fan out on to The
street and when the policeman came our
she asked him where she should stop
saying that she was afraid to remain IL
the house with her husband. Hayes sait
he would put her in her own house. Mrs
Richter tried the key of the door, but i
would not work. Knowing that Richter
must nave locked it on the inside. Haye.
was trying to break in the door when i
suddenly opened and Richter stuck hi.
head out. He swore at Hayes. ant
threatened to break him SO Hayes lock
ed him In