The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1898-11-20
HIS TASTES
TURNED TO
THE OCCULT
How Yates Neglected
His Home.
MRS. MONTAGUE BRINGS SUIT
SAYS HER HUSBAND HAS DE-
SERTED HER.
The Case of Yates VS.. Yates Develops
Into an Interesting
Suit for
Divorce.
MRS. MONTAGUE BRINGS SUIT
SAYS HER HUSBAND HAS DE.
SERTED HER.
Oakland Office San Francisco Call,

90S Broadway, Nov. 10.
Yates VS.. Yates is the embarrassing
title of divorce case now on trial in the
Superior Court, but behind it is one of the
most interesting of stories.
The suit was first filed over three years
ago, but attracted no attention, as the
prominence of the parties was not made
known by the names in the suit. The
husband did not put in an appearance
and the case went by default, but the
testimony of the wife was not considered
sufficient to justify the granting of a de-
cree, as the desertion was not proved.
The thousands of people who are ac-
quainted with Nine. Florence Montague,
the noted psychist and lecturer, will be
surprised to learn that she is the Mrs.
Yates who is now seeking divorce from
her husband. All around the bay and in
other parts of the State Nine. Montague
is-known. She has lectured for years and
is noted for her learning and broad-mind-
edness. Many of the leading intellectual
lights of Oakland, including prominent
lawyers and merchants, have been ardent
attendants at her lectures on Sunday
evenings The madames views are so
broad that she has been known TO give a
short speech in Salvation Army meet
ings.
The divorce suit was referred to the
Court Commissioner yesterday and the
testimony of Mrs. Yates, who has brought
the suit, will be taken soon. None of the
divorce court distinguish this case, for the
desire for separation is the. result of
too faithful an observance of peculiar
views carried to extremes.
Nine. Montague Yates, for that Is the
lady's legal name, was first married to
wealthy Spaniard, with whom she lived
in Mexico till his death. Some time later
she met Captain Montague Yates, who
was in command of a sailing vessel. She
became his wife, and for few years they
Travelled on shipboard together. This did
not agree with Mrs. Yates health, and
she and her husband settled In Oakland.
Captain Yates obtained good situation
with the Southern Pacific Company, and
the couple were considered to be one of
the happiest in the State.
Mrs. Yates had always been firm be-
lever in occult science. She made
deep study of this work, and by degrees
her HUSBAND also became interested in
psychic research. Captain Yates became
OF mysteries, and in the same proportion
he lost interest In everything else. His
command of his mind, and he resigned
from his position with the railroad. Since
that time he and his wife have not lived
When he left his work the captain was
completely carried away with his new
ideas and he declared that his mission
world and to bring about the salvation
of mankind. He started out on this mis-
sion and travelled all over the State pro-
claiming his doctrines. On some occa-
sions he went without food and one of his
friends said to-day he was almost starved
to death.
The captain left his wife some years ago
and she at once commenced to earn her
living as a lecturer. She took the name of
Madame Florence Montague and as such
is known to thousands of people. After
suffering much privation Yates became
more rational and his views sobered down
Still, he did not return to his wife and
as she has now been deserted and has not
been provided for during some years
Madame Montague Yates desires to be
free.
The suit is brought on the ground of
deSertiOn.