The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-05-25
STOCKING BLAMES THE MA
HE SAYS HIS WIFE'S MOTHER
CAUSED THE TROUBLE
Suit of Wealthy Old Man for q
Divorce From His Young Bride
Reveals Some Spicy TestimOny-
He Says He Tried to he n Good
Husband and Bought Her Swell
Traps.

In the quiet little court room occupied
by Judge Lewis, the divorce case of
Hobart M. Stocking against Blanche
Clare Stocking was called yesterday.
The surroundings are hardly what one
would expect to find in connection with
such an event, for both Mr.. and Mrs.
Stocking are members of the fashion
able set and their divorce case is one
that is commonly known as the result
of a falling out of people in high life,
and coupled with this the suit has some
decidedly sensational features. Judge
Lewis court room is but little larger
than a good sized jury room, and one
would be led to suppose that 1t would
be crowded to suffocation with d.
Vorce case and such an interesting one
as the Stocking divorce case on trial,
but there was ample room for all yes
terday, except possibly on the inside of
the railing, where there was an array
of legal talent that would have made
known to the most unobserving of peo-
pie that a suit of more than ordinary.
Importance was on trial. co2
Mr.. Stocking sues for separation
on the simple ground of desertion, the
complaint stating that he and Blanche
Clare Barnet were married in April,
1896, and that after Miss Barnet had
been Mrs. Stocking for about nine
months she deserted MIN In January,
1897, without cause.
Mrs. Stockings answer is of de-
cidedly different nature and she stout
ly denies that she left her husband
without cause. She says that when
she met Mr.. Stocking she was a mere
girl, she is but twenty-three years old
now, while he is fifty-two, and that she
had just graduated from young ladies'
seminary and was not familiar with the
world and the many strange things that
one finds in it. Mr.. Stocking had been
most affectionate toward her from the
start, and had seemed to her to be so
honorable and good that she had not
heSitated to return that affection. The
result was that they were married. and
then she says she found that she had
been misled, for her husband was any
thing but good, honorable and affec-
tionate. He began to treat her with
the utmost cruelty and was jealous
and faultfinding TO degree. She says
that after her marriage she also found
that Mr.. Stocking was not in good
health, and that the mucous membrane
of his mouth was in an liberated condi-
ton to such an extent that it di3gust-
ed her, but that he had explained the
matter to her and that she had felt sor-
ry for him and had tried TO do all in her
power to lessen his suffering. She says
that within a few weeks after their
marriage she became affected with
sickness that was not unlike that of
her husband, and that she has never
fully recovered. She also says that Mr..
Stocking insisted in telling her of his
former amours and intrigues, although
she protested that she had no desire to
know anything about that part of his
life.
She looked in vain for a brighter day,
and finally, after suffering all these
fortunes and torments for nine months,
She had concluded that she could not
possibly endure longer life with her
husband and had left him never to re-
turn.
Mrs. Stocking sat alone in the court
room yesterday, SO far as friends of
her own sex were concerned, but with
her were her attorneys, Ambrose Tighe
and W. S. Kerruish, Of Cleveland, and
tention to all the proceedings, and fire.
quently consulted with her attorneys
during the day.
J. D. O'Brien and 4 number of as
sistants, represented Mr. Stocking.
MIR. Stocking was on the witness
stand the greater part of the day and
his appearance throughout the direct
examination and ordeal of cross-eXami-
nation was that of a man very much
bored with his surroundings. He was
formally an officer in the service Of he
United States, and occasionally he
would straighten up and ask or answer
questions with an air Of authority that
one might expect to see in connection
with man of military experience.
Under the direction of his attorney
Mr.. Stocking told his story He said
that his whole domestic trouble had
resulted from interference on the part
of his mother-in-law, Mrs. Barnet, and
that he felt sure that but for her his
life with Mrs. Stocking would have been
a happy one He told of his efforts to
make bis wife happy, of the handsome
things that he had done for her, the
handsome establishment on Summit
avenue that he had purchased for her,
and the fine horses that he had selected
for her to drive that she might appear
to advantage on the boulevards. Even
after all this, he said, that she had not
been contented, and one day in Eau
Claire letter had come from her
mother urging her to return to st. Paul
for fear that she would lose her social
standing" This had been very irrita-