The Saint Paul globe., 1898-06-05

Ol CHe NOTtHWeSt. he is KNOWN la
miliarly as timber owner and op-
orator of sawmills all over Northern
Wisconsin. He is a man Of very con-
siderable wealth. He was the owner
of the first large sawmill at the head
Of Lake Superior and was the pioneer
of the numbering interest in West Su-
perior. He is worth probably a couple
of hundred thousand dollars. His wife
died some few years ago. He is a mem
Der of the Loyal Legion and has very
general acquaintance with business
men and those who are prominent So
cially in the Northwest.
Three years ago, at the lake water
ways convention at Cleveland, Mr..
Stocking was in that city engaged in
the trial of a law suit. One Sunday he
met a military looking man in the ele-
vator of the hotel in which he was
staying. The military looking man wore
the star Of the Loyal Legion, and they
bowed, and when they met the next
time they bowed again.
That night while Mr. Stocking was
smoking cigar the military gentle
man, whose name it transpired was Col.
BarnitZ, U. 8. A, asked Mr.. Stocking
to go to church with him and his fam
lily. Mr.. Stocking declined the invita-
ton, and later when he met Col. Bar
nitz the latter said that he looked
lonesome, and would he not like to
meet his family? Mr.. Stocking was
then introduced to the family, which
consisted CT the lady who became his
wife, Col. Barnitz and Mrs Barnitz.
Miss Barnitz was not pretty, but she
was stylish and attractive, and before
Mr.. Stocking had left Cleveland he had
established an understanding with Mrs.
Barnitz as to possible marriage.
And so they were married; Stocking
and the young lady. She had social
ambitions, and Mr.. Stocking was
man of wealth, and they were quite as
che in removing from the town of Eau
Claire, Wis, where they lived for a
time, to st. Paul, and a house was
taken on Summit avenue
Mr.. Stocking had young daughter
by his previous marriage, and the
daughter lived with Mr.. and Mrs.
Stocking. The marriage occurred in
April, 1896, and some eight months lat
er Mrs Stocking went home to visit
her people. After she got home a let
ter came to Mr.. Stocking from her, say
ing that she would not return to him.
he went on to Cincinnati where Mrs.
Stocking was staying with her people.
ana when he came back it was with
the understanding that his wife was
to follow him. She did not, and after
waiting for year or more he brought
suit for divorce. That is, in brief, the
story OF their meeting and married
life.
Some six weeks ago Mr.. Stocking
brought suit for divorce from his wife
on the ground Of desertion He saws
that he, in the meantime, used every
endeaVor to have her return to him.
but that she refused. When the com
plalnt was made in the case il looked
like very ordinary divorce proceeding.
out when Attorney Tighe filed his an
swer 1t took on such sensational feat
ures as have seldom marked a divorce
case In the local courts
The answer included a demand for
cross bill and related a number of
petty instances Of alleged cruelty, The
instances were trivial In themselves
but they made such a relation of mar
tial woes that the public was made ac-
quatnted with them through The
u b e. The intimation of cruelty was
a secondary proposition for the prin-
c1pal complaint Of Mrs. Stocking was
that she had been infected by her hus
band with a lOathesome disease. The
case at once assumed such proportions
that 1t was understood that 1t would
be fought bitterly. The future social
life of the husband was at stake, as
ne said after the decision was rendered.
1T made him feel like a new man to
nave his friends take him by the hand.
space In the newspapers on account
OF its peculiarly unsavory character
There was no attack made on the char
acter or reputation of either of the
principals and the only question before
the court was that of the presence of
the disease
John d. OBr1en. a hair-splitting law
yer, VINO goes into the very heart Of
what the testimony means, was the
COUNSEL lot
Ambrose Tighe, very close observer
ana bitter fighter. was for the defense.
Both of the leading counsel were as
sisted by men of repute from abroad
and, it is said by some of the Judges
and lawyers who have watched the
case, that there have been few cases
trled IN the district court of this coun-
The taking of the evidence covered
nine days and through it all the fragile
young woman, with prominent features
and ash blonde hair who was until
yesterday, Mrs. Stocking, sat. almost
without expression, by the side of her
mother and listened to evidence that
was of such a nature at times. as to
make the court habitue to change his
expression. Beside Mrs. Stocking sat
Mrs. Barnftz, a well preserved lady of
some fifty years, and beyond her. her
husband, man of military bearing.
who appeared to be bored to a consider
able extent by what was going on.
Experts were put on the stand bv
both sides, but those on the part Of
the plaintiff, who had became actually
the defendant when the attack was
made by the defendant, were so specific
in their testimony that there was no
doubt of the verdict-if it rested on the
presumption of disease raised by the
defense. It was proved that there was
really no disease existing on the part
of either husband or wife. The bottom
of the case was stated, so far as Mrs.
Stocking was concerned, in a conversa-
tion that was had between herself and
Mr.. Stocking, in which she had said:
You don't like my mother and I
don't like your daughter
Mr.. Stockings contention was that
1t was a case of too much mother-in-
law.