The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1899-05-12
ADULTERY CHARGED.
Mrs. Lortis, OF Waterville,
Makes a Discovery.
Her Husband and Mrs. Bertha ROseuau
Arrested Last Night in House
on Walnut Street.

Joseph Lortis and Mrs. Bertha Rose
nau. both of Waterville, each having a
consort and family Of children. were
arrested in the city Tuesday night and
lodged in the county Jail, and were TO-
day charged with adultery by the angry
wife of Mr.. Lortls.
Mrs. Luella LOrtis, accompanied by
her sixteen year old daughter and her
ten wear old son, was driven to Manka-
to from Waterville yesterday afternoon
by liveryman named Kim, arriving
in the city at about eight o'clock. Mr.
Kim notified the police that Mrs. Lor-
tbs suspected that her husband would
be found with a woman who recently
came from Waterville, named Mrs
ROsenau, and he asked that both par
ties be arrested. The case was placed
in the hands of Sheriff Gerlich, and the
parties were located in house on Wal
nut street, not far from the Jail.
At shortly after eleven o'clock.
Sheriff Gerlich, Deputy Sheriff Stevens
and Officers Kelly and Olmstead ap
preached the house, and when it had
been surrounded to prevent escape, the
sheriff knocked. 1t was fully ten
minutes before anyone would come to
the door, and then Sheriff Gerlich and
Officer Olmstead entered, leaving the
other two on the outside. Lortis was
found in one room, which had the APP
pearance Of having been occupied by
two persons. while Mrs. Rosenau was
in another room, where her four chill
dren were sleeping. This room did not
appear to the officers to have been occu-
pied by anyone aside from the children
Lortis and Mrs. Rosenau protested
their innocence of any wrong doing,
but were requested TO accompany the
officers to the Jail. There Mrs. Lortis
was waiting. She remarked to her hus
band, Did you ever get left?" and he
replied that he had not. These were
the only words that passed between
husband and wife. The two prisoners
were locked up on different floors and
spent the night there.
This forenoon, Mrs. Lortis signed a
complaint charging her husband and
Mrs. Rosenau with adultery, which is
a penitentiary offense. The hearing
was set for two o'clock this afternoon.
When seen by Free Press reporter,
Mrs. Lortis was very willing to talk.
She is thirty-fve years of age, and was
married to Mr.. Lortis nineteen years
ago, at Waseca. Lortis was born in
Canada and has made good husband
until recent years. A year or so ago he
tended bar in saloon in Waterville
owned by Mrs Rosenau and boarded at
a hotel, while he often remained in the
saloon building nights. Stories began
to reach Mrs. Lortis' ears that her hus-
band and Mrs. Rosenau We're on terms
more familiar than they ought to be,
but she got no positive evidence of
wrong doing and her husband denied
the reports Finally matters came to
head about year ago, when Lortis
tried to move the furniture out of the
house. His wife took horse whip to
him, but he seized and broke this.
Then Mrs. Lortis had him arrested fl r
non-support and this cost him $53.
Lortis tended bar for other parties up
to Jan. 1st, when he went to work in a
livery barn, but two weeks ago he weot
back to tending bar.
Lortis and his wife have resided at
y aterville for about eight years. and
Julius Rosenau and wife have lived
there about the same length of time,
or rather Mrs Rosenau has, for julius
has been working on a farm near St.
Peter for more than year past. Mrs.
Rosenau is forty-five years old and
Julius is her second husband and she is
his second wife. She has two daugh-
tiers who are young ladies, and two
daughters by her second husband. Her
first husband was named Hart and
was drowned. About eight years ago
she was married to Rosenau.
Tludy ldSt, Mis- IeOSc1du Cdul0 10
Mankato and leased the house on Wal
nut street Mrs. Lortis says that her
husband left home Saturday at mid
night taking his trunk, He left no
word where he was going and had not
given any previous intimation of leav-
ing. Only two weeks ago he had moved
his family into town from the country.
He left no money. Mrs. Lortis suspect
ed that he had followed Mrs. Rosenau,
with whom he seemed to be infatuated,
although he always denied to his wife
that such was the case.
Mrs. Lortis declared that she desires
her husband and companion to go to
Saltwater, and says that she intends to
follow the present case with an action
divorce.
Mrs Roenau stated TO the ranortar |