The San Francisco call., 1899-02-12
.A."..Divorce Suit
That Was a
Boomer
ang.
Sensational Charges
Made Against the
I. f. f. " Rev. Mr.. Crabb
by His Sick
=. Wife.

Unusual interest is being manifested by
residents Of Gilroy and vicinity in the
. divorce. proceedings instituted by the Rev.
w. D.: Crabb, a Methodist minister,
against. his wife, Hattie A. Crabb, which
IS scheduled for trial before Judge A. s.
Kittredge at San Jose on Tuesday next.
The prominence Of the plaintiff, his call
ing and the sensational charges made by
the wife in her answer are reasons for
: the undue interest.
); DR.. >Crabb charges his wife with ex-
treme cruelty and sets forth in his COM
plalnt the contents Of several letters from
her, In which she accuses him Of having
broken. his marriage VOW, all OF which,
according to the minister's plant, has
caused him great mental anguish and
suffering.
The wife in her answer accuses the
husband of having entertained an unholy
passion for a beautiful young lady who
sang in. his church choir at Gilroy, and
further states that when she remonstrat-
ed with him ON account of his attentions
TO. the fair singer he replied that '1t was
an act of special divine providence that
had brought them together and that God
had given him something to love"
= it, Seems the doctor was of a literary
turn of mind, and in his devotion to the
lady dedicated two poems to her, under
.. the titles, Esther, the Ideal" and ITO
= Esther" In his effusion to the ideal
Esther .he muses.: She has a voice
sweeter than mellow lutte with
ca Sarmelian mi Lam lips a kiss pure as
80 . And face whose smile of ruby light,
= Brings hope inspiring, tropic bliss,
A Grecian form and face,
With Venus limbs and Helen's grace
Ii
ten from. the City Of Angels, he pours
.. out. his soul in the following burning
. lines:
Yet thou. dear one. more winsome unto me
Than distant beauteous holy angels are.
So far? Yea, but so near. my light. my cheer,
must be glad, I cannot find tear.
muse of thee! I write. I sing of thee!
/ pray for thee! plead for thee, alway!
! plan for thee, and hope the best may be!
Though far, my queen, thou'rt near-thou TT
And vet come. I fly to thee. my queen!
Heart-distanee would be death. though hands
But heart-knit, cen with Titan mounts be-
Their rugged crests enwrapped in snowy, sheen,
Could never chill our warmth of troplc loves
Nor part these holy-mated spirit doves!
long to have thee. as the wooing dove
Back to his window flies, fly TO my spirit
So long shut: opened Tor thess 10 'hesr II
O, how my words SO struggle and 80 long j.,
To say my hearts deep thought and sacred
The halo OF my inner heart for thee
. New Esther, ''whither thou goest would CO.
And where thou dwellest l would ever ever pc; j,o d,
Yea where thou diest there, too, would die.
ITnsatisfied with the above passionate
outburst; ne informed Mrs. Crabb he
would make this young lady shine ike
81 star and that Gilroy would be proud
Of having given her birth, as Anathoth
was proud that it was the birthplace or
the prophet jeremiah.
% These statements and other actions or
the minister so wrought upon the nervous
system of Mrs. Crabb that she became
. broken down in health, and was obliged
to.leave GiIroy and go to Southern Cali
fornia in search of health and change OF
scene The doctor accompanied her and
. it was understood by both that they
would ..sQjcurn in that vicinity for a
month But the spell that bound him to
the rev Esther was too strong, as ne re-
mained in Los Angeles but two days and
returned to Gilroy alone.
On his arrival he wrote to his wife, say
ing she must remain in the south for an
Indefinite. period, as 1t would be for the
best interests of all parties that she do
So Later he forbade her to return to Gill
roy and stated that he would never live
with her again.
In July Mrs. Crabb returned to San
Francisco and a few days thereafter paid
a visit to Gilroy to see whether the doctor
and herself could not settle their difficult