The Anaconda standard., 1899-03-21
READS LIKE MELo[RAMA
Suit Of Esther Lake for Annu1-
ment of Her Marriage.
WORK OF THE MORMONS
The Woman Goes Back to Her Utah
Husband and Her Common Law
Husband Says He Is Through
With Her

| A story that reads like the plot of a
modern melodrama is involved in the
suit of Esther Nelson Lake against
John Lake, an action for the annulment
of marriage which is now pending in
the supreme court on an appeal from
decision of Judge Clancy, which was
adverse to Mrs. Lake. There have been
| developments, however, in the last few
days which make it unlikely that the
appeal will ever be prosecuted farther.
The suit was brought to annul the mar
riage on the ground that Mrs Lake had
been forced into it by her mother and
that her husband, John Lake. was of
4 unsound mind. Although there was ev-
idence in support Of the allegation that
Lake was mentally unbalanced, Judge
Clancy decided that as Lake had never
been adjudged insane the evidence was
not sufficient to entitle his wife to a de-
cree Of annument.
The Lakes live at Cache, Utah, but
the story of Mrs. Lakes trials and trib-
ulations had its origin back in 1885
when, as a girl, 10 years of age, she
was living with her widowed mother,
Mrs. Nelson, in little country home in
Norway. One day a pair of Mormon
missionaries, on proselyting tour of
that country, appeared at the Nelson
home and preached Mormonism to the
mother with such effect that in short
| time she became one of it's most en-
| thusiastic converts, and also started on
a missionary tour among her country
people In order to leave her free and
| unhampered in her work, the two Nor
mons proposed to take the child, Esther,
with them to Salt Lake, as they were
then about to return to Utah, and they
pictured to Mrs Nelson glittering fu-
ture for the girl. They were going to
give her good home and educate her
and then marry her to some great
churchman. Mrs Nelson readily con-
sented to entrust the child to their
Keeping, and they brought it to Salt
Lake, while the mother remained in
Norway to continue her work of max
ing Mormon proselytes. The girl was
placed with a good family in Salt Lake.
where she remained for several years,
and was then sent out to earn her own
! living, menial position having been
secured for her in the old knutsford ho-
tel. She had been there less than
year when her Mormon friends in
formed her that they had selected a
4 husband for her, and told her to get
duced to an old fellow who might have
been her grandfather, and she re-
belled against the fate which had been
mapped out to her. In her despair she
confided her troubles to Lewis A. Shat
fer, head cook at the Knutsford, who
had before proved himself her friend.
Shaffer counseled her to ignore her
Mormon friends and to refuse to marry
the old man who had been selected for
her, and she did so. In time Shaffer
VINO had grown to love the helpless and
friendless girl, himself proposed mar
r1age TO her and was accepted. When
they attempted to get married, how
ever they found they could not do so
because the girl was not of age and had
no parent or guardian whose consent
could be obtained. Shaffer then pro-
posed to have a guardian appointed
but was led to believe that it would be
useless owing to Mormon influence. and
he and the girl then agreed to enter
common law marriage, and for four or
nVe years they lived together as hus-
band and wife, and We're known as such
to all their friends and acquaintances
one child. girl now about years of
age, was born to them.
In 1895 Shaffer lost his position in Salt
Lake and he left his wife and child
there and came to Montana in search
or employment. He went to work in
|
was cook at the Florence hotel in Mis-
soula, and after that he went back to
the logging camp. His positions were
so uncertain that he could not bring his
Wife and child to Montana, but he reg
ularly sent them sufficient money for
their maintenance, and expected to have
them join him as soon as he was perma-
| nently located. About two years ago
he came to Butte and got position as
cook at the Clarence hotel and subse-
quently at the California cafe and is
now head chef at the Butte hotel cafe
In the summer of 1897 he was in a posi-
ton to send for his family
| sometime prior to that his wife's
| mother, Mrs. Nelson and another mar
ried daughter arrived in Utah from
Norway Mrs. Nelson married soon
after her arrival in this country and
bought small farm near Cache. Utah.
upon which she is now living, while the
daughter she brought with her is To-
Gated in Idaho. Mrs. Nelson's farm was
heavily mortgaged to a Cache man
named Lake. father of John Lake
When Mrs. Shaffer received her hus-
bands letter instructing her to come 20
Butte she was visiting her mother at
cache, and the old woman bitterly OPP
posed her intention of joining her hus-
band Mrs. Shaffer had never formally
been taken into the Mormon faith, and
remarkable influence over her, induced
her to join the church. The moment
she had done so she fell under the DOW
ers of the Mormon elders, and other
church officials, whose influence against
her was enlisted by the mother. Under
the laws of the church, they told her.
she would have to obey her mother, and
the latter then proposed to her that
she marry John Lake. The latters
ia ther desired the marriage and aS an
inducement offered to cancel the mort
gage he held on Mrs. Nelson's farm
Mrs. Shaffer heard the proposition
with horror and protested that she
could not marry Lake, as she was al
ready the wife of Lewis Shaffer 1t
was then that the strength of the Nor
mon church influence was brought to
Dear on her. Lawyers were consulted
and church elders We're again called
IN and all united in an assault upon the
weak young woman, and told her that
| she was not Shaffer's wife and that bpr