The San Francisco call., 1899-11-21


Attorney Garrity drew up some papers of
separation and also did considerable legal
work Strengthening out the estate between
the Laneguths. They owned about 5000
worth OF property, and agreed on sepa-
rating that he should take the personal
property and she should retain the home
on Fifth street. After time this arrange
ment was not satisfactory TO Langguth,
and he engaged Attorney a. \. Moore 10
make a demand for $1,000. motto, Home,
Sweet Home which had been worked by
mas sister, and an anuquated sewing ma
chine.
Mrs. Langguth positively refused 10 let
a man whom she charged with having -
little respect for home, sweet home have
the precious motto or the sewing machine,
much less $1,000.
Time after time. said the lady, she Wis
ited her attorney and in her mind believed
that her suit had been filed. and that she
had given her testimony before a Court
Commissioner. She brought her witnesses
over 10 be examined, and the lady also
declares that she paid successive fees for
all these services. apparently thinking
that her lawyer was a Judge. After a
time she thought the decree should be
about ready, but her attorney did not
have IL for her. She then consulted At
torney Fred i. Button, told her story,
discovered that no suit had ever been
brought and through him obtained a de-
cree Of divorce.
was asked to-day why Mrs. Langgguth
had circulated such a peculiar story. 4
was very much surprised at what she
told me" said he, and certainly II her
narily well acquainted with legal terms
and forms. She told me that she believed
she had done everything necessary 10 Sc
cure divorce except receive the decree. |
did not know until after l brought the
suit that both the lady and her husband
had been married in Germany before they
came 10 this country. She. however. told
me that she firmly believed that the de-
serted spouses in Germany had both OBJ
tained divorces since she and Langguth
left that country. l paid little attention
TO the lady's story. as il did not directly
concern her divorce suit. which was her
only litigation in which ! was interested.
When the husband looked into mat
ters further and saw how mild was the
complaint for divorce and how much more
which would admit Of proof might have
been brought into II he instructed Attor-
withdrew his demand for the motto. sew
ing machine and the 5000 ana that he
would not contest the suit
This Is a most remarkable story" said
Attorney Carrity, land possibly one with
out precedent. There has been consid-
cradle love-naking by both Langguth and
his wife Tor the past TWENTY-FIVE years,
and IL is not easy 10 say just where they
have landed. Certainly l cannot conceive
how a Nvorce has been granted Mrs
Langguth, because there We're no legal
grounds upon which II could be grant
ed. Mrs. Lsngguth was originally. SO she
has told me, the wife OF a German. She
lived with him in Germany some time
after their marriage and then eloped to
this country with Langguth. who was
sub-offlcer in the German Hussars. Jlti-
timately she married Langguth in Chi
cago-at least she is OF the opinion that
she did. but as she has never been d.
vorced from her first husband and could
not be under the German law for any ex-
listing cause. II was naturally impossible
for her, being married. to become the Wife
Of Langguth. Although she apparently
did not know IL. she committed bigamy In
Chicago Afterward they came TO live
or this coast and acquired much property.
They quarreled and she transferred her
love. while Langguth did the same. She
IS now iivi lg in North Oakland acting as
hoUsekee9er TO a Mr.. Norman. a candy
maker. Langguth is proprietor OF a gro
cery store at Tenth and Natoma Streets
in San Francisco and he could not have
made any contest in the divorce case or
II would not have been granted.
AS IL is the situation is remarkable.
vorce for her and I told her that. being
a married woman. she could not possibly
ngure In divorce case. and that II would
be absurd to bring one. She could not
have thought that ! was obtaining a d.
yorce for her and must have known that
l was arranging her property interests
with the man she claims for a husband
The woman is well along I'm years, OF very
nervous disposition. does not talk En-
glish very fiucnuy and IL is easy to un-
derstand that she might get a wrong idea
OF the legal situation.
1T was the opinion OF A. A. Moore tha,
divorce could not he obtained until she
had proof Of the divorce OF both Iangguth
and herself from their former spouses in
Germany. l feel highly honored IL the
lady mist2ok me for the Court Commis-
sioner ana thought ! was trying her