The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-01-26
Air Their Family
Troubles
IN DIVORCE COURT.
The Famous Libel Now Be
fore Judge GaskiIl.

\, Because, as she. says, her husband
threw fiatirons and jack-knives at her,
threatened her life, swore at her, called
a hog and other vile names and
9 cruel to her in numerous other
.ys, Mrs. Julia e. Osborn. daughter
names A. Norcross, the millionaire
1iider, pleaded for a divorce in Judge
askilPs court, yesterday.
With eyes filed with tears, the libel
ant in the divorce court took her place
u the witness stand and occupied the
Better part of two hours, recounting
the alleged acts of cruelty inflicted
upon her by her husband
1t was by far the most important
case that has this month come up in
the jury-waived session of the superior
court. The prominence Of the parties
to the suit, together with the fact that
the libellee has entered suit against his
wife's relations for alienation OF her
affections. lent exceptional interest to
the case. Herbert Parker represented
Thomas s. Osborn, the libellee, and
Blackmer & Vaughan Mrs. Osborn.
The case bids fair to last the better
part of three days. All day yesterday
was taken UP with the examination of
the libellant's witnesses. When court
adjourned, at o'clock, several wit
nesses on her side still remained to be
questioned. In the opinion of the coun-
sci, it will take all day today to hear
the remainder of the testimony. After
that both lawyers are preparing to
make lengthy arguments.
Mrs. Osborn makes several distinct
Charges of cruelty against her hus-
band One one occasion, she charges,
after she had refused to beg money of
her father, Osborn took flatiron from
the stove and hurled it at her with
great force. She was at the time sit
ting in rocking chair. The fiatiron
passed within a Jew feet of her, struck
the wall and hit her foot on the re-
bound, tanning her.
Another time, she says, in fit of an
ger, he threw an open Jack-knife at
her, which passed by and hit the door,
after which Osborn remarked: 81
wish 1T had pierced your heart" Again,
when husband and wife were out driv-
Ing together, Osborn is alleged to have
announced his intention of driving into
pond to drown her.
Still another time, Mrs. Osborn AYERS,
Osborn came to her with rope in one
hand and razor in the other and tried
to induce her to go into the dining room
with him alone. 1t is charged he fire.
quently threatened suicide and to hang
his little son Bonnie. At another time
when his son Eddie ran away from
home the father is accused Of
having gone after him with a gun.
Osborn's talk both to his wife and
FAMILY is said to have been boisterous
violent, abusive, profane and obscene,
His daily demeanor is said to have been
unb After one violent dispute
he Is said to have kicked his wife on
the knee. Then because his daughter
Gertie objected, it is alleged he struck
the child so violently on the head as to
break her ear-drum.
OSborn's attornies refuse to state pre-
cisely just what their line of defense
will be. But from the way witnesses
were cross-examined yesterday it is
evident that it will be claimed that Os-
born was in an unsettled condition men
tally and physically, owing to the al
legged hayward conduct of - of his
daughters and that his unusual acts, if
any such occurred, were due to his dis
tress of mind about his daughters and
l1lOlnPf aDet-
ting them in their course of action.
The appearance at the eleventh hour
Of Herbert Parker as an attorney in the
case was complete surprise His first
act was to move that all witnesses other
than those examined be excluded The
matter was compromised to the extent
of allowing only six in the room at a
time.
Mrs. Osborn was the first witness
cfa
married to Thomas S. ~ IN in Wor-
cester in 1871. She liveo with him on
Woodland street Is years. Much trouble
with him occurred while living at the
Troy farm, which they owned In New
Hampshire. She last lived with him on
Fowler street In this city. They had had
nine children ranging in age from 25 to
:. She left her husband August g. and
has since lived with her father.
Mrs Osborn described infinitely and
at great length all the instances of al
legged cruelty recounted above. Under
Z cross examination she declared that the
conduct of her children occasioned her
no anxiety. That if they ever had done
anything wrong she could hardly blame
them after the treatment they had re-
celVed from their father. The quarrels
sprung from money matters more than
from the actions of the children. The
tnought of her husband committing sui
cioe had not occasioned her great worry
at the time, and she had continued to
I'VE with him in the usual relations of
wlre long after the alleged acts of in
humanity
her relations had no part in inducing
ner TO leave home When she lived in
her rather s house, her husband fire.
quently called on her, but she refused
TO see him. He wrote more letters than
she could count entreating her to re-
turn and live with him, most of which
sne did not answer. He sent her a
ring as apropitiatory Offering" This she
Kept Later, Osborn 'tcornered" her on
the street and she promised to return
to him II he would pay his debts and
he a man." All the time, she testified
that Osborn was working he turned
over his wages to her. She had the
@nding of the money and never sue
r. in spending it to her husband 5
"a. al. Her relations with her hus-
be As family were friendly and con
fldential.
DR.. L. H. Hammond, the family phy-
stefan Tor 20 years, testified the increas-
ing nervousness, sleeplessness and de-
bility OF Mrs Osborn the past few
years. This he attributed to fear and