The Lafayette gazette. [volume] (Lafayette, La.) 1893-1921, 1901-01-05

James, formerly resident OF La
eayette, to gain fresh noforiety:
New York, Dec. 3I.-Julia Nor
4teon teArfu;ly signed a complaint
s86larday afternoon. praying for an
abe) lutte divorce from her husband,
IFed II. James. Miss Morrison's
greatest claim to prominence rests
on the fact that about year ago
she shot and killed Jacob Leiden-
heimer, the stage manager Of the
"Piaster of Paris" Company AT
the time of the tragedy Miss Mo,ri-
son stated that the presence Of her
husband afforded her the inspiration
necessary to avenge the insults
which she alleged had been heaped
upon her by Leidenheimer
According to Miss Morrison's
story she has ever been most fond
of her husband, SO very fond ofhim,
in fact, that until recently she has
been most happy to support him.
But she has felt that if she were to
be his prop and mains,ay she should
be permitted to acquire funds in
her own way. Therefore, when her
husband recently interposed serious
objections to her appearing at
theatre here Miss Morrison states
that she at once consulted an at
torney.
Miss Morrison's marriage was
most romantic. When she was but
"a years of age she was travelling
from Memphis, Tenn, to ST. Louis
by train. This was in 1902, and it
was upon this occasion she first met
the man she married
Miss Morrison admits that
through the medium of a mirror
that stood in one end of the car she
firted with James, and when he
walked over to her and handed her
a newspaper she was glad. A con-
versation of ten minutes duration
followed, and then the two decided
to get married. They left the train
and journeyed back to Memphis,
where the ceremony was completed.
Miss Morrison states that she
thought the whole affair great
lark, but that her notions of
honeymoon We're decidedly anna
teurish. For, it was Miss Morri-
sons idea to leave her husband
forthwith and proceed to her
parents. He objected, however,
and even the reports Of Papa Nor
rison awaiting a meeting, shotgun
in hand, did not brighten him from
his bride.
James was pharmacist, but Miss
Morrison was not content to be
merely Mrs. James. She had lofty
ideas about the revival of the classic
drama, and she induced her bus
band to sell his soda fountain and
dispose of his pure drugs, and or
GAME theatrical company. For
the next three years Miss Morrison
played Shakesperean roles in small
towns, and her husband posed as
business manager.
In May, 1898, 1t occurred to Miss
Morrison that she was not sufh
GENTLY married. So she induced
her husband to go before a magis-
trate for a second time and promise
to fulfill various marital duties. This
having been accomplished, Miss
Morrison felt that she was entitled
to wrestle once more with the
drama.
II was during this lapse that the
shooting affair took place at Chatta-
nooga, Tenn. Miss Morrison con
tended before the jury that in order
to protect her wifely honor she was
obliged to carry about with her a
miniature arsenal. The trial that
followed lasted eleven days, at the
expiration Of which the jury an
nounced that Miss Morrison might
again go forth into the world and
coquette with the reluctant dollar.
For this purpose she took her hus-
band with her and began starrir. G
tour in piece entitled "a Day of
Reckoning. The public did not
take kindly t., the offering, but left
the star to reckon alone. Since that
=. IS