Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1901-09-23
STORY OF WILLIAM STOKES.
Famous Scandal Revived by an An
cient Document.

| Famous Scandal Revived by an An
cient Document.
| The Missouri Historical society has
lately received a gift interesting in
itself on account Of it's age and quaint
ness of appearance, and doubly inter
esting as connected with one of the
most striking stories of early st.
Louis This is in the form of a deed
of separation between William Stokes,
gentleman, and Marianne Stokes, his
wife, duly sealed and witnessed at
Midlesex, England, wherein, upon July
20, 1907, they agree, that because OF
unhappy differences" William is to
be liable for all debts before this time
contracted by Marianne, and Marianne
| is to have all her clothes and jewels
before this time purchased, while both
are to have their liberty. These dec
larations are spread over two very
large sheets of parchment and are
written in a beautiful, even hand, the
/, oft-repeated phrases being inter
spersed picturesquely with green and
red seals, and seeminly unimportant
words spelled entirely in capitals. At
tached to this document is an attesta-
ton of the genuineness of all the sig
natures, made in 1920 before the Amer
lean consul and vice-consul at London
and finally sealed and attested by the
Lord Mayor of London himself
This original and ancient deed of
separation, the gift to the society Of
Mr.. Alex J. B. Garesche, will be a
most valued relic of one Of the most
important law cases of old st. Louis.
Those who are familiar with the
Personal Recollections" Of John f.
Darby will remember the story of Will
liam Stokes, who came to st. Louis
from England about 1819 bringing
with him sum Of money fabulous for
those times and wife and young sis
ter of great refinement and education.
Stokes himself was cultivated in man
ner and educated in mind, and the
charm Of his household, together with
his open-handed generosity, made him
courted and feted by society much
less apt to be impressed by display
than could be found in this day. He
had home on beautiful rise of
ground two miles west of this city,
where, at great expense, he had plant
ed orchards, shrubs, plants and flowers
and laid out beautiful walks, and his
site commanded a view of that lovely
prairie called by the French Cote Bril-
liante. Everything that wealth could
buy was bought.
An event which gave the Stokes
family a still greater prestige was the
marriage of the unmarried sister to
John O'Fallon, the gallant soldier who
had won laurels and an honorable
scar as special aid to General Har-
rison in the battle of Tippecanoe, and
who had seen service in the war Of
1912, along the Canadian frontier.
The end of William Stokes pros
perity came suddenly and unexpected
ly. In the midst of his social triumphs
and pleasures Marianne Stokes, his
real wife, appeared, charging him with
having abandoned her for his house
keeper in England, who was now mas
querading as his lawful wife. She at
once entered suit for divorce and ali
mony, engaging as her counsel Col.
Luke Lawless. Stokes was defended
by Thomas H. Benton and two others,
the case being tried before Judge Ma
thaniel Beverly Tucker and a jury
composed of men even yet well known.
A decree of divorce was obtained and
the case was aiken to the supreme
court.
By this time Stokes had lost all the
friends, who, in the time of his pros
perity, had been so lavishly enter
tanned by him, and it was therefore
fierce sort of triumph for him that
the supreme justices were inclined to
take his part. Judge Pettibone made
a notable speech, in which he declared
that as, in 1907, the defendant and his
wife had separated legally and by mu-
tuaI consent in their own country he
did not consider it the duty of the
United States courts to redress any
wrongs which might follow that sep
aration. In modern terms, the gist of
the argument was that as she had stood
her wrongs for 10 years it was not i'm
possible for her to stand them indef-
initely. The agreement to the separa-
ton, which is the document now in
the possession of the Missouri His
torical society, was produced as evil
dence, and the signature of William