The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1901-12-04
HERE'S HINT FOR LAWYERS
Divorce Petition Filed in Allen
County Reads Like Novel

If the example set by an lola lawyer
becomes general, court documents will
not be in the future the proSy, StereO-
typed compositions they are at present,
but they will be full of life and have n
good literary style about them. ThlS
particular lola attorney has just filed a
petition for divorce in the Allen county
district court, in which he promulgateS
the new fashion in court papers.
The plaintiff in the suit is DR.. Shear
man L. N. Foote, an Allen county gen.
tleman who has rounded out three
score years and ten and more. He
wants a divorce from Lizzie D. FOote.
who was his sweetheart in the days of
his youth, but from whom he was part
ed until both had passed through sew
eral stages of the matrimonial game,
and met again year ago and were
married. Here is the story as told in
the petition for the divorce:
Comes now the plaintiff to the altar
of justice, bearing his burden of sor-
row and of woe, which he humbly lays
down before the Ermine and the Wool
sack.
He declares with solemn truth that
he has been for more than one year
last past an actual resident in good
faith of the state of Kansas. whose
valiant sons swan the Bag Bag; that
state pointed out and congratulated by
all the world as being the deserted
home of Carrie Nation and Mary Ellen
Lease; and that he is now a resident of
Allen county. same state. where the
road of natural gas wells and the whis-
tie of great industries have become as
familiar to its inhabitants as was the
croaking of frogs to the people of Posey
county, Indiana, in the days of Aud
Lang Svne.
1T was back east in the good old
state of Ohio, that has given birth to
statesmen and politicians. 1t was long
years ago in the sultry summer time,
when the dog fennel blossomed in the
lane and the wood-pecker pecked his
peck the decaying trunk of the hol-
low sycamore tree. 1t was at the
spring meath the hill close by the
spreading beech, a youth and maiden
met and meeting. loved and loving
plighted their troth.
Tt was in the fall. the melancholy
days, the saddest of the year, when they
met again. but parted not in love but
in anger. He married another girl and
lived in Ohio She married Mr.. Walker
of Texas and removed there They were
divorced. Then she married a man
whose name is unknown to the doctor.
He died. Then she married Mr.. Baker
and moved to California. He died. She
had two children by her second mar
riage."
On being widowed, his thoughts turn
ed to his old sweetheart He traced her
out and on September 16, 1900. they
were married. The petition proceeds:
But his dreams were not realized.
From the altar vows she turned forget
full and showed him a warm time
thenceforth. Her supposed honey
sweetness of disposition became to him
like a spray of vinegar. She began to
knock on Kansas and then to knock on
him. Among his titles bestowed by her
were bigot, back number, loafer, idiot,
crank, fool, tryant, no gentleman, filthy,
low indecent. old curmudeOn- Private
~ and publicly she hailed him thus.
.sWas she a helDmate to him? Nay.
Nay. Did she love. honor and obey?
Not on your tintype. Nor did she. cook,
wash or sew. although in good health