Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1902-11-27
SUES FOR DIVORCE.
Rev. Jas. F Berry, Formerly of This
County the Defendant.
WIFE ALLEGES CRUELTY.

WIFE ALLEGES CRUELTY.
His Unique Denial Stating She Huniliated
Him at Church Receptions and On
Divers Other Occasions-It is Her Sixth
Attempt to Get Divorce---He says Her
Mind is Affected.
Mention was recently made by the
Twin Cities daily papers that suit for
divorce had been brought against Rev.
James f. Berry by his wife demanding
divorce on the grounds of extreme cruel
ty, and making serious charges against
him in the complaint. Rev. Berry, who
is Presbyterian Clergyman, and has
been pastor at various points in this
state for many years and presiding over
church work in this county during the
early eighties is we'll known by many of
the earlier residents, especially III the
Immediate vicinity of Osnabrock and
Milton at which places he lived
He has filled an answer to the suit. 1t
is quite lengthy, and is written in his own
hand. for. as he says, he has no lawyer
as yet. and is acting as his own. One
thought runs through the whole docu
ment. an allegation that his wifc's mind
is affected and has been for some eigh
teen years.
He denies that he struck her in the
face at Walsenburg. Col. FIVE years ago,
and that. if he struck her at Plover,
Iowa. says. sit was with provocatlon
and accident" 1t was at a church social
held in his house that he says ''that she
did tease, annoy and greatly mortify and
humiliate him before the whole company,
followed him from room to room with
her taunts and persisted in waving fan
in his face
| After the company had gone, she came
to him again in the dark, and he sup
posed she wanted to annoy him still
more, and he struck out his hand and
came in contact with her lip and caused
it to bleed. And it was the only time he
ever did anything Of the kind
At Hartley, Iowa, he is accused of an
assault upon her, bat says that he only
pinioned her arms together when she
had made threatening motions towards
him with cup full of hot mush and
afterwards with broom. This outbreak
of trouble was caused by his inquiring
casually if some stuff on the kitchen
stove was poisonous. and the question
seemed to have irritated her. 1t was at
the time that he was preparing the
family breakfast, as was his custom.
At another time he says that she fell
down on purpose when he touched her,
and she maintained that ne knocked her
down.
He denies cursing her at various times
during the past ten years, as charged,
but admits that he did use incorporate
and improper language towards her once
in ST. Paul within the past two years,
but says he did so with full provocation.
As to his circulating false reports
about her, he says he merely expressed
lis honest opinion W ullleIeIlC l)cISoilo
as to the state of her mind.
If he said anything about shooting her
and himself, he did so thoughtlessly and
without the remotest idea of doing her
any harm.
He had been absent in North Dakota
for eleven months. when he returned
October 18th last and came to the family
home. S352 Sherburne avenue, st. Paul,
to give her a pleasant surprise, she Or
dered him out of the house and threaten
cd to call policeman.
When he left her. about year ago,
she was we'll provided and owned seven
ty-tive acres of land at Milton, N. D.
She sold it for $500. He had invited her
by letter to live with him at Conway, n.
D., but she had not answered. He had
asked her to occupy homestead with
him in North Dakota, but she refused.
In conclusion he states that the furni-
tRe in the house she occupies belongs
to him, especially the piano, and in re-
sisting the divorce he prays the court
that the piano and other furniture be
adjudged to him in any event.
AS final crusher he notes that this
suit for divorce is the sixth she has
sought