The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-05-10

CHARGES ARE SERIOUS.
Claims Affections of Two Wives
Were AIienated.
The Divorced Wives Deny the
Allegation.

Fort Scott, May 10.-The Tribune
says: One of the most interesting and
unusually sensational yet unique law
suits that was ever commenced IN this
county is on the docket for trial at this
term Of the district court. It Is a suit
Of one brother against another brother
John w Honu against Thomas g.
Honn- and the plaintiff seeks to recover
S25. 600 in damages for the alleged alien
alton of affections of two OF his wives.
The charges in the petition are that
the plaintiff was once a wealthy man
but that through intrigue he has been
reduced to poverty by his brother who
he always claimed to be a plous and
religious man; that he alienated the al
feetions of his wife and after destroy
ing the love that existed between them
and succeeding in obtaining a separa-
ton, he did by tnachination ALLEVIATE the
affections of another wife and caused
a separation also.
There are on file in the office Of Keene
& Gates, attorneys for the defendants,
two affidavits-one from each of the
wives-which are to the effect that their
affections were not alienated by the de-
PENDANT, but that they secured divorces
from the plaintiff on sufficient grounds
and not on account Of any inhdelity
with the defendant. There VIII also be
presented at the trial in this case the
records of the divorce courts of Free
mount county, Iowa, and Gage county,
Nebraska, showing upon what grounds
the divorces were granted. These are
the issues that are to be fought out in
the court when the case comes to trial.
The case is surrounded with many COM
plicatiOns and it will be a hard fought
legal battle The attorney for the plain
tiff is J. L Sheppard. According to the
statement of the defendant his brother
was a worthless fellow and was never
successful in life. that when he (the de-
fendant) became of age he was placed
in charge of the business by the parents
because of his brothers inability to
manage the affairs Of the estate
Thomas g. Honn, the defendant, IS
wealthy.
The first wife Of the plaintiff in the
damage suit, in her petition for a d.
vOrce in Gage county, Nebraska, says
that since their marriage in 1881 her
husband pursued course Of cruel and
inhunan treatment towards her, that
he kicked, bruised and choked the plain
tiff without prOvocation; that he at
tackled her with a club, etc. The d.
vorcee petition also alleged that the de-
PENDANT was the owner OF about s., 600
worth of property unincumbered. The
records in the case show that an ln1unc-
ton was granted restraining the defend
ant from disposing Of any OF the pro-
perty and that she was afterwards given
a complete degree of divorce from the
defendant on the grounds OF cruelty,
given the custody Of the two daughters
and allowed 1919 permanent alimony.
The records in this case all shCsW that
the cross peLll0A alleged aQuil6Iys Dut
that the defendant failed to show it.
The records of the Iowa court in the
divorce case of the second wife show
that she was given a divorce on the
grounds Of cruelty in a similar manner
as is set out in the first case; that she
was given 500 out of the estate Of the
defendant after certain mortgages and
taxes We're paid and that Grant Honn.
the defendant in the $25, GOO damage suit
was appointed one of the trustees of the
property. Honn was married to his last
wife, the records show, in 1892, and they
were divorced as above set forth in
1887.
The affldavits OF the two women are
of rather a sensational nature Katie
Honn- Hoyle says that she has read the
petition in the damage suit against T.
G. Honn, that the allegations are wholly
false.
The affidavit from the other wife. Ida.
Honn- Campbell, says that the allega-
tons made by the said John " Honn
are untrue, that 7. G. Honn never in
huenced her to leave her husband. nor
did he in any manner ALLEVIATE her at
fections, nor was he ever intimate with
her or in any way influential in separat-
ing her from her former husband: that
she obtained a divorce from him in
Gage county, Nebraska, in 1892