Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1902-10-10
Seodl 1lotices.
STATE OF VERMONT,
ADDISON COUNTY, 5. S.

ADDISON COUNTY, 5. S.
Mabel Anna Halter of Middlebury in said
county, having filed her petition to the Addi-
son County Court next to be held at Middle
bury, within ana for said County of Addison
on the first Tuesday of December, A. ID. 1902,
against George Christian Halter, now or for
merly of New York City in the county and
state OF New York setting forth in substance
as follows that she is the lawful wife of the
respondent therein. and that at the City of
New York in the county and state of New
York, on the 10th day of March, in the year
one thousand nine hundred she was duly and
lawfully united in marriage with said George
Christian Halter by Rev. G.. G. Houghton,
rector of the church of the TRANSPORTATION,
then II regularly ordained minister of the
gospel of the Protestant Episcopal church,
and then and there engaged in the preaching
of the gospel and duly authorized to solemn
ize marriages under the laws OF the state of
New York. At the time of said marriage,
your petitioner was doing business as n
trained nurse in said City of New York earn
ing from ten to twenty dollars per week with
board and the respondent was an educated
physician and surgeon then engaged and In
practice ut the Opthalmic hospital in said
New York city and was apparently in flour,
ishing circumstances and frequently assured
the petitioner that he was earning an income
amply sufficient for their support.
They lived together as husband and wife in
said City of New York from their marriage
until the 2sth day of July \. ID. 1900 when the
respondent deserted the petitioner, as herein
set forth. During this little more than four
and one half months, excepting about two
weeks when they were on their wedding trip
and n short visit of the petitioner TO her par
ents, the parties lived together in different
boarding houses selected by the respondent
i'm said city of New York, ana both worked at
their respective business, and both, until
towards the last, contributed toward the gen.
eral expenses. The petitioners health was
poor, and she was not fairly able to work,
but she ala work whenever she had work to
do In her line, which was nearly all the time
During said period of their so living together
the respondent almost from the FIRST treate
the petitioner with great and intolerab o
severity ana cruelty that she earned plenty
OF money for her own support, sometimes rs
high rs thirty dollars per week, all which
money the respondent took from her, FIRST
with her consent, and later Ivy force, and
when she, being absolutely needy, finally be-
gan TO secrete her earnings from him, he
would force them from her by the vllest
means, such as examining his own dirty
stockings into her mouth until she would
Vomit ami faint: by this means he would get
usually. the whole of her weekly pay, some
times sparng her very small part.
During the latter period the respondent
would often be absent for two or three days
ana nights at time without letting the petit
toner know his whereabouts, and as she be
lieves and has reason to believe keeping
company and spending her earnings with
dlssoute persons of both sexes; on two oc.
casions the petitioner saw him, once on the
street and once in II restaurant in company
with woman unknown to the petitioner on
each occasion; on another occasion, In the
night tiine the respondent returned to their
rooms where the petitioner was in bed, up
three flights and brought into their bed.
room, the respondent being himself very
much intoxicated, Il strange woman. During
all this time and up to the desertion the res
pondent furnished nothing toward their com
mon support the entire expense thereof be
ing paid out of the earnings of the petitioner
who was employed by different physici ans
on Jobs in her prOfes sOn nurse. At last
after respondent had been away beyond
sight or knowledge of the petitioner for three
days, and while the petitioner was out look
ing for employment, the respondent came &c
their rooms and took away all the petition
er's portable articles of value, including hel
entire wardrobe, excepting what she wa.
then wearing and other small articles, and
carried them away. He had previously
taken, unbeknOwn to the petitioner, ana by
stealth. her gold watch given her by her par
ents and chain, her silver and tortoise shell
toilet set and diamond and opal ring
present from the respondent himself; whei
he went away three days before this he tOok
all the money in the house earned by the
petitioner, except fifteen cents. so that the
petitioner, after this last visit, was left with
out cent of money ana without any mean,
to raise cent. She had n small trunk IL
which We're n few articles, but the landlady
ordered her to leave the house, refused bel
breas fast, seized this little trunk for rent, a.
she said, and permitted her to go into the
street in these circumstances of utter destitu
non ehe hau no relatlves IN New orK ant
no friends nearer than Brooklyn where lived
one Miss Pierce of whom the petitiOnel
thought she could obtain relief, and SHE
started TO walk from this boarding house or
i2nd st. and Lexington Ave. to her friends
place in Brooklyn, n distance of some ter
miles. She was utterly exhausted when she
u.
could not cross the bridge because of the
lack of the necessary ,oll of two cents, bu
borrowed the same of policeman, and pro
ceeded to her friends house, where she was
kindly received. After the petitioners ar
rival ut the home of Miss Pierce in Brooklyn
that lady visited the respondent at his oflic,
in New York and urged him to do something
for the relief OF his wife, who, she said was
Mt her home in Brooklyn, sick ana in grea
aistrtss. Ine a. RESPONDENT replied that ne
that he never wanted to see her again. Tn,
petitioner wrote him about a week later. II
has never since seen nor heard anythinl
from hi y, and he Is now in parts to hel
wholly unknown.
That since her return to Vermont on An
gust !, 1900, your petitioner has continuously
resided with her parents in the village o
Middlebury, supporting herself and receiv
ing no support nor ol1er OF support from thu
respondent
Wherefore the petitioner AYERS that the re
spondent has treated her with intolerabl,
severity and has, while in possession of suffi
cient means, wantonly, cruelty and withou
cause refused to support her, the petitioner
ana praying that decree of dissolution from
the bonds of matrimony and for alimony
may be granted to the petitioner against tn,
respondent; and that the respondent be sum
moned to appear and answer this petition
which petition bears date the 18th day o
September, A ID. 1902 and Is signed and sworn
to by the petitioner.
And 1t il appearing that the said Georg,
Christian Halter is without this tie, tina
said petition cannot be served upon him, it il
ordered that he be summoned to appear AN,
answer the foregoing petition on the frs
day OF the next stated Term of said Addison
County Court to be held AT Middlebury within
and for said county ON the first Tuesday o
December A. ID. 1902, by the publication o
the substance of said petition, together witt
this order, in the Middlebury Register,
newspaper published at said Middlebury
three weeks successfully, the last of whicl
publications to be at least six weeks befor
said term of court.
Dated at Middlebuly aforesaid, this 2itl
day of September A. ID. 1902.
RUFUS WAINWRIGHT, Clerk
F. w. THOMAS AND W. IL. BLISS,
Attorneys for Petitioner. 80