The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1903-01-30
THORNSBERRY
!. GETS DIVORCE
Judge Amber Holds That Wife Was
Guilty Of Gross Neglect
Of Duty.
INTERESTING Case COMES TO END.

Judge Ralph 8. Amber granted
David s. Thornsberry a divorce Nom
day afternoon, thus ending the notorl-
Gus case which had been on trial
since Tuesday Of last week. When
verdict was announced. some of the
women in the audience started to ap-
plaud by clapping their hands. but
the demonstration was suppressed by
the court baillff.
The divorce was granted upon the
grounds of gross neglect of duty and
extreme cruelty. the more serious
charges of infidelity not being sus-
tained in the eyes of the court. Dur
ing the rendering of the finding, the
wife sat with downcast eyes. and hus-
band held his hand over his face un-
til the true import of what the judge
was saying dawned upon him, and
then he was all smiles.
In passing upon the case, Judge Am
bier said that the whole difficulty
grew out of a marriage that never
should have taken place. He review
ed at some length the evidence In
troduced by the defense in support OF
the cross-petition and stated that
there had been nothing offered to
sustain the material allegations made
by the wife against the husband
On the other hand. all the tcsti-
mony went to show that the plaintiff
is a sober and Industrious man. who
does not even use tobacco. His state
ments were corroborated by neighbors
and disinterested persons. who testi-
fled that she boasted that she had her
husband trained and he gave her all
the money he earned. She had mon
ey TO go to the theatre, take music
trips.
lessons, buy silk dresses and take
''The relations between the defend
ant and Blair were more like those
between two girls than anything else."
said Judge Amber. "The blood rela-g
tionshir refutes any idea of their liv-
ing together being criminal, and this
is further carried out by her physical
condition.
"a woman who enters into the mar
ried relation under conditions like
these. owes to her husband more than
the ordinary devotion and exclusive
society. She certainly had no right to-
lavish her affections upon another.
After year or so she quit kissing
him, and never kissed him after
Blair came into the family.
81 think that wife who can go
to the theatre, ride a wheel and do
washing, would be able to get her
hue nd hrao BE- cf .a 10,
liar case and has had too much no
toriety. have concluded tho fhe
husband has been exceptionally kind
and indulgent and tried to keep peace
and harmony in the family. He did
infinitely more than most men would
have done. cannot conceive of a
more discouraging situation. / think
tho husband Is entitled to a divorce
upon the grounds of extreme cruelty
and gross neglect Of duty"
Judge Amber granted the attorneys
ten minutes each to argue the case.
James Sterling. for the plaintiff, de-
clined to make any argument. James
a Rice. counsel for the wife, talked for
ten minutes and made strong plea
for his client. His effort made ouite
an impression. but It could not turn
the-court from his decision. The ,;;!se
was not given alimony.
There was some testimony offered
In rebuttal before the arguments were
reached. but nothing new was devel-
oped. The husband went upon the
stand and denied the statements of a
number of the witnesses. 1t was then
that he made the statement referred
to by the court that during the first
year OF their married life, his wife
had kissed him, but never after Blair
came.
The throng Of spectators hung about
the court house for some time after
the decision was rendered discussing