The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1903-06-19
SIOUX FALLS Has
DIVORCE SENSATION
Woman Steals Her Soy Who
Was Living With His
Father.
A CLEVER ROLE
Woman Came to Sioux Falls to visi,
Her Husband, Who Was Suing for
a Divorce and Completely
Hoodwinked Him.

Sioux Falls, S. D.,June 1.-THE sui,
for divorce by Della Whitman, wife OF
Joseph Whitman, a capitalist and
heavy landowner OF Chicago, who is a
resident Of Sioux Falls, adds another
chapter to q case which seems to de-
velop more than the usual number OF
sensations.
One of the features was the kidnap-
Ing by the mother a few days ago OF
the 8-year-old son of the couple, wSo
has been living with his father In thia
city. AS a climax to his matrimonial
rouble Whitman succeeded In secur-
ing aft1davits from some Of the neigh
bors questioning the sanity Of his wife,
and an order which compels the moth
er to bring the son back to Sioux Falls
until the divorce is determined.
The wife played a neat trick on her
husband by putting In an appearance
in Sioux Falls and commencing a suit
for divorce before he could do so.
BY lnstituting the suit Mrs. Whit
man has tied UP all his property, SO
he will be unable to transfer such of 1t
as is within the jurisdiction of the
South Dakota courts until4a decree is
granted or rejected in the divorce suit
Worked Her Husband.
A few days ago Mrs. Whitman, Who
lives on one Of the aristocratic boule-
wards OF Chicago, arrived in Sioux
Falls. She was accompanied by a Sis
ter. They proceeded to the home 81
Mr.: Whitman, where they were kindly
received. The wife n her sister n
that they would remain In
Sioux Falls for a week or ten days to
visit the boy. The two women, it 1s
said. made themselves so agreeable
that they completely ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
man who was the official custodian OF
his son.
The it was suggested by the mother
and her sister that they lake the boy
down town consent was readily forth
coming from the father. As hour at.
ter hour rolled around and they did not.
return he realized that he had been
duped and Instituted a search FOR the
missing TIC
boy could be found around the rail-
road-stations. No liveryman had seen
them. No one had seen any persons ans
sWering their description on any of the
highways leading outsof the city. Their
disappearance apparently was as COM
ptetesas II the earth had opened and
swallowed them.
Didn't Hurry Away.
1t has just been learned that instead
OF attempting to leave the city at once,
as some might have done, the two wo-
men n their little charge proceeded
to&a local hotel, where they kept in
close confinement until a day or "
ago, when a closed hack drove up to
the hotel and the ONE and boy got
in.
The horses We're started on a run and
kept that gait until the crossing Of the.
Rock Island was reached, where the
thFeetoo the train.
Although the complaint and other
papsEsin thesdivorce ysuitSof Mrs. whit
man nave been removed from the office,
of the clerk of courts, enough is known
Of the case to warrant the belief that
one OF the grounds upon which the di-I
.Ronce iB asked for is failure to provide
for the needs of the wife and child.
ut lis said that Mrs. Whitman once
before separated from her husband on
account OF an alleged penuriousness, a
reconciliation afterward being effected.
Mrs. Whitman is isaid to be wealthy
in her own right, while her sister, who.
has interested herself in the case in be-
half Of, Mrs, Whitman and her child,
rs reputed to be worth $1,000, 900, SO it
is probable the legal warfare between
the couple will be strenuous.