The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-08-01
A Fifteen Y ear-OId Wife Has a
Sad Story.
Comes Out in the Application
for Her Divorce.
MARRIAGE BY FRAUD.
Girl Claims She Was Deceived
by Her Husband.
A Fort Scott Welded Life Last
ed Three Days.

Fort Scott. Kas., Aug. IA suit for
q divorce that has been filed in the dis
trict court by Attorney J. Nj. Humph-
rey is the beginning of the end of a
southern romance. in which a young
Louisianian. c. ]. Cox, and Miss I-ottie
Fox, of Redfield, are the principals.
According to the story as told by the
girl. she was the victim of fate and
also the Vaccinations of the young
southerner, who led her to believe that
he loved her and through deceitful tao
tics that were employed persuaded her
to wed him, which she stoutly alleged
was through fear for her life The
story of both parties is indeed peculiar.
His part Of the romance was pub
lished previously. There is more to the
romance than is set up in the petition
asking for the divorce. The plaintiff in
the action is Mrs. Cox and she alleges
that she was at work in Louisiana
when she was at the age of Is years;
that she started 40 come to her home
in Redheld, Kas. and that she was
met at the Missouri Pacific depot in
this city by Mr. Cox whom she had
previously met in the sunny south-the
state of Louisiana; that he told her she
must marry him Immediately; that her
mother had sent word by him that she
would send detectives here after her
and take her back to Louisiana, where
she would be compelled to submit to
marriage relations if she did not marry
Cox in this city; that through fear Of
this, and also because she feared the
young man. she did accompany him to
the court house in this city where they
were married by the probate Judge in
December, 1902, two days before Christ
mas time
The petition further states that she
and her husband went to her home in
Redfeld, where she learned, much to
her surprise, two days later, that her
husband had deceived her; that hes
mother did not send such word ana
that the marriage was secured fraud
ulently, Compensation and through
fear; that upon learning of the con-
Duct of her husband toward her she.
was Immediately taken violently i'll and
that her life was despaired of: that
knowing the great mental anguish that
the plaintiff was suffering and that
his presence at the home would ONLY
tend to cause her to lose her mind. the
husband was told to go away and leave
her alone; that he did so, and that since
then, after husband and wife for three
days only, they have been separated
The petition asks that on the grounds
OF cruelty and fraud the plaintiff be
given an absolute divorce and that her
maiden name. that of Lottie MAY Fox.
be restored to her
The young LOuisianain, who was in
the city some weeks ago Investigating
the case and attempting to persuade
ms wire to live with him, at that time
told an entirely different story He
claims that the girl loves him. and that
she consented to become his wife with
out any persuasion, but that she is pre-
vented from living with hSa by design
ing relatives, who he says arS worklng
IN the interests of another yoIS-- man
who lives in Louisiana and who claims
to be his friend.