Arizona republican. [volume] (Phoenix, Ariz.) 1890-1930, 1903-08-11
A SUIT FOR DAMAGES
In Which the Familiar Names ofDeck
and Fisher Figure.

There is an interesting damage SUIT
in the district court. 1t was filed by
Attorney j. J. Whittemore for Joseph
w. Deck against F. G.. Fisher and 1t
is all about woman. The plaintiff Is
a resident OF the south side living near
Mesa. The defendant is a wealthy
farmer and cattleman living few
miles below Phoenix. There are two
causes of action set forth in the COM
plant The first is that some time
between April 20 and May of this
year the plaintiff was the possessor of
a wife, one B. Deck. Some time be-
tween the aforementioned dates the
defendant enticed the wife away from
her home in this city, took her to
house belonging to him and there har~
bored her, depriving the plaintiff of
her society and assistance. for which
he thinks the defendant ought to be
mulct in the sum of 5000. The second
cause of action alleges that the de-
fandant is maintaining an Illicit rela-
ton with the wife of the plaintiff, who
is again deprived of her society and
assistance, for which he asks $1,000,
together with his costs and disburse-
ments in the prosecution of this action
The separation of the wife from her
husband occurred within a week after
their marriage. which was the result
of d correspondence conducted through
an eastern matrimonial bureau. The
husband appeared to be pleased with
the result of this "signt unseen" per-
formance. but the expectations of the
wife do not appear to have been fully
realized She is about 50 years of age.
Fisher the defendant, is quite an old
man, and was supposed to have recov-
cred from any giddiness with which he
might have been afflicted in his youth.
This suit recalls another episode of
seven years ago in which people by the
names of Deck and Fisher Inquired in
the United States court in an Edmunds
act case.
Early in 1897 man by the name of
Joseph w. Deck, accompanied by a
woman, arrived at Glendale, having
come from Ohio. They were members.
or had been members, OF the Society
of River Brethren or Dunkards. and
they settled in the community of that
faith near Glendale. The Republican
learned soon after their arrival that
they had eloped from Ohio. The wo-
man, Lena Fisher, was the wife of a
prosperous farmer in the western part
of the state. She and her husband
were members of the church. and Deck.
an old friend of her husband had been
a member OF the church, but he had
been travelling for an agricultural i'm
plement house, and, having gotten
away from the peaceful bucolic sur
roundings amid which he had been
reared. had fallen from grace. though
he still wore the garb of the church
and had his hair cut in the peculiar
fashion of the Dunkards.
Before the elopement he had been
charged with several irregularities in
connection with his business, but his
friends had come to his relief. He had
also been married. and, like the plain
tiff in this case, he had met her
through the agency of matrimonial
bureau. That marriage, too, was short
lived and unhappy.
When Deck and Mrs. Fisher came to
Glendale they did not hold cut to the
warld that they were married, though
they occupied the same house. No sus-
picion regarding their relations was
aroused until after the publication by
The Republican of the fact of the elope-
ment. Within q week they were ar
rested and held to the United States
grand jury. Deck was tried at the
May term of court. All the evidence
required by the government was not
forthcoming. and the case was dismiss
ed on the motion of the United States
attorney. The case against Mrs. Fish
er was continued to the next term, but
was never called. Mrs. Fisher. who
had a little boy. came to Phoenix and
gravitated to the block"
The Fisher in this case is no relation
to the Fisher in the former one. and it
is not meant to be stated that that
Deck has had a new deal or that the
tables have been turned on him.