Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1903-01-06
SAYS WIFE ELOPED.
Former Charlton People Get Into
Court at Des Moines.
PECULIAR CONDITION OF AFFAIRS


on Ground of Elopement, But His 1
Wife Says She and Husband Still
Live Together.
Charlton, Jan. 5.-A very peculiar
and unusual condition of affairs of in
terest to Charlton and Lucas county
people is disclosed in divorce an
swer and letter from Attorney Thos.
Morris of st. Louis, filed with County
Clerk Coffin, of the Polk county dis
trict court The situation Is that of a
husband suing his wife for divorce, al
leging that she eloped from him and
ran away with another man, and that
he (the husband) is now a resident of
Des Moines, while the wife, in her an
swer states that she and her husband
are living together III st. Louis, were
living there at the date he filed his pc
tition, and there is nothing wrong be-
tween them.
The Des Moines end of the story fol-
lows:
Attorney Thomas Morris of st.
Louis, writes the clerk, sending the
answer of Mrs. Nellie Rhoades, to the
divorce application filed by her hus-
band !, VIM. Rhoades, and discussing
the peculiar condition of affairs, says:
at is the strangest proceeding l ev-
er heard Of These people are living
and co-habiting with each other here
and he applying for divorce in Iowa.
feel that when this case and the an
swer is called to the attention of the
court that he will feel an attempt to
practice a fraud upon the court has
been attempted, and ordinarily know
the court will not be well pleased"
The divorce application OF VIM.
Rhoades against his wife, Meme
Rhoades, was filed some weeks ago.
In it Mr.. Rhoades alleges that he and
his wife were married at Charlton,
in January, 1889, and lived together
until November 1, 1902, when his wife
committing adultery with Fred Lind
strom; and also charges her with
cruel and inhuman treatment, in that
she threatened to infiict bodily injury
on him at times. He also accuses her
OF being a spendthrift and Of sporting
and running around with men other
than her husband. He charges that
he accused her at one time of having
Lindstrom, whereupon she drew a re-
volver on him and, the husband says,
would have shot him had he not been
near enough to catch the revolver by
the muzzle and divert the charge from
him.
Continuing Mr.. Rhoades says that in
July, 1902, he removed with his wife,
the defendant, to house at 1927 Sew
enth street, in Des Moines, and that
while they were living there, during
the summer time, his wife disposed Of
the household property and eloped
with Lindstrom to Kansas City, so
that when the husband returned to the
! house from work one evening he found
it deserted After spending her mon
ely Rhoades says his wife returned to
him and, protesting sorrow and future
!, allegiance, he took her back and they
lived together at 1419 West Grand ave-
nue. until November 1, when, he al
leges, that she again eloped with Lind
strom. That is the last charge and
statement of the petition; and on
these grounds Rhoades asks for a d.
vorce, stating that he is resident of
Des Moines and has been for the past
six months.
Mrs. Rhoades has filed her answer
and adds a startling feature to the
case. First, she denies each and ev.
every allegation of her husDana, =
ton and then states that they are liv--
ing and co-habiting together al oolS
Evnas street, in st. Louis, end .''--
her husband is in business at 1907
Easton avenue; she also denies
that he is even a resident of Des
Moines, !, but says that they are living
together in ST. Louis, and therefore
she could not have eloped from Des
Moines with Lindstrom, and denies
all the other charges.
Mrs. Rhoades' answer, together with
the letter from her attorney, Mr.. Nor
ris, have been filed with the Rhoades
papers and will be presented to the
court in a short time.
Other Charlton News.
The Lucas County Joint Stock asso
citation met in annual session Saturday
In the assembly room at the court
house. The following officers were
elected for the ensuing year: Presi
dent, II. S. Mallory; vice president,
J. F. Spiker, secretary, G. R. Kirk;
treasurer, G. w. Larimer. The ques-
ton Of the disposition Of the grounds
was brought up but no action taken,
as only. few of the stockholders were
present. Their charter also expires in
another year. The meeting adjourned
to meet an Saturday, January IL, when
they will take some action on the
above questions. The fairs have moi
prospered very well for the past few
years. However, it is no fault of the
managers, but the weather man al
ways had a rain due on their dates
which caused the management to eth
er have but a couple of days or else
postpone it entirely.
MIRA. and Mrs. David Murphy left