The San Francisco call., 1904-03-01
CLARKE'S WIFE
OPPOSES SUIT
"Sweet Pea Girl" Is Will
ing to Be Free, but She
Wants Decree of Divorce
FILES CROSS-COMPLAINT
Ayers There Is No Truth in
the Charge of Capitalist
That She Entrapped Him

Mrs Rosalind A. Clarke, the Sweet
Pea girl" of Durrant trial fame, whose
recent sensational marriage to Edward
H. Clarke, the capitalist, caused a mild
sensation. does not intend to have her
marriage vows lightly treated. Yester-
day she filed an answer and crosse COM
plant to Clarke's suit for the anuul-
ment Of the marriage. She denies spe-
officially all Clarke's charges concern
ing her alleged scheme to entrap him
into marriage, and says that during
all the days preceding the marriage,
when, according to Clarke, he was be-
Ing piled with liquor to make him like
clay in her hands, he was in his sober
senses and well knew everything that
he did.
In her cross-complaint Mrs. Clarke
alleges that Clarke deserted her two
days after she became his wife and
that since that time has done nothing
toward her support. She asks for
divorce on the ground of desertion, $3.50
a month alimony, $500 counsel fees and
$500 for costs. She says her husbands
income from his. 100000 estare is $500
a month and that. he can well afford
to pay the amounts asked for.
SAYS HE WAS SOBER.
In her answer Mrs. Clarke AYERS that
there is not particle of truth in any
of her husbands allegations. She says
she never planned to entrap him into
marriage or In pursuance of the plan
kept him drunk until he made her his
wife. She says he was sober and sane
at the time he married her and fully
capable of understanding the impor- ]
tance of the step he was taking when
he accompanied her TO Oakland and
married her. She says further that but
for the interference of his relatives the
marriage would have been happy one
and he would not have abandoned her.
Sadie: Prewett. who is the defendant
in suit for annulment of marriage
brought by j. Ray. Prewett, wants her
husband to- pay for his matrimonial ex-
perience. In an affidavit filed yesterday
she says that she: wants an allowance
of S75 month out of his salary of S14O
and sufficient counsel fees to enable her
to defend the suit She AYERS also that
Notwithstanding Prewett's allegation
that he was under. the age of majority
when he rnade her his wife, he was 21
years of age and over. -
- WANTS. ALINIONY.
Allen c.. Eddy has been cited to ap-
pear before Judge Hebbard on. March
4 TO show cause why he should. not be.
compelled to support his wife, Zilpha,
pending the. trial of his suit for di-
yorce. She says he gets $l25 a month,
and asks the court to award her $40 of
this amount. =: "
Judge Seaweu has refused to grant
Sophie: McFaIl: divorce from Joseph
McFali, and also denied the latter's
prayer for decree on his cross-coni-
plaint. -
DEGREES of divorce were: granted yes
terday to Florent Hoffer' from Claire
'Hoffer fer desertion, Grace M. Gerard
from George l. Gerard for cruelty, ].
M, Perkins from G. F.. Perkins for de-
sertioh and Barbara Till from w. H.
Till for. cruelty.
The marriage of Grace Williams, the
white girl that eloped to San Jose and
married Chan All On was annulled by
Judge Murasl1y. She was under age at
the time the ceremony was performed
and did not secure the consent of her
mother
Suits for divorce were filed by Carrie
j. Hayes against John B. Hayes,
Mason street saloon keeper. for intem-
perance and cruelty; Lillian May
Mitchell against Marshall Mitchell for
desertion, Samuel Glasson Jr. against
Hattie Glasson for cruelty. James B.
Payne against Estella Payne for deser-
ton, j. Murdoch against NJ. e. Muir
doch for desertion Henrietta Rodgers
against Henry Rodgers for desertion,
Lizzie Barney against C. w. Barney for
neglect and Millie NJ Johnson against
BENJAMIN S. Johnson for neglect.