The Marlboro democrat. [volume] (Bennettsville, S.C.) 1882-1908, 1905-06-23
Revelations in the Trials That
Guido Fiction.
CHICAGO in THE LEAD.
Mabel Cooley, Aged Twelve, Witnesses
for Mother Against Father, Who
Droye Wife to Bank at Point
of Revolver. Judge Hears
Case of Giddy Things.

never produced anything to equal the
revelation of the Chicago Divorce
Courts, and moralists and churchmen
would find it hard to deny the justice
and benefit of divorce in some Of the
cases. Here is lot that came up in
just one day:
Mabel Cooley, the twelve. year-old
daughter OF Mrs. CLAUDIA M. Cooley, OF
South Chicago, whose husband, A. j.
Cooley, was arrested for threatning to
shoot her, told a story which resulted
in the granting Of a divorce to her
mother.
The little girl took tue stand after
her mother had testified to long years
of cruelty. kept in the background
and lived down for the chiidren's
sake" until fear of her life ovarcame
her. Mabel plainly was frightened
by the unusual scene and the Sharp
questions Of the lawyers. She said in
her lsping little voice:
II remember when mamma was
choaked by papa a long time ago
He wanted her to go to town and she
did not want to. He hit her and she
was sick long time"
do you remember what took place
on the night Of February 81 laSt?"
CHILD TELLS OF ATTACK.
"Oh, yes," answered the child,
Papa had gone to lodge and we sat
up waiting for him. l went to sleep,
and when l woke up papa was strik-
ing mamma. lie hit her twice in the
face and her face bled.n
THAT will co." said Judge Frost
sharply.
The woman testified that she mar
ried Cooley, q farmer, in 1892. There
were four children, the oldest being
Mabel. The first incident Of cruelty
she told OF was In 1899, when he
against the wall, flew back and cut
her face.
Again in 1900 she testified, her
husband drove her out into the snow
with revolver because she refused to
go to town with him. Or the last in.
cident, on February 81, wife and
daughter told the same story.
Neighbors testified, saying that
they had demonstrated often with the
man over his treatment CT his wife,
and his only excuse was:
How could help it?"
Is he man Of violent temper"
asked Judge Frcst.
Well" said the witness, neigh
boring farmer, he Is the kind Of a
man who would put out the eyes OF
his cattle II they did anything he did
not like"
This clinched the case. Mrs. Coole Y
at present is teaching school and re,
siding with her mother The couple
separated two months ago.
''a1DDY THING" VERSUS cad"
Mrs. Stella Brennan, In applying for
divorce from James j. Brennan,
claimed that her husband had thrown
mystic powder at her on the street
to induce her to return TO him after
their separation. Judge Kavannsugh
decided she was a "frivlous person.
and her husband cad" AS for the
"mystic POWDER" this was ascribed
to her early reading Of Anderson's
fairy tales.
The iiiasS0fi ed couple were married
last June. Brennan was 4 widower,
with four children. His girl wife ties
titled that these children were the
first cause Of the trouble.
Il did not like them" she said
James threw kerosene all over me one
night, and on another occasion hit me
with wet towel" This was the oc
casion OF her leaving him. She ran
away to Kalamazoo, Mich, and was
taken back by her husband. She left
again few weeks later.
Il met James at State and Madison
streets one night" she said, 'aud ha
induced me to 20 home by throwing
mystic powder at me. l could not
see it., but l knew he did ii. / felt
strange and my will power was para
lyzed."
"She can have divorce without
alimony," said the Judge. The girl
is giddy thing and the husband is a
cad. She should have had more sense
than to marry man with four chill
dren. 1t takes long. headed girl to
do that"
HUSBAND HIS OWN LAWYER.
The unique feature OF a husband
pleading his own case was witnessed
in Judge Frost's Court room.
The suit was that OF Mrs Mary
against August Schemmer. The wo-
man took the stand with a three
months old baby In her arms, q baby
that laughed and crowed to the dis
traction OF lawyers and Judge, bliss.
fully ignorant OF the fact that 1t was
losing its father.
Mrs. Schemmer's main grounds for
divorce appeared to be that her hus-
band, a motorman, had threatened
once to bit her with a picture, and on
another occasion had pushed her over
trunk
L was afraid OF him, she reiterat
ed constantly. When he was sober
he was perfectly elegant husband,
but when he was drunk he was
brute"
Just as her case appeared to be won,
the perfectly elegant husband" ap-
peared in the Court In person See
ing how things were going, he stopped
forward.
| would like to ask this woman
few questions, he SAID. The womans
lawyer demurred to this, and udge
Frost hesitatcd
"ELEGANT" ALSO 'IMpERTINENT."
This is not question of law, but
OF facts" said the husband. When
given permission to ask questions he
said:
Who was in the house the day
came home for NV thinpSp,