Los Angeles herald., 1905-12-14
ALIMONY MORE
THAN HALF WAGES
MUST PAY DIVORCED WIFES125
OUT OF $500 INCOME
Pasadena Liquor salesmsn's Fondness
for His Own Goods Causes
Wife to Seek Separate
Maintenance

Charging her husband with being the
possessor of n most abnormal thirst for
liquors of all kinds, and more particu-
lh1y certain brands of whisky. Mrs.
Lucy Stewart ~. Robinson, prominent
in Pasadena society, yesterday brought
action for divorce against Joseph w.
Robinson, before Judge Trask, in de-
pnrtment four of the superior court.
The couple have for some time lived
at EOS South Grand avenue, but since
Robinson left home, several months
ago, his whereabouts have been un-
known TO his wife.
The couple have three children. two
girls and a hoy, aged 13, il and 10
years. and the custody of these little
ones. together with an interlocutory de-
cree of divorce, $125 month altmony
for four months and permanent alt
mony OF $100 thereafter, was awarded
the woman by Judge Trask Robinson
Is salesman for a liquor house, and Is
said to earn 5000 a mouth.
1--WE were married at my home VII
age In Illinois, March ., 1890" said
Mrs Robinson, yesterday, but we
had trouble from the very Start. Be
fore married him | didn't know that
he drank In fact, the very sight of
anyone under the influence of liquor
would cause me TO have Mysteries.
~ soon found out, however, that my
husband liked liquor. He told me SO,
and informed me that that was one of
his habits. and that he would indulge
freely i'm it on certain occasions dur
ing our married life.
"He begged me to drink with him
and smoke with him. and said 1t was
one of the disappointments Of his life
that I could not bring myself to use
whisky and tobacco, so that l might
indulge with him.
at first. he kept the liquor in the
hrtler's pantry, but the servants got
hold of It, and after that he has al
ways kept it in the bedroom, and al
though I have often told him that the
smell of his breath nearly killed me,
he insisted on adding torture by drink
ing in my presence. During my entire
married life. he has started the day
by drinking the contents of an ordin-
ary tumbler, two-thirds filed with
whisky.
"On the second summer after our
marriage. We started east on his vaca
ton. We We're going to visit my old
home, and [ naturally wanted him to
appear at his best but he thought
otherwise. and cursed me terribly. and
said it was his vacation, and that he
was going to enjoy big booze, which
he proceeded to do. He became intoxi-
Gated. and remained so until we
reached my home, and then he imme
diately disappeared towards the woods
with a stock of liquor, and when he re-
turned he was beastly drunk and in a
helpless condition. I told him. in the
presence of my family that I had
never seen him in such condition be-
fore, and he answered that he was
often in that condition, only he always
took a Turkish bath afterwards, so
that T couldn't tell it on him.
well. he was very irritable. and
whenever he became cross, which he
did on the slightest provocation, he
would curse terribly, and make threat
enlng gestures. and I found the only
way | could control him at all was to
show that I had no fear of him He
has often told me that my nerve in
facing him in his anger was all that
saved me from a good beating.
Treated Children Roughly
"On one occasion, our little baby
happened to use her fork improperly at
table, whereupon my husband became
enraged, shook the baby, and put her
in the closet. The poor little thing
was frightened nearly to death, and it
was all could do to persuade my hus-
band to let me take the child out of the
dark place. That night the baby was
very i'll, and he objected to having a
doctor. The baby died within week
OF diphtheria, but he never spoke to
me all that time, and refused to speak
to me on the day of the funeral.
"On other occasions he has told me
he would spank me, and for me to get
up and get out of the house with my
brats.
"On the night he left for good. we
were at my sisters home. and he had
some trouble with one of the babies,
because the poor little one did not
want to sleep in the bed with him. He
became enraEed, and cursed me when
7 tried to quiet him. He threw his
things on the floor and started to pile
them in n trunk, and when I begged
him to consider until morning:
"'Aw. chase yourself son; run and
sell your papers, and go to h he
said. Later. he came to me and said
he wished I would hit him over the
head with a broom, and that if his
body was found in the lake. 1t would
bo my faIl1t Then 1,a loft