The Saint Paul globe., 1905-01-19
BRIDE Of MINUTES
NOW SEEKS DIVORCE
Husbands Attempt at Suicide
Cited as Extreme
Cruelty

as my LORD Bacon suggests, ana ne
would not stay for an answer"
But what is cruelty? asks Attorney
Thomas j. McDermott, in papers pre-
pared yesterday for the case of Cardo
versus Cardo. And Mr. McDermott,
not in the words of England's chancel-
lor, stands pat"
Cruelty, Mr.. McDermott says, cruelty
for practical purposes, cruelty for the
professional observation of the bar,
cruelty, to-wit, that is available in di-
vorce cases-is trying>to kill yourself
because your wife has deserted you.
This is cruelty to her. This justifies
her in demanding divorce. To know
that her husband is gone may not dis
tress her. 1t may even be what she de-
sired. 1t may bring its soothing peace.
But to know that he is gone for good; I;
that she has lost not merely her baser
half, but the opportunity to change her
mind-this is bitter brutality, for
which, should he chance to survive, he
must pay the legal penalty.
And such was the offense Of Joseph
Cardo, or of Giuseppe Cardo, more pre-
cisely, a musician and gentleman; an
artist, as sensitive, his friends declare,
as his own lutte string; though, in point
Of material fact, he plays the double
bass.
EIiped With Bride
Joseph Cardo eloped from Seventh
street to the court house with Miss
Matilda Johnson. He was welded to
Miss Johnson. She realized too late
that she had married a stranger; a
man to whom she had never been in
troduced.
Sir" she exclaimed, 1--WE must meet
as strangers
She returned to her home, smiling,
perhaps. ici1y. He returned to his
hotel and to his shattered dreams. The
same night he tried to commit suicide
The next day she took steps for a di-
vorce.
So runs the gloomy chronicle. So re-
cites the complaint started upon it's
legal wanderings yesterday afternoon
by Attorney McDermott. So stands
naked to a startled world the cruelty OF
Joseph Cardo.
In brilliant contrast appears the dis
erection. of Miss Johnson-still according
| to the papers Of Attorney McDermott,
Miss Johnson, a lass of sixteen, lived
with her mother in the Eighth ward,
where. voters vote honestly and maids
are trustful.- Miss Johnson; as Mr..
McDermott's papers make clear, left
her home during Yuletide and sold at
. tractive Christmas gifts in a down
town store to customers who were
i themselves, at times, attractive
| ='-sa First Slight Oversight
/ Joseph Cardo, musician, past master
Eof abeguilement and the double, bass,was
one of these customers. Mr.. Cardo
ATTRACTED Miss Johnson. allured, even
hypnotized Miss Johnson They were
mot introduced to each other. But that
fact temporarily escaped the young
/ EWomans attention.
She agreed to walk with Mr.. Cardo,
/ the muSician-She walked with Mr..
E Cardo even as far as the court house,
where he propesed-it was his only
proposal, apparently-that he "go and
get a license
Being sixteen and no more, Miss
johnson may have construed this offer
as social license, an introduction, a
chance to request Mr., Cardo to call
at her homie and bring his large and
liquid fiddle.
She says that she hadn't the least In
tention of marrying her husband 'The
very idea!'' That's her expression; and
Mr.. McDermott, subtle man of law, be-
lieves her. This fact, says Mr. Nc
Dermott, adds to, increases, augments
and magnifies the said defendants
cruelty"
Howbeit, Mr.. Cardo went for the IL
cense, and got it. When asked, with
the delicate courtesy of Ramsey coun-
tvs deputy clerks, whether he could
state, in legal approximation, the lady's
age, Mr.. Cardo, the musician, sounded
the chord of his own feelings. He did
not know Miss Johnson's age. He had
not asked her. He had only. assured
her, with musicianly hyperbole that
angels are eternal youth" But llar-
n1onizing in his soul has own age,
twenty-five, with that of his feminine
IDEAL he declared to the diffldent clerk
that she must be about eighteen
The license had a happy effect. Mr.
Cardo pointed out to Miss Johnson
his own name and said, You see, 1 am
Joseph Cardo. I am a musician also
1t is as I have saba valid intro
duction, surely.
The nearest pastor? Well, it was
explained at the court house cigar
stand Right down the hall is Judge
that will tie you up and throw In a
red-hot sermon without extra charge"
So, in the twinkling of an eye, the
bride trembled in the palpably judi
cial presence of Court Commissioner
Henry Ga4Iick.
The ceremony followed; a sermon