The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-02-25
Jury Fixes the Price of Mrs.
SOndegards Affections.
Hold That DR.. Martin Must Pay
That Sum.
SENSATIONAL SUIT.
Defendant Is a Well Known
Physician.
Woman in Case Employed by
Him as Nurse.

For the alienation of his wife's affec-
tions, and causing her to break her
marriage vows, by DR.. F. H. Martin
the jury in the Shawnee county district
court. after being out nine. hours, today
at noon returned a verdict for 81 600 to
J. p Sondegard.
The original amount sued for was
$4,000 Almost two days was consumed
in the trial of the case.
The jury began its deliberations on
Friday at 1 o'clock The first ballot was
to determine whether or not there was
a cause Of action. Six stood in the af-
firmative, and six for the defendant.
Three more ballots, between which con-
siderable time elapsed in talking about
the matter, resulted in a unanimous
opinion that there was a cause OF action
and that the plaintiff should recover.
Then came the question of placing
the money value upon Mrs. Sondegard's
affections. 1t took 20 ballots to decide
this, until it was agreed that $1,000
would be commensurate. The sums
ranged all the way from $1,000 down to
mere nominal figure to comply with
the law.
One of the jurors was asked after
wards about it. and said: 1T was not
so much as to how much Mr.. Sondegard
was to receive. Some of the jurors did
not feel that he was entitled to very
much. But it was the fact that he had
not done right by his family that had
good deal to do in making the amount
of the verdict"
A list of 10 questions was given to
the jury by Judge Dana before It went
into session on Friday afternoon. The
main findings in these were that it was
shown that DIR. Martin had acted Inn
properly, and had helped to ALLEVIATE his
Wife'S affections. The word "helped's'
no FL POLL
cause its explanation would not have
had anything to do with this case.
None of the attorneys for the defense
were present, and consequently their
future action in the case was not made
public
The suit was a sensational one. It
began the. latter part Of 1904 Mrs
Sondegard was the wife of J. p. Sonde-
gard of Manhattan, the plaintiff in the
case. She said that she was not happy
in her married life and gave up a SIS
position at Manhatten to come to Christ
hospital and learn the profession OF
nursing for $40 a month.
While at the hospital DR.. Martin
made her acquaintance, which ended in
warm friendship Talk about the two
commenced and DR.. Martin gave her
employment as a nurse about the city.
The scandalous gossip continued and he
finally employed her as a clerk and as
sistant in his Office, saying that such a
course was manly. and the right thing
to do until the talk about their rela-
tions subsided.
Mrs. Sondegard sued her husband for
divorce last fall Judge Hazen turned
the verdict around and gave it to Mr..
SOndegard when the latter contested
the action.
A few days afterwards Mr.. Sondegard
sued DR.. Martin for $1,000 damages for
alternating his wifes affections and
causing her to break her marriage
vows. This is the case which has been
on trial the past two days, and from
which the jury gathered that DR.. Mar
tin had acted improperly in his relations
to Mrs SOndegard and had aided in
causing her no to love her husband
any longer.
In the taking Of testimony, statements
were made that Mrs. Martin, wife OF
DR.. Martin had pleaded with him on
her deathbed to no longer maintain ac-
quaintance with Mrs. Sondegard. Mrs.
Sykes, the defendants daughter, went
on the stand against him. She swore
to the authenticity of the copy of a let
ter which was exhibited, alleged to
have been written by DR.. Martin to
Mrs Sondegard, which was full Of en-
dearing terms and love phrases. All Of
this DIR. Martin denied on the stand
The trial attracted a great amount OF
attention all over the city. for the par
ties were prominent. Mrs. Sondegard
was not allowed to go on the stand.
because her divorce from her husband
still lacked four months of being abso-
lutte.