Los Angeles herald., 1906-11-28
SAYS MARRIAGES
NOT HEAVEN MADE
JUDGE SMITH MAKES AN EN-
PHATIC DENIAL
Long Experience on Bench Teaches
jurist That Lives Of Many
Couples Are Far from
Paradise

~ am rot of the persuasion that be
licves all marriages are maze III
heaven. have had long experience
in such affairs in my career OH tle
superior bench of Los Angeles county,
and from many cases | nave seer
have reason to believe that the nVes
endured by some of these young people
who marry in haste TO repent at le's
ure Is hell
such was the statement of Judge E.
N. Smith of department one OF the
superior court Tuesday afternoon III
handing down decision in favor OF
Tho defendants cross complaint I'm the
divorce proceedings of Mrs. Aida Gle
schen against GottlOb Gieschen.
The case had been on trial before
Judge Smith Tor the past two days and
late Yesterday afternoon. before the
defendant had even taken the stand
to testify in his behalf the judge re-
fused to hear any further evidence and
granted the man a divorce on the
ground of dcsertion.
Probably Il score of witnesses were
heard in the case and even with their
entire testimony summed up there was
nothing of u nature to have caused
suCh an acute marital rupture. except
the constant little things which so
often cause incompatible young per-
SONS to separate.
The young people married i'm san
Francisco March g 1904, and three days
later arrived in Los Angeles and went
to live with the groom's family OH
Boyle avenue. The husband, who was
% years of age at the time of his
marriage, is a good-looking young fell
low with an excellent position in Los
Angeles, and his first effort was to
provide Il beautiful little home for his
wife.
But trouble came quickly. The
brides parents wrote to her every day.
According to the evidence in court, the
young woman frequently received sew
eral letters a day from her people
in the north, and those letters gener-
ally caused sorrow The husbands
mother testified that her daughter-in-
law was generally in tears after re-
ceiving her morning letter, and fire.
quently spent the greater part of the
day writing answers.
Not Made in Heaven
The mother-in-law also testified that
Mrs. Gieschen had told her that she
had married young Gieschen despite
her mothers protests and objections.
Just before the birth of the baby
and just after the arrival of the little
stranger trouble occurred in large
quantities between husband and wife,
the little bride complaining that her
husband did not care for her and was
cruel i'm his lack of consideration.
After the baby's birth the wife, ac-
cording to the conclusion of the court
from the evidence produced became
afflicted with hallucinations, and many
of her allegations set forth in her
complaint for divorce from her hus-
band on the ground of cruelty were
said to be hallucinations of that period.
After the court had listened to the
greater portion of the evidence Judge
Smith stopped the proceedings before
sAe, young, man who alleged .desertion
had time to complete his case.
1T is evident" said Judge Smith.
that these young people cannot live
together and would never be happy
together again. L am not of that per-
suasion that imagines all marriages are
made in heaven. My long experience
on the bench has shown me that many
marriages where the parties are not
properly mated are hells on earth.
81 believe that the divorce is a safety
valve, the outlet for mismated couples.
If some of those good people who
decry and condemn divorces could see
some of the married men 1 have had
before me, both in the criminal and
divorce courts they would change their
minds about the divorce question
81 believe that this man failed to
appreciate his wife's condition at that
time and he probably was careless.
But this poor girl has failed to make
out case of cruelty. The young man
asks divorce on desertion, and as they
canpot ever live happily together and
he has made out his case shall grant
him his decree
The wife was given all the silver
ware, glassware and valuable presents
she. received for wedding gifts, together
with fair slice of community prop
erty.