The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-10-12
NO DIVORCE, NO AMMONY
LAWYER CLARK SAYS HE'LL ROT
IN JAN BEFORE HE'LL PAY.

~. DOC Auto and sundry Young women
Figure Vaguely I'm CHse-Daughter
sides With FaCher: says Mother Ruined
Hls Practice Objects 20 sweetser.
Refusing to give a bond OF 81 800 to pay
his wife S25 a week for her support. a.
demanded by Magistrate Sweetser in the
Tombs police court, Lawyer Frederick X.
Clark, who has an Office at 24s Broadway
and lives at l2I West Ninety-sixth street.
was committed to the Tombs prison yea
terday.
And before I give her n penny I'll
stay there and rot" he shouted defiantly.
We'll. youTl have plenty Of chance, said
the Magistrate.
Clark was arrested in front Of his home
last Sunday by Tombs court detective
Dent on the complaint OF his wife. He
was just about to go out for q ride in his
automobile with his daughter. her husband
and several young women as his guests.
Clark is IS years old His wife, Isabella,
s. Clark, is two years his junior. They
have a daughter, Mrs. Florence v. Clark
Budd, who is "a years old. The Clarks
were married twenty-five years ago.
When the case was called Clark, who was
very much excited, told Magistrate Sweetser
that he wanted an adjournment until next
Wednesday, so he could go to Maine to get
proof that his first wife, from whom he had
until recently supposed himself legally
divorced, was still living there. and had
under the recent ruling Of the United States
Supreme Court never been divorced at all.
II that we're true, then the plaintiff in the
present abandonment proceedings would
not be his legal wife He demanded also
that some other Magistrate than Sweetser
preside at the examination. az he considered
Magistrate Sweetser had last Monday at the
preliminary hearing been -overbearing.
showing strong prejudice and to nave dis
regarded his rights"
Magistrate Sweetser denied his requests
and ordered the examination to go on.
Mrs. Clark then told her story. she said
they had lived in peace and he had provided
everything they needed until last June.
when he came under the influence Of a
young girl. She said he then began a sys-
tematic attempt to compel her to apply
for a divorce. She declined to do so. Then,
she said. he made his allegation that as his
first wIfe's divorce was illegal, she, the wit
ness. was not his wife at all and their daugh-
ter was illegitlmate.
At this point. Mrs. Clark, who is a little
woman of attractive personality, but ex-
tremely nervous, almost broke down.
IL begged him not To tell Florence" she
said. "and demanded hat he marry Inc
again. He agreed to do this II | promised
to get a divorce afterward. refused to
make any such promise or any bargain until
first he remarry me. He finally consented.
and the Rev. DR.. Wylie was called n he
married us again. Then he renewed his
demand that i apply for a divorce and !
refused. He then took away all the furni-
ture and mortga ged everything. lie told
me he would not give me a cent.
Mrs. Clark said her husband hasa practice
worth not less than 5000 a year, owns a
farm of 100 acres in Ulster county and
has recently received several thousand
dollars from his mothers estate and has
a 81. 900 automobile.
CLARK submitted a vohminous type
written statement Of several thousand
words to show his side Of the case. and
asked Mrs. Clark several questions. He
commended that she was inordinately jealous
and nervous to the point OF hySterla and
constantly interfering with him and his
clients. so thai she had practically destroyed
his practice. and that a divorce was the
only possible way out Of their trouble. he
said he had agreed, If she consented to a
divorce, to give her permanent alinony
of $40 a month and a life interest in his
Ulster county farm. and to deposit 81 900
in cash to guarantee the alimony pay
ments. He said she had agreed to do this
if he would remarry her to legitlmlze their
twenty-five years Of living together and
to clear any stain from their daughters
name. But once remarked, he said, his
wife had gone back on this agreement.
"Not that | have any lady friend, or much
less would | trust a woman to marry again,
his statement reads, "but simply wish
immunity from the constant annoyance
| and interference with my means Of liveli-
hood tan automobile being a valuable
mean ms of getting %clientsl she having visited
the parents Of my lady friends and sent
her emiRSaries to run me down and cause
them 20 lose confidence in me. either as a
lawyer or friend. until my life from that
| cause and others became intolerable.'
Clark's daughter, Mrs. Budd, submitted
a long affidavit. in which abe took sides
with her father, coTroborating all he said.
Her mother had twice in her presence
the daughter swore, agreed to a divorce
and then broken her promise.
In her affidavit Mrs. Budd said her father
had always generously provided for her
no to her marriage and for her mother
keeping a nice apartment and giving them
a country home and all the advantages
they could desire, such as theatres and