Los Angeles herald., 1906-10-27
COURT DENIES
DIVORCE DECREE
MRS. MAUDE MILLS FAILS TO
WIN SUIT
Woman Demands Half of Mans Prop
erty in Return for a Few Months
Of Her Frozen Conn
panionship

BY a decision handed down yester-
day by Judge William James of depart
ment seven of the superior court the
petition of Mrs Maude E. Mills asking
legal separation from J. B. Mills, a well
known produce man of Los Angeles,
was denied, and Mrs. Mills. although
according to her statement in court it
will be very distasteful to her. will
continue to be Mrs. Maude Z. Mills.
The case has been one of the most
peculiar divorce cases in the history of
the local courts, and the woman, with
practically no founda ation for her al
legations of cruelty against her hus.
band, has appeared each day in depart
ment seven as though confident that
Judge James would see the case as she
saw II. 81
The evidence was replete with Incl
dents of the couples marital relations,
but the charge of cruelty remained un-
substantiated.
The couple were married in Los An
geles about a year ago and immediately
went north on a wedding tour. Since
the beginning of the divorce proceed
ings it has been intimated by witnesses
that Mrs. Mills married Mills more out
of pique because she. had had some
love quarrel with former sweeth cart
at Fort Scott, Kansas, than because of
any actual love.
Offers to Kill Himself
At any rate, during the year of mar
red life Mills, in his testimony told the
court that his wife had constantly told
him that she received more attention
than spoilt child, but that there was
void in her life caused by the differ
ence in ages which would cause her to
be unhappy for the remainder of her
existence, and therefore she wanted le-
gal separation.
Incidental to the separation she asked
for about $4,000 of Mills property,
claiming that that amount was half
his estate and that it was hers as COM
munity property.
The husband. according to evidence,
offered to commit suicide and thus rid
her OF his presence, but he did not like
the idea of allowing her half his fortune
simply on the community basis when
they had been married less than a year
and his wife could not possibly have
helped him earn that sum.
His defense of the money was so sue
cessful that Judge James yesterday de-
MED the woman's petition for decree.
According TO testimony, Mills, 40
years Of age, did everything in the
world for the wife twenty years his
junior. Incidentally Mills does not ap.
pear to be older than 80 years. and his
devotion TO his wife was marked even
during his testimony In the divorce
proceedings.
Gives Mills Frozen Request
They had lived at fashionable hotels.
and dined at fashionable cafes: she
had $500 for pin money and clothes in
the few months of their married life.
and a like sum for board bills and insi-
dental expenses He had taken her
wherever she wanted to 20. often neg
lecting his work to afford her the ell
joyment of a mountain trip and from
the evidence OF Mrs. Mills and her
friends, all Mills received in return was
a chilly request from his wife TO grant
her. her freedom and $4,000 community
property because there was a difference
in their ages which she could not get
used to.
Mills gave his wife thirty dollars for
car fare, told her that the same differ
ence III ages existed when they had
married, and then they began to live
apart.
From the evidence at the trial, Mrs.
Mills was being constantly urged on in
her i'll will toward her husband by the
suggestions OF woman friend, who did
not like Mills.