Los Angeles herald., 1906-02-10
DESERTED WIFE
GRANTED DIVORCE
HUSBAND BREAKS PROMISE
TO REFORM
Spouse Refuses to Believe Mans Un-
faIthfulness Until Confronted by
Evidence, and Reluctantly
Asks Separation

on grounds of desertion Ellen Cooley,
wife of Arthur Cooley, a locomotive en-
gineer In the employ of the Southern
Pacific company. was granted an in
terlocutory decree of divorce yesterday
afternoon by Judge d. K. Trask of the
superior court.
The story of the incidents which led
to the filing of the petitions for the
divorce Is that of a wild and reckless
engineer who had fallen victim to the
smiles of another woman who was not
worthy of the name, according to the
testimony of witnesses placed on the
stand.
With fond wife and loving daughter
at his home doing all in their power to
keep the love and affection of father
and husband which had once been so
marked, the husband deserted it all.
The couple were married in Sacra-
mento, Cal, on October %, 1899. The
husband was then employed as a fire.
man on locomotive. Shortly after his
marriage he was promoted to the rank
of an engineer and was assigned to
duty on the Southern Pacific railroad.
Receives Anonymous Letter
On November II. 1904. the unsuspect-
ing wife received letter from one
who chose to sign it "Your friend and
well-wisher." That letter in part was:
II write you to warn you for your
own sake and for the sake Of your
child. l know of the infidelity of your
husband and believe that you should
be warned of the life that he is lead
ing. / can tell you where he spends
most of his time and that his once so
devoted love to a good wife and daugh-
ter is dead and that another woman
has crowded you from his heart
The letter was blow to Mrs. Cooley.
She dared not believe it, She decided
to go direct to the man who was ac-
cused of the crime.
Arthur, is this true?" pleaded Mrs.
Cooley with her husband one night as
he returned from work.
Eyes, Ellen, it is So" replied Cooley.
81 have become infatuated with a
woman who is not worthy of the name.
But it all shall end Mere. 1 shall never
go to see her again"
There the conversation ended and
was never mentioned again until the
wife had we'll warranted reasons to do
so.
A friend in confidence informed Mrs
Cooley that her husband had violated
his promise to her to never again see
the woman who threatened to wreck
the home of the Cooleys.
Finds Warning True
MIS- COOleN dllHOSt QOuDleu the WOTuS
of her friend, but before she accepted
or ignored the information she decided
to investigate for herself.
Having learned the address of the
rooming house where she believed her
husband to be, Mrs. Cooley, accom-
panied by Mrs. Wade, who was one of
the chief witnesses, stationed herself
near the place. They had not stood
there long until Mr., Cooley, accom-
panied by the woman, left the place.
After Cooley and the woman had
preceded Mrs. Cooley and Mrs. Wade
short distance the engineers wife
approached her unfaithful husband and
said:
Arthur, is this the way in which you
have kept your promise?"
This is the way in which have kept
it and intend to keep it. I love this
woman better than 1 ever did you and
better than 1 ever could love you," he
is said to have replied.
With that Cooley and the woman at
tempted to run away from Mrs. Cooley
and Mrs. Wade. They were followed
as far as the court house and there
lost.
In the decree which was granted yes
terday provision is made for $50 per
month alimony for the support of the
child. Cooley, it is said, has monthly
income of 5000.