The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1907-10-31
SUING FOR HER
FOURTH DIVORCE
MRS. BANKS is THlRTY-TWo AND
HAS HAD MUCH MATRiMo-
NAL EXPERIENCE.
Judge Willcockson, However, Is Not
Convinced That Her Last Case
Is Well Founded and Re-
fuses Her Petition.


Mrs. Hattie Banks has distinguished
herself in the role of woman who adj
mits she is thirty-two years of age, with
four husbands on the string and suing
for her fourth divorce. She entered
on the stage Of matrimony at the age
of fifteen and has since played the
varied part of a bachelor maid and low
ing wife in Mahaska county with un-
equaled success.
Experience has seemingly added
strength to her power of binding the
ties of Cupid, for each chapter of her
life's story has been conspicuous be-
cause of its greater duration than any
previous one. Her first husband stay
ed but six months when the news of
his adulterous life reached the acute
ears of his young but wise wife, and,
with no more pFovocation, she sought
justice in the shelter of the divorce
courts at the age of sixteen years.
The sorrow of divorced woman could
not counterbalance her taking ways"
at that early stage in life, and she was
lonesome but a short time before
new and better companion took her to
the altar. Husband No. was more
successful, for during ten long months
they lived together as husband and
wife. Long acquaintanceship had not
however destroyed her sense of pro-
priety, and his alleged "cruel and in
human treatment soon overcame her
patience and she turned the court
wheels on him and,-waited for an
other chance. The third time was q
charm and her welded lire in this in
stance continued unbroken for nearly
two years and nalf, when she again
perceived that her husband was untrue
to her and for third time secured a
divorce, this time on the grounds of
adultery.
Claud Banks was the next sutton
and, according to his wife's story when
on the witness stand during the hear
| ing of her case in the district court
Friday evening, he was luckiest of all.
Not only has he succeeded in keeping
the knot unbroken for nearly three
years, but during that time he has
never been required to sustain the ex-
pense of housekeeping. He has man
aged to maintain satisfactory relation
ships with his mother-in-law and her
husband, Isaac Raines, and has let
them furnish his support. Their
homes have always been in the same
house, but Banks has never paid his
board bills. He hasn't been at home
very much of the time, only long
enough to keep peace in the family.
W. s. Kenworthy was the plaintiffs
counsel in the action which was
brought a short time ago to secure the
fourth divorce, and the case was given
/ hearing before Judge Willcockson at
night session of the court. The
grounds alleged in the petition were
cruel and inhuman treatment and adul-
terry. From the evidence it was re-
vealed that deserIion was her princi-
pal complaint, but this had not been
alleged in the petition, as the re-
quired two years have not yet
elapsed.
After brief trial the plaintiffs pc
tition was dismissed on its merits and
the divorce refused, the court eX-
pressing his opinion that it might be
a good idea for Mrs. Banks to endure
the present strain until the necessary
two years have elapsed, so as to enter
the plea of desertion. ,G5 aa ~.