Los Angeles herald., 1907-05-09
MAN is DENIED;
WOMAN DIVORCED
WIFE AND CORRESPONDENT
FAST FRIENDS
Testimony Shows Husband Forced
Wife and Children to Live in
Shed While Stranger
Ruled House

Settlement of one of the bitterest family
feuds in the history of local courts and
the practical dismissal of a suit for $15,-
| 600 occurred yesterday in department
three of the superior court when the suit
| for divorce instituted by William F. Jack
! against Margaret Jack was denied and
the wife was granted an interlocutory
decree of divorce on the ground of
cruelty.
Trouble in the Jack family began more
than a year ago. From that time until
July of last year the family was in con-
Burke station, and during July Jack was
arrested on charge of refusing to sup
port his children
AT that time the most unusual allega-
tions were made against the man. The
wife testified that her husband had been
acting cruelty toward her for few days
prior to the occurrence and that one
evening he came home from work and
brought woman home with him. He
stated that he had met the woman and
that she was in such miserable condi-
tion that he took pity on her and asked
his wife to let her stay at the house for
a little while until she could find some
thing to do.
Puts Family Out of Doors
The women, according to the evidence
given, had not been in the house to-
gether an hour before trouble arose as to
who was the boss. The recent arrival,
Josephine Stoddard, was alleged to have
usurped the rights of Mrs. Jack. While
the trouble was going on Jack appeared
on the scene and put his wife and her
two little ones out of the house and they
were compelled to take refuge IN the
several days and had been compelled to
ask for the small amount of food they
lived on, humane officer discovered
their plight and notified Constable De la
Monte of the state of affairs.
Before De la Monte could reach the
place Mrs Jack went to the house and
demanded admittance and a quarrel had
ensued in which Mrs. Stoddard was al
| legged to have drawn a revolver
| The officers investigation showed that
] the woman with her two little babies had
| been sleeping on filthy piece of mating
they had was an old horse blanket and
some discarded old curtains, and that
they were all poorly clothed and hungry.
Jack was arrested on charge OF neglect
and was brought to Los Angeles and adj
mitted to bail. The woman was arrested
on a charge of fourishing a deadly
weapon, but was later released ana lne
charge dismissed.
When Jacks case was tried strong evil
dence was produced and Jack, after being
reprimanded, was released.
Wife Granted Divorce
Then Jack filed a suit for. divorce,
charging his wife with cruelty Mrs I:
Jack filed counter plea charging her
husband with cruelty and naming Mrs.
Stoddard as the other woman in the case; ease
Mrs. Stoddard in turn, when notified
that Mrs. Jack had accused her of inti-
macy with Mr.. Jack, filed suit for $4,000
slander. and all three cases were pending
when yesterday the divorce proceedings
were called before Judge Houser.
After hearing the mans complaint his
petition for divorce was dismissed Then
came the surprise of the day when Mrs.
Jack, after giving her testimony in the
case called as her star witness Mrs. Jo-
sephine Stoddard. The women preceding
the trial had made up their disagreement
and had become fast friends. The suit for
SIS 900 had been dismissed by Mrs. Stod-
dard and yesterday she went on the stand
and testified in court that Mr.. Jack had
been unfaithfuI to his wife. She alleged
that Jack had attacked her and treated
her brutally.
In view of the testimony offered Judge
Houser promptly granted the woman
decree and gave her the custody of her
two children, and together the one time
enemies left the court room together,
leaving the husband without even a
word of recognition.