Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1907-12-05
PLAINTIFF ALLEGES
FRAUD BY DEFENDANT
CLAIMS ESTATE OF FORMER HUs-
BAND INCREASED FROM $4,000
TO $eo,ooo DURING THEIR MARI
tai LIFE AND ASKS SHARE.
From Wednesdays Daily.

MrS. Sarah Fletcher, who was d.
Yorced from her husband, Harrison
II. Fletcher, a prominent South Side
lumber dealer on October 2, nas filed
in the district court a petition for an
nullment Of the divorce and she
asks for a divorce and $4,000 alimony.
The petition alleges fraud and that
the attorney who acted for the plain
tiff in the former suit also counseled
Mrs Fletcher to make settlement OF
the case which she did. supposing 1t
to- be merely for separate lnainten.
ance; that the first she knew of the
divorce was when an account of it
was published in local paper.
Concealed Property Value.
1t Is also claimed by petition that
Mr.. Fletcher concealed the amount Of
his property and estate purposely tn
defraud the plaintiff out of her just
share of the estate which it Is claim
ed is valued at 100000 and which at
the time of their marriage in 1884 was,
sssssSsed at only $4,000. Mrs. Fletcher
now claims that through ner efforts
and Mr.. Fletcher's, business sagacity
and acumen. together, they { had In.
creased the holdings of the defendant
to twelve times that amount, and as
she did not realize or know ner rights
In the matter, at the time Fletcher's
attorney approached her for an amic-
able settlement, she consented to the
agreement and a divorce was granted
to Fletcher by Judge Anderson only q
few hours after the petition had been
filed.
Proceedings Irregular.
The plaintiffs petition now states
that according to law the case filed
at that time could not have been tried
before the October term Of court and
was controlled by the same rules as
any other suit at law.
The matter had been pre-arranged
out. Of court. the petition was filed. the
answers as well, the decres drawn up,
and little was left to the court but
the signing of the decree.
The decree, besides setting forth
that Fletcher should provide for the
support of his wife and children until
the latter had reached their majority,
gave Mrs. Fletcher the custody of
two minor children, Marguerite, aged
II and Harry aged s.
The provisions of the bill were.
S125 in cash, $50 every January for
seven years. 500 month additional
for seven years for the support Of the
children and $40 month for three
years after the expiration of the first
seven years. All household furniture,
except the piano which went to Mar
guerite the taxes and insurance paid
on her home on Queen avenue which
she got and the winters coal this
year.
Not Just Share.
The petitioner now claims that this
amounts to only about $4,000 and is
not just share of the Fletcher
estate. being insufficient to support
Mrs Fletcher and her children
In the action for divorce Fletcher
set forth the claim Of cruelty and in
human treatment. In September 2,1S94
wnen they were married he had seven
children by former marriage, and
she had four. making specific his
charge of cruelty he said that 'by rea
son of a jealous mind and violent and
ungovernable temper and quarrelsome
disposition. she has during the last
ten years SO hectored, annoyed anc
prosecuted the plaintiff as to destroy
mis- rest and his peace of mind, rend
ering the marriage state with her un
bearable and seriously affecting hi;
health. and thus endangering his life
Cast Upon the World.
Near its conclusion the plaintiff
states in petition, that by such pro
ceedings defendant, after plaintiff ma!
i reared his family for him for man,
years and after he has become maj
of wealth. and after the plaintiff ha!
become elderly in years and of de
elining strength, without means O
property of her own.< and withou
training in occupation by which sh,
may earn her livelihood, the defendan
has thus cast her upon the worlt
without means of subsistence ant
ih inadequate provision for he
uppt rt. without just cause and b,
,laudent msans. The reason 70
this the plaintiff does not understand
and hopes there may be no ulterfo
motive back of il all; nor does sh'
know or understand upon what.
any evidence, this sitlation wa
brought abolt. and calls upon tn