The evening world. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1887-1931, 1908-12-18
Church Chorister's Wife
Makes Startling Answer to
His Suit for Divorce.
DENIES HIS CHARGES,
Declares He Plotted to Black
mail Friend to Get Money
to Study for Ministry.


Rivsrton church and social circles as
have the domestic troubles OF Claude
Shinn and his beautiful and talented
wife. Mrs. Frances Theresa Shinn. and
the startling charges the latter has made
In her answer to her husbands divorce
suit.
Mrs. Shinn. strikingly handsome, 10
only nineteen Her husband twenty
seven years old. Ia a son of MIR. and Mrs
j, w. ShInn OF Palmyra, and In we'll
TODD coal contractor. She II a daughter
OF John V. Ripgerser. a lawyer. Of Phil
delphia, and was married to shinn when
she was only ffteon. She now lives
with her mother In this place. while
Shinn lives half mile away with his
parents, in Palmyra
Five years ago the couple met when
anltaeur talent OF tho two places gave
play Mrs. Sh!nn Is quite famous in this
section as an amateur actress. The
courtshtp was brief. and they were mar
ried on Feb. l6. 1904 Both took promi-
nent part in the affairs Of Christ Episco-
pal Church. Palmyra, where Shinn was
a chorister Four days In the week his
business took him to Reading
Told to Watch Wife.
An anonymous letter Shinn received
six months ago. he says. advised him to
have his pretty wife watched during his
absences. He employed State Detective
R. c. Bovine. of Camden. Bovine al
leges he followed the girl wife to Phila-
delphis on several occasions, and saw
her enter cafes and other places with
her escorts. Shinn brought his suit for
divorce on this report, it is said. naming
as correspondent c. Herman Wallin,
formerly his most intimate friend. who
a month ago left Palmyra and now has
merchant tailoring establishment at
No. 6l2s Spruce street. Philadelphia.
Mrs. Shinn said to-day that her hus-
band kissed her good-by when he left
home Sept. Is to go to business, and
promised to return that evening That
is the last time she saw him. She knew
nothing Of his suit for divorce, she de-
clared. until 1t was filed.
In the answer Mrs. Shinn has tust filed
in the Court of Chancery. Trenton. she
enters a general denial, and makes the
sensational counter charge that her hus-
band sought to induce her to violate her
marriage vows for the purpose of OBJ
tanning funds which would enable him
to pursue his studies for the ministry.
My husband wants 10 get rid OF me-
30 that he can enter q theological sem
mary and study to become a priest of
the Episcopal Church." Mrs Shinn said
BIacHmall Scheme.
In her answer she alleges that her
husband repeatedly urged and coaxed
her to sacrifice herself and raise $500
with which he could pay the expenses OF
a course In theology. Her answer reads
In part:
Failing IN his efforts to have me
sacrifice myself for the purpose Of rails
ing the said sum of money. my husband
besought me to make on engagement
for unworthy purposes with C. Her
man Wallin, mentioned in the petition
In his cause (who was an intimate
friend of my husband and a frequent
visitor to our homo during the presence
OF my husband there, and with whom
have not and never had any i'm
proper friendship, to the end that. APP
parently surprising US together. my
husband might be able to extort from
the said Wallin the amount OF money
he needed for the purposes mentioned
above"
Mrs. Shinn states In her answer that
she refused to enter into the alleged
cob Of HAr h,,ul
refusal led him to desert her. She al
leges that he confessed to her. a year or
so ago, his attentions to other women
since his marriage. She asks the Court
of Chancery to dismiss her husbands
petition for divorce.
The Husbands Story.
II would not discuss the case were IT
not for the accusations made by my
wife," Shinn said to-day. 81 was
obliged to start the divorce proceed
ings. When a man comes home. as
did. and finds his wife gone for two or
three nights. ! do not think he can be
blamed for what have done. ! asked
my wife what she was doing on her
trips to Philadelphia. and she replied
that she went there TO meet me
had suspicious at first and tried to
argue with my wife on what ! believed
morally to be true,
"As matter OF fact. ! did think Of
studying theology. but that was some
time ago, Then II was that | tried my
best TO persuade my wife to do differ
emily, for / knew that such thing as
divorce would prevent me from becom-
ing minister. But l have given up any
idea Of studying for the ministry. The
very idea OF thinking Of such thing
Why, how could | possibly enter the
service of the church. with the strict
views OF the Episcopal Church on the
subject OF divorce. after / had been sep
arated from my wife,
Felt Like Shooting.
Nobody knows what / had to put w
with Many time | have felt like
shooting both my wife aud this other