The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1908-01-10
MRS. ABBOTT RETURNS.
GIVES A DIFFERENT ACCOUNT
OF AFFAIR At ST. PAUL.
Did Not Seek Money From Her Hus :
band, Tells What Provoked the
Assault Unon Her.
From Mondays Daily.

From Mondays Daily.
Mrs. Laura Buck Abbott, accom-
panied by her son, Parker, arrived
from st. Paul Saturday evening and
is stopping with Mrs. II. ID. Diamond.
Her daughter arrived Saturday morn
ing. Mrs. Abbott's face gives eyi-
dence of the serious time that she
had in w. l.. Abbott's printing office
in st. Paul Thursday, mention of
which was made by The Free Press
Saturday. Both her eyes are BACKED
her nose broken and she is suffering
from injuries to her chest.
| Mrs. Abbott's account of the mat
tiers that led up to the assault differ
from that given by Abbott. She states
that she went to st. Paul two weeks
ago with her children to see an at
torney on private business, but as
he had gone away for the holidays
she could not see him. She was
taken down with severe attack of
grip at the Boardman for ten days,
and the children were with their
father more or less, at his home and
printing office. She was not able to
leave her bed until New Years day,
and the next day received a telephone
message from her husband saying that
he would take the children to lunch at
a restaurant and requesting that she
! ha IN L,
to her on some business matters.
Mrs. Abbott says that at the res
taurant Abbott spoke of being hard up
financially, as his business was at a
standstill, and asked what she was
going to do with sum of money
that she was to receive this week.
He was afraid that he would lose
everything unless he had help. Mrs.
Abbott declined to assist him, say
ing that he had succeeded in wealth
ering financial storms before and could
probably do it again.
Then Mrs. Abbott accompanied her
former husband to his office to get
some wrapping paper, it was arranged
|
until Mrs. Abbott was ready to leave
for the west. At the office, Mr.
Abbott said that he did not like to
have the children so far away as
California, and Mrs. Abbott said that
she had thought of locating at
Greeley, Col, which would make it
much easier for him to see the chill
dren. Mrs. Abbott says that Abbott
then declared that she could not take
the children out of the state, and de-
handed to see the divorce papers. Mrs.
Abbott assured him that the papers
gave her the care and custody of the
children without restriction. She said
that it was her purpose to build
cottage in California for the present,
and when her brother, Alfred, joins
her in couple of years, to build
n larger house.
Mrs. Abbott says that Abbott then
asked her what she had done with
the money that her father had left the
children, and declared that she had
destroyed her fathers will on the adj
vice of her attorney. Mrs. Abbott
protested that she had not done so,
and the will was still in existence.
At this Abbott exclaimed "You lie,"
and she replied: "You have certainly
lived in st. Paul long enough to be
a gentleman to lady in your of
fee" At this Abbott uttered an oath,
and struck her suddenly as she was
sitting i'm chair. This was the
blow, she states, that broke her nose.
She staggered to her feet and he
struck her i'm the chest, knocking her
against the corner of type case,
so that it struck her in the back. Two
gold watches in her pocket book were
/ broken by the pocketbook striking
the case so forcibly. Abbott struck
her several times, she says, and fin
ally as she CROPPED her way toward the
door struck her upon the back of
the head, telling her to the floor. She
was picked up and carried into the
Daily News office, bleeding profusely
and was treated and taken back
to the hotel, and as soon as she
was able she returned to Mankato.
She denies having slapped Abbott
or making any move to do so.
Mrs. Abbott does not expect to
prosecute her divorced husband, but
said today that 'retribution would be
no less severe because it was post
poned for short time" She ex
poets to leave Saturday for California,
but will return in the spring or sum-
mer.
In regard to her fathers will, she
says that he made one leaving the
bulk of the property to her and lit
! tie to the children when they became
of age, but that he lost this will
and subsequently decided everything to
her and gave her bill of sale. So,
when the will was found after his
death. there was nothing to probate.