Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1908-11-13
NELMES DIVORCE
TO Be GRANTED
PROPERTY RIGHTS MUST BE
ADJUSTED FIRST
PLAINTIFF TELLS A PATHETIC
TALE OF MISERY
Says She Was Beaten and Forced to
Drink and Visit Questionable
Places, All of Which De-
PENDANT Denies

Nelmes and his wife, Mrs. Lizzie w.
Nelmes. members of two of Pasadena
most prominent families, were prac-
tically ended in the superior court yes
terday, when Judge Houser indicated
that a decree of divorce would be
granted to Mrs. Nelmes as soon as an
adjustment of the property rlghtS u
the two principals could be reached
Pending this adjustment the case was
continued two weeks.
Nelues and his wife have Known
each other since childhood, ana twenty
five wears ago attended the nttIe pun
lie school of Pasadena together. WheIl
thew married, seven years ago, happS
future was predicted for the COUPE .',,
surrounded as they were Win eNety
advantage resulting from Social e'''iiN
ing and wealth. .,o,,o Mrs
Nef1nes said, her husband began drink
inc and frequently remained aWay
from home all night. Then ne oes 81
+roating her cruelty, and in May, Iol-
1ou,ing quarrel in their nome OF,
T'ocbeyen street, when he Is charseu
with striking her, she filed her uiNoi''
suit. -4a,,,, ,,Iaintive-
l., Nalmes denied her statements
Uitb a scornful laugh. Mrs. NeIineS
baeed her action on the GROUNDS OF 5
cruelty and habitual intemperaIce aila
niecad the date of her husbands Hrsl
offense in September, 1906: 80
"IIe came home about 2 O'CLOCK one
morning in that month, salu W ~
Nelmes. "I asked him Wnere ne re n 20,
benr He told me it was none OIL my
p,,.inass and struck me on the arms
, Dusih lnrnps. He was intoxicated al
4I,o ftY,1a
bout month later he came nome
oho,,+ an o'clock In the morning, ac-
cornnanied by four male companions
They took. the automobile ana Went ~
Arcadia. He came back about cloc \
7 sat I'D all night waiting TOT nun ~, 80
rode on the step of the machlne lllIo y
tbe Garage. He said he had been az
a dance He told me there were no o
women there, and when I said II nlust
hove heen a peculiar dance ne pecaIle
lia W. We str,Iclk me and knocked me
down. I was black and blue from MS
blows. a., o,,.4,ors
zone night in November, he came came
home late. and when / placed py iiai nO,7
IN his shoulders and asked MIN 70 Yen
M, u1i the truth about his movements ne
tIrTis t NV wrists. I went to doctor
newt dav to have them treated. :,
I'm March, 1907, we were in the IL
h,or1, and 7 told him I was tired OF
his drunkenness. He attacked me al iSi
sorajned one of my fingers. 1t Is still
swollen. -. +ha+ 7
drank liquor. I did drink 10 pleasss
him, and because he SAID ne ne "r 1,ieTt
me to be a good fellow one hisns
in Anril he asked me to drink glass
nf vine at the Annandale club. | told
a friend that if I drank he would up
braid me for It, When we reacneu
home he blamed me for drinking tne
wine. When went to the telepIloIie "
fell NV friend that my predictlon nau
come true, he tore the instruIne NJ lr1 itil
INV hand and struck me on the llp Win
Mrs Nelnes said her husband came
home about o'clock one night IN july
fold her he had two women in ms auto
mobile and was going out to have
good time. ''He said he wouldn't ems
low himself if he did not get KISS
from me-" he said. IT told MN 10 20
somewhere else for his kisses. Then ne
threw me upon the floor and kissed
mo reneatedIy. He locked all the doors
and disconnected the telephone"
Turns Out Lights
on another occasion, she SAID,
Nelmes turned out all the electrlc
lights in the house, saying ne mas
irving to save money Then ne turned
ont the gas and told her If she wanted
light she could buy candles.
ON a trim to Los Angeles, MRS. Nel-
mas said. her husband rode with her
TO MANY questionable places, saying
she had to be a "good fellow. Flnally
she told him she was going nome anu
tried to hire an automobile 10 carry
her to Pasadena. Nelmes, she sald,
warned the driver of hired machine
NOT to take her and she appealed TO a
policeman, who settled the difficulty IN
some manner and they Went TO the
Van Nuys hotel. While in their room
at the hotel, she said, Nelmes threat
ened to kill her. ,
During another trip to Los Angeles,
Nelmes, according to his wife. told her
he had telephoned for the patrol
wagon to take her to the police sta
ton. Before the wagon came, she
said. she boarded street car and went
home alone.
Nelmes, while on the stand, ridiculed
MANY of his wife's statements. she
was very nervous, he said, ana up
braided him frequently without cause
'T never struck my wire, ne aecsaa RED
"She has attacked me many times ana
7 have defended myself. I realized she
was inclined to be historical and knew
she had a bad temper Her finger was
hurt when she pushed me away from
her when I was trying to get a kiss.
T ala not strike her with the telephone
receiver. She was trying to get the
Instrument and when I released It the
mouthpiece flew back and struck her"
Might as Well Be Dead
NJelres said he was not in the habit
Of getting drunk and that his absence
from home until late hours was on
account of business. He denied having
threatened to kill his wife in their
bedroom at the Van Nuys. II did tell
her that we might as well be dead as
living in a constant turmoil of Wrang-
ling" he added.
"She says | tried to push her down
stairs. That is not true was try
inc to get a kiss and in a scuftie we
hofh fell to the floor. Then she went
down stairs to make a note of the in
cident. to be used in this case, sup
nose. I took the paper from her ana
She chased me about the house. we
were not quarreling then and | was
singing. while She Was Chasing a
Bow Around the Room Then a police
man came in and my wife tainted.
How about those black and blue
nArks?" inquired Mrs. Nelmes' coun-
sci.
plied Nelmes, with a laugh 'She was
always black and blue. If / kissed her
she would get black and blue, and mug
cling had the same effect"
Nelmes said he was without money
and that his wife had tied up all his
property by attachment on overdue
notes which he had given her for
loans. He said he had lost great