Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1908-06-27
DIVORCE GRANTED
SPANISH MEMBER
DIVORCE COLONY
Has Sensational Fight for
Freedom and Will Now Con-
test for Her Children.

Sioux Falls, S. D., June IS. - Judge
Marquis, presiding Judge OF the Thira
judicial circuit, has just granted oil.
vorce in a case involving residents OF
Porto Rico and Spain which has all tne
elements which go to make UP mover
of sensational variety.
The plaintiff in the action was lnez
F. Arevalon-Aquilan. a native OF Porto
Rico, but for the past two years res
ident Of Sioux Falls. while the defen-
dant was Angel Arevalon-A n-Aquilan. q
member of the Spanish nobility, civil
engineer by profession and resluent
of both Spain and Porto Rico. The d.
the grounds OF extreme cruelty.
The Spanish defendant made no ap-
pearance at the hearing before Judge
Marquis. The injured wife herself TOOK
the witness stand and testified In her
own behalf, and the story she told
would form the plot for romantic
novel, with the husband as the heavy
villain. She testified that her father
was a rich sugar planter In Porto Rico
and the owner Of an estate OF great
value.
Upon his death he left to his daugh-
ter Inez an estate that gave her an
income OF slL000 per year. She met
Angel and the acquaintance soon rip
ened into love and resulted In the mar
riage of the couple. In accordance with
the laws Of Spain her income from the
estate left by her father Immediately
vested in the husband. The husband
built a castle In Spain and another In
Porto Rico.
She testified that II was not long after
their marriage that the cruel treatment
of her on the part of her husband COM
menced. According to her story her life
with her husband from April 26, 1896,
down TO two years ago, when she left
him and came to Sioux Falls, was one
grand Spanish fandango with all ita
trimmings.
About n year and a half ago. or six
or seven months after she came to
Sioux Falls and established residence,
she commenced an action eor divorce.
Shortly after the papers In the divorce
proceedings had been served upon her
husband, who then was I'm Spain, he
cabIed his wife in Sioux Falls that the
eldest OF their three children was dan
gerously ILL.,
Greatly alarmed Mrs. -Aqui-
Ian without delay withdrew her divorce
proceedings in South Dakota and hur-
riedly departed for Spain. Upon her
arrival there according to her story as
she told il upon the witness stand in
her second divorce proceedings, she dis
covered that her boy had been only
slightly i'll. the purpose Of her husband
IN SSUOlnB neT lHe
being to induce her to go back to Spain
so he could kidnap the infant child
which she had brought to America and
South Dakota with her.
He succeeded in his plan to hdnap
the child. and after fruitless efforts ia
recover II the heart-broken wife left
Spain and again came to South Dakota,
once more taking up her residence In
Sioux Falls. In due time she CON-
Ynpnpad divorce
this has just terminated in the court OF
Judge Marquis
Judge Marquis. owing to the non-ap-
pearance of the defendant and the
nature of the story told by the plain,
tiff did not consume much time in con-
sidering the evidence and granted her
divorce. Ee also awarded her the
custody o. the three children of the
couple.
From the circuit court Of the Third
circuit Of South Dakota the matrimo-
nial troubles of the Spanish nobleman
and his former wife now will be trans
ferred to the courts of Spain. or rather
Of Porto Rico, where the mother win
endeavor to have her estate returned to
her. and where she also will strive to
enforce the return to her of her three
children.
Mrs. Arevalon-Aquilan enjoys the
distinction of being the most pictur-
esque member OF the Sioux Falls dl-
vorce colony since the colony was es-
tablished many years ago.
She. during her residence here, fire.
quently was seen upon the residence
streets II being her custom to make
frequent long walks for exercise. On
these walks she invariably was accom-
panied by an elderly maid, whom she
compelled to walk several feet behind
her, meanwhile keeping up steady
chatter In Spanish, her excitable man
ner and gestures attracting general at
tention.