The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1909-03-25
And the Supreme Court Thinks
the Evidence More Than
Justifies the Charge.
CRYSTAL SPRINGS MAN
IS GIVEN A Divorce
Wife Frequently Slapped His Jaws,
Telling Customers That They Would
Get Cheated There.

JACKSON, March ga transcript
of the supreme court decision in the
celebrated case of Mrs. Alice M. Byrd
VS.. w. B. Byrd, rendered on Monday,
in which Byrd is given absolute di-
vorce from his wife whom he charac-
terized as "a regular she devil" has
been forwarded to the chancery court
clerk of Copiah county.
This case is one of the most inter-
esting that has been before the SUI
preme court for review in many years,
involving many unusual and sensation
al features.
According to Byrd's declaration,
which is fully sustained by supreme
court, Mrs. Byrd was a veritable Mem
esis, and in affirming the finding of
the lower court Chief Justice Whitfield
pointedly remarked, 1.-The less said
about this case the better"
Cruel and inhuman treatment was
the chief grievance set forth by the
husband in the case, but this phase
only mildly set forth the manner in
which he was treated.
Prior to the granting of the divorce
in the lower court Byrd was a pros
porous furniture merchant at Crystal
Springs, and his wife actually forced
him to retire from business. 1t was
her daily habit to walk up and down
the street front of his store and
tell prospective customers, don't pa
tronize that man, for you are sure to
get cheated"
According to the declaration, Mrs
Byrd frequently slapped her husbands
jaws, assaulted him with various
weapons, and made such threats and
conducted herself in such a manner
that it became dangerous for him to
live with her.
The first proceeding filed by the
husband to secure a divorce resulted
/ in mistrial. the case having been
placed before a jury, and the hearing
lasted more than week, during which
the troubles Of the family were thor
oughly aired. Afterwards Byrd had
/ his wife sent to the insane hospital in
Jackson, but Supt. Mitchell declined
/ to keep her, saying that she had no
mental ailment save a fiery and IN
comfortable temper. At the next trial
divorce was granted, and Mrs. Byrd
| appealed to the supreme court. In
the meantime, Byrd had disposed of
his furniture business at CRYSTAL
Springs and moved to a town in Ar
kansas. 1t is stated that his wife fol-
lowed him to that place, and, by re-
peating her former tactics compelled
him to move again. He is now living
in Memphis, and, according to reports
received here, Mrs. Byrd is also in
that city awaiting an opportunity to
make life as miserable for him as she
possibly can.
The record showstthat Byrd and his
wife were married in 1898, and thev
lived together very happily for about
one year, when Mrs. Byrd commenced
to play her star role as a trouble
maker At that time Byrd was a we'll
TODD merchant, being worth fully $685.
000 but the conduct of his wife and
court costs, 1t is alleged, have greatly
reduced his means. Mrs. Byrd was
not allowed alimony in the decree of
the court.
The main point made in the SUI
oreme court appeal in behalf of Mrs.
Byrd was to the effect that she was
simply Jealous of her husband and
grass widow" he had employed in his
tnra fAHfl