Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1909-08-04
ASKS$(5,OOOAL|kONY
BRIDE OF IS YEARS SUING HER
AGED HUSBAND FOR
DIVORCE.
MAN MARRIED BIG FAMILY,
HIS TROUBLES NUMEROUS
Mrs. w. n. Butler, Of Nicola, Charge.
Aged Epouse With Abusing Herself
and Seven chiIdren-Defendant
Wealthy Farmer Of Pottawattamis
county-Aetion is Sensational.
Special to Times-Republican.

permanent alimony in the sum of $751;
900, Mrs. Rhoda Butler filed her petit
ton in the most sensational divorce
action filed in district court here in
years. The defendant, w. H. Butler. of
Nicola, Pottawattanlie county, Iowa, is
a pioneer Of the state and is a wealthy
land owner and stock raiser Mr.. and
Mrs. Butler have been married less
than ten months, altho this is not their
first matrimonial experience. Butler
was married once previous and Mrs
Butler confesses to having been mar
ried twice before. Another striking
feature Of the story concerning their
dual interests, is the disparity in the
ages Of Mr.. and Mrs. Butler. Mr.. Butt
Ter is Is years old while his wife, who
wants to be separated from him and to
separate him from a big bunch of his
coin. is but IS years old.
Mrs. Butler Gets Quick Action.
Mrs. Butler succeeded in getting
quick action in her divorce preceding.
Upon the petition of the PLAINTIFF Judge
o. d. Wheeler ordered a. writ of attach
ment upon Buffers property to the
amount Of $4,000, and also issued an
injunction restraining the defendant
from disposing of any of his property
during the tendency of the action. from
soaring or annoying the plaintiff ana
from going upon her homestead. Mrs
Butler asks temporary aNmony OF
$4,000 and fee Of $4,000 for her at
torneys as a starter.
The plaintiff charges, among other
things, that on July 81, when she was
i'll and weak, Butler struck her upon
the shoulder and lower limbs with a
club or large stick and told her that if
she did not leave the house within ten
minutes he would cut her throat. At
that time, she claims, Butler drove her
from the house with her five children,
and that they went to live in a little
homestead which was left her by a for
mer husband. She claims that her hus-
band was Intoxicated on this occasion,
but that he was not SO far over the
seas that he did not know what he was
doing. Previously, she alleges, he fire.
quently called her bad names in the
presence of her children and had
threatened to strike her and to kill her.
An Ante-NuptiaI Agreement.
Before their marriage the couple en-
tered into an ante -nuptial agreement,
Mrs. Butler claims, on the ground
that Butler said such an arrangement
would be necessary in order that she
might inherit part Of the estate.
Ut appears from the plaintiffs petit
ton, that one of the great obstacles to
their happiness were the seven chill
dren of the plaintiff, and it is charged
that soon after their marriage he COM
planned that their support was too
much Of a burden and that he had
not agreed to keep them. Once, Mrs.
Butler says, one Of the children was
sick and her husband refused to let
her have oil for the lamp, which she
had to light at night to give medicine
to the child. She also claims he re-
fused to give her money to buy crack
ers for the sick child.
Sought to Anticipate Her.
Some time ago, it is stated, Butler
took his wife before an attorney who
prepared original notice of a suit for
divorce against Butler, who accepted
service. in this suit there was a claim
for $4,000 alimony, but it is asserted
there was a string attached to it in the
nature of contract governing the
matter Mrs. Butler has since had
that suit dismissed without prejudice.
The defendant is worth from $3.50, 900
to 100000, according to the claims Of
the plaintiff, who alleges. however,
that he has recently been disposing of
some of his lands. She says that when
they were married he owned 1,700 acres
Of land and that since then he has dis
posed of two large farms.
Butler for half century has been a
resident of this county. He is a ma
tive of New York but in the early days
he came here with his father who ran
a small hotel in Council Bluffs. When
a young man Butler began acquiring
all the property he could with the
means at hand, investing every dollar
he could save in this way, and being of
a saving disposition his land accumu-
lated rapidly and has since made him
wealthy.