The San Francisco call., 1909-01-10
BROKER ACCUSED
OF DIRE CRUELTY
Vile of Charles E. Paxton Com
plains of CIubman's Threats
and Abusive Language
Society Woman Says Husbands
Conduct Put Her in Deadly
Fear and Wrecked Health

tne fun story Of the domestic ,S,5a,a
piness Of Susan d. Paxton. -rifa =.
Charles z. Paxton, the wealthy stocl
broker Of this city. was barred in The
superior court yesterday. when Attor-
pey Samuel n Shortridge fled her
expected divorce suit. The comnlaint
is long and exhaustive. Fxcessi,,a
mental cruelty is charged. While
. threats against the plaintirs life are
- alleged, the burden OF the text has "a
do with the gross language which II -
stated The defendant used to his wife
Aost Of the terms recited are OF the
sort excluded from the United states
mails
II appears from the complaint that
mere was little peaceful honevmoon
( prelude 10 the enduring trouble in the
s@Nloh FAMILY. The COMPLAINT springs
. suddenly from the statement that the
marriage was performed in Alameda
on March u, 1905. into the recital Of
Airs. PaNton's tribulations. The mana
some wife Of the prominent banker and
'lopman was abused from the FIRST, she
says for the complaint READS:
THREATS FOLLOW MARRIAGE
soon after marriage without Just or
any provocatiOn or cause on her part.
the defendant (PaSton) ia violation OF
Las obligations. commenced to treat
and hitherto has treated the plaintiff in
CisreSpectful manner whereby she
LAS been publicly scandalized and
greatly humiliated and wounded in
mind and for many ana long periods of
tme made physically sick"
an unusual feature of tho ,o,,, r,la inf
f2n view Of the reputed wealth OF Pax
ion- is tnat the clauses OF the document
Z asking for relief are merely suggestive
ln vivid contrast To the explicit nature
~ the allegations Of cruelty. The com
/. plant says
That the defendant is the owner and
2 possessed Of certain separate proper
lies. The character and value of which
The plaintiff does not know"
The same vague description is given
~ the community property.
PLAINTIFF WITHOUT MEANS
The plaintiff states that she is with
olt means or property even 10 pay her
counsel fees, and asks FOR q reason
Sble sum 10 defrsy the costs Of the
action. including counsel fees. a -rea-
sonable sum" monthly during the pen
. -dency Of the action for the support and
maintenance OF the plaintiff and further
.P-%t ---eA- SUN elA-+ " eAA-NC Dr l4dAE PEI
msnent
The inexplicit nature OF that part OF
e the complaint mas led 70 the assumption
1hat the financial relations of the
couple win be settled out Of court
prior 10 the divorce being granted
Paxton has engaged Attorney Charles
danlOn to represent him. He viii
not contest the suit
There are p separate allega tions Of
cruelty in the complaint and each con-
Jains a new or repeated epithet of a
vile nature. which. il is alleged, Paxton
used TO his wife.
OBSCENE NAMES Used
The FIRST paragraph says that he
called her 'profane and obscene names
and unjustly accused her Of wrong do
: Ing, threatening her with physical vio-
leDce, subjecting her TO many indigni-
ties and inflicted grievious mental suf-
fering and bodily injury"
The second paragraph alleges. in ad-
dition to the recital OF degrading and
opprObriOUs epithets." that Paxton
slandered his wffe's relatives and ac-
qUafntances and so on.
There is a shifting stage for tho
troubles Of the house Of Paxton. This
cruelties alleged by the wife are said
. 10 have been committed. fn sequence, al
p the Palace hotel between the date oi
q
1917 Dayton street, Alameda. from
April j to October 6. 1906; at 101.
Union street. Alameda, TO January %
1907: at the country home, Healdsburg
during the spring and summer OF 1907
At Mrs. PaXton's mothers home in Ala
media, from November. 1907, TO July. 1908
and al the St. Francis from August, 1908
10 the time OF the separation of the
couple on November 4 last
REFoRM PROMISE BROKEN
Ii develops from the complaint thai
on June 30. 1908, Paxton went TO Mrs
DUrneal, Mrs. Paxton's mother. and
promised that il his wife would re.
turn 10 him he would ever afterwarc
treat her kindly and that he would
.buy a house for her. According TO th'
complaint he kept neither promise. II
TACT, the complaint relates, IN less thar
Two months he accused her at the St
Francis hotel Of having visited a resori
with another man and threatened u
kill her. Paxton had a loaded revolver
put TO great and deadly fear and ter
ror by said threat and was thereby
made extremely nervous and sick
The climax came when Paxton
stopped his wife's credit at the stores
That was in October Of last year
shortly afterward, on November 4, she
took separate apartments at the st
Francis and says that Paxton was $50
abusive that further living in the same
apartment was destructive to her peace
OF mind and calculated seriously to i'm
pair her health"