Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1909-04-02
ADDISON COUNTY COURT.

1 A couple of days were spent last week
in considering court cases. First of these
was Lucia G. Walston vs.. George Walls
ton, petition for separate maintenance.
This couple were married in Shelburne in
1902 and lived on the husbands $4,000
farm in Monkton until November, 1907,
when Mrs. Waiston picked up her traps
and left, claiming that she could no long
| er endure Walston's cruelties After
hearing part of the case it was continued
| to the June term on account of the alb
j,sence OF witnesses for the petitionee, and
the latter was ordered to pay his wife
500 by way of temporary alimony on or
before April l, which was done. C. S.
Palmer of Burlington appeared for Mrs.
Walston and F. l.. Fish and F. w. Tuttle
of Vergennes represented the husband.
Another case, growing directly out of
the former, was heard on Friday. This
was George Walston VS.. Harry Allen, a
replevin case. 1t appeared that when
Mrs. Walston deserted her home she took
along horse which she claimed was her
own and had been purchased for her by
her husband to take the place of one she
owned at the time of her marriage This
horse she disposed of to Defendant Allen
after her return to Shelburne and the
husband replevined the animal. He in.
sisted in court that the horse was his
private property and not the property of
his wife. The same counsel appeared in
this case as IN the proceeding one. 1t
was completed at noon Friday and the
court took it under advisement.
Friday afternoon Clarence G.. Austin
of St. Albans filed motion to set aside
the adverse verdict in the Huldah n.
Olin will case on the grounds that the
verdict was contradictory to the evil
dence, and for various reasons. The mo-
tion was argued at length for Mrs. Nc
kinstry, the beneficiary of the broken
will, by MIR. Austin and for the contest
ants by MIR. Fish. No decision was rem
dered and at the conclusion of the argu-
ment recess was taken at $3.50 o'clock
to O'Clock Wednesday morning.
At 10 o'clock Wednesday Judgment
was handed down in the Walston VS..
Allen horse case, in honor of the defend
ant and thus established the ownership
of Mrs. Allen in the horse at the time
when she sold it to Allen.
A contested or double divorce case was
soon got started and it babe fair to prove
a long-winded and saYagely fought one.
Helen B. Ketcham of Vergennes is th-
petitioner in the original case and Harvey
Ketcham of the same city is the petition.
er in the cross-bill. Mrs. Ketcham sets
up as her ground of action intolerable
severity and neglect and refusal to sup
port, and Mr.. Ketcham alleges willful de.
sertion and also intolerable severity
This couple were married in Vergennes
in 1884, and each had been previously
married. They lived together after a
fashion in that place until last August
when Mrs. Ketcham left home, bringing
her petition for divorce and alimony in
November. They have son 23 years of
age. The husband has been for more
than 40 years a manufactures of and
dealer in furniture and is considered
comfortably well of. Mrs. Ketcham had
some property at the time of the mar
riage and it has since been increasing.
These people are known TO almost every
body in Nergennes and vicinity and d
great deal of interest is taken in the
cases, which are being tried concurrently
There are half dozen witnesses for each
side and the contest is a bitter one. Mr..
Ketcham was the first witness called il
g his wife's behalf and his testimony took
! up an entire day. 1t is probable that tht
testimony will all be got in so that fina
adjournment can be reached this week
but there is no certainty of that.
j. +. Cushman of Burlington appearl
8 for the wife and the interest; of MIR
. ketcham are in the hands of Messrs
Fish and Tuttle of Vergennes.