Los Angeles herald., 1910-07-24
MANS DUPL|C|TY
RELATED IN COURT
Deserted Wife and Children in the
Old Country to Marry
Over Here
CONFESSES TO SPOUSE NO. 2
Revelations Made in DeIirium Give
CIeW to Past of Swedish
Brjcklayer
CoNFEsSES TO SPOUSE NO. 2

KANSAS CITY, Mo-, July ga
story of human interest was told in the
| first division of the Wyandotte county
district court, when Alexander Ryd-
bonn, Swedish bricklayer of sos Scott
avenue, Kansas City, Kas., testified to
| his own duplicity in order that his wife,
Clara Rydbom, might get her marriage
annulled. Rydbom, according to his
story, left wife and two children in
little village near Stockholm, Sweden,
twenty-four years ago, and came to
America to make his fortune. He had
been here only a few months when he
became infatuated with his second
wife, who hailed from Sweden. He
forgot his wife and two babes in the
who yesterday divorced him. She
knew nothing of his former marriage
until, as she testified yesterday, the
fact was revealed to her, she said, in a
dream.
Mrs. Rydbom still speaks with 8
Swedish accent, and it was difficult
to understand her story as she told it
yesterday amid sobs. She and her hus-
band lived in Chicago after their mar
riage. For five years they lived hap
PLY together, until a little girl was
born, who early showed signs of i'm
becility. The mother worried with that
sorrow until one night she dreamed of
seeing a blue-eyed boy with curly hair
and little girl with long golden
tresses. She testified yesterday that
the Lord appeared to her at the time
of the dream and told her that the chill
dren belonged to her husband. She
awoke frightened and aroused her hus-
band to tell him of 1t. He denied any
knowledge of it, but she was not salts
fed. The dream worried her for three
years, but each time she mentioned it
her husband flew into a rage and de-
MED any knowledge of it.
The couple moved to Kansas City,
where, the husband was stricken with
fever. In his wandering spells he
mentioned the name of a little town
in Sweden and some of his old ac-
quaintances. Mrs. Rydbom was quick
to catch the clew, and she addressed
letters to the church dignitaries and
officials of the town, asking about
Rydbom and whether he had fam
lily when he left. After weeks of wait
ing the letter came which contained
the full story of her husbands dupli-
city and a picture of the little girl
with long tresses and the boy with
curls and blue eyes, which had ap-
peared in her dream. The letter gave
the address of Rydbom's wife.
When her husband came home for
supper that night Mrs. Rydbom
watched his every move She had
placed the picture Under his dinner
plate She said yesterday that when
he raised his plate that night he gave
one exclamation and then almost faint
ed She then told him of what she
had learned, and he confessed. The
wife in Stockholm was communicated
with, but she said she had no desire
to see or again live with her husband.
She asked, however, that the boy
whose name was Martin, and the little
girl, Edith, be taken by their father
and foster mother to raise. This the
unfortunate second Mrs. Rydbom
agreed to do, and the children were
sent for. The couple raised them and
they have drifted far away.
Following the story Judge e. l..
Fischer granted an annulment of the
marriage The pair left together and
porter called at their little cottage in
Armourdale last night. Both of them
objected to telling their story, and
neither seemed to know what the
other would do, now that their bonds
had been severed.
II feel so sorry for Alex" Mrs. Ryd-
bonn said last night. "He is not strong,
and l cannot turn him away, even
though he is not married to me. Since
learned years ago that he had played
me false. we have occupied different
rooms. But I love him, and ! don't
know what to do with him. / am GO
ing to live here. and l suppose he will
have to go. His first wife. though, has
dogged me. and I got the divorce to
ease my conscience