The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-02-09
Mrs. Mahala Tassell Seeks Her
Fourth Divorce.
And All Are From the Same
Man at That.
GOT ALL HER MONEY.
Husband Always Came Back for
More Cash.
Once He Went for a Tour Of
Europe.

To have married and divorced
three times the same man is an ex-
perience wholly without the lives Of
ordinary American women. But this is
the record Of Mrs. Mahala Tassell of 215
Forest avenue, Oakland, who has just
filed a petition in the fourth scene of
her third marital tragedy asking for d
divorce. The last time she married
George F. TasselI was in 1900. He left
her for the last time last month.
But the wife is not alone in holding
records. Mr.. TasselI has one or mora
himself. For instance, he has left his
wife and home ten times-always, how
ever, not neglecting to take some of her
money with him.
And yet her record is not exhausted,
either. Before she ever saw TasseI
Mahala married John K. Liken and ap-
parently loved him truly but he died
during the civil war IN AndersonVille
prison. Now she turned to her first
love and asks in her petition for d.
vorce, that the name of Mrs. john +.
Iiken be returned to her.
The influence which Tassell has ever
been able to exert over the woman 10
regain her consent to remarr1age, sLe
calls "hypnotism, or something" but
She refers to I.iken as a dear good man,
so kind to me" and says she Loved"
him.
The irony Of fate though, if this good
man Liken knows, ought to make him
boil with rage for all the money Tasseli
every had was that money he left to his
wife and wheedled from her by Tas-
sells "hypnotism." Once Tassel went
to Europe for six months tour-but
that wasn't the first time he left
The first time he left. which would
make II times, is not counted in his
score because she made him go. 1t hap
peued like this. She, living on a big
farm near Geneseo, ILL.,, left her by
Ilken. hired Tassell to work for her,
fell in love with him and yielded to ms
proposal of marriage. But from the
day Of their first marriage, she says,
he seemed to act queer and carry a
guilty conscience. Further 1nVestlga-
ton on her part revealed the fact that
he had entered the marrying contest
earlier and that he had wife and
some children in another part of the
state. So she babe him begone. He got
a divorce from his other wife and re-
turning, exercised his influence ana
remarked her legally
His trip to Europe was his second
flight of his own accord. At that time
she secured a divorce but when he re-
turned from his vacation he again look
ed her up and persuaded her TO again
marry him.
of wichita, was born to them in llli-.
nois and he finally persuaded Mrs.
Tassell to sell her property and move
to a ranch near Overly, Kansas, where
The next serious breach of marital
relations took place at the ranch from
which Tassell rode off fine horse,
sold it. and went to Iowa, thence to
Kansas City. Again Mrs. Tasseu got
divorce, making her second.
But Tassell in Kansas City got con-
verted. Ever since he has been a sort
of preacher. Feeling like new and
good man Tassell still again looked up
his source of revenues and Mrs. TaSSel
once more list ened to his entreaty, sold
out the ranch, and came to Topeka
in 1900, the same year she last mar
ried him and which marriage she now
wishes cancelled.
In Topeka, Tassell has ben a famil-
lar figure preaching on the street cor
ners. arranging spiritual meetings, at
tempting seances, dabpling in real es-
tate working in the Santa Fe shops
and all the while dwindling the estate
of John Liken.
The property remaining are the lots
213 and 215 and the cottage at 215
Forest avenue in Oakland. This she.
asks the court be granted her as she
herself bought it.
The defendant, George F. Tassell,
she alleges IL her petition. is living in
Cleveland Ohio, with another woman.
70 join whom he deserted her. The
woman is said to be spiritualistic
medium whom Tassell brought to To-
pel<a to conduct some meetings for him.
She is also q clairvoyant. which may
account for the apparent detection of
an easy mark
Mrs. Tassell, who is a cripple and
walks only by the aid of a cane, lives
at her home on Forest avenue in al
most destitute circumstances and de-
pendent upon the kindness of her
neighbors. She is II years old. Tas-
sell is sc.