The Topeka state journal., 1911-07-08
Anna Peterson, Aged Sixteen,
Granted a Divorce.
Mother Given Lecture for Per
mitting Marriage.
HE WOULD NOT WORK.
Husband Also Pretended He
Wanted to Die.
Mrs. Pearl Haag Wasn't Loved
So Is Freed.

Barely 16 years old, Anna Peterson
tried the seamy side Of matrimony Tor
Just two months. She didn't like it
and today Judge Dana sent the girl
bride home to live with her mother.
From the bench Judge Dana severely
criticised the actions of the mother in
hasty endorsement OF infantile court
ship.
on the witness stand today, tho
girls mother said she was sorry she
had consented to Anna's marriage
but Arthur paid so much atten-
fion to the child" the mother declar-
ed land he always brought her q
box of candy and put up such
smooth talk that I thought he could
take care of a wife without any trou-
BILE. But, law sakes, I was bad
Ruesseri Why, he said he was build
ing a nice bungalow out in the west
end and that he had a piano and had
passed the civil service examination
and was promised a job in the post
office After he married Anna, l
found out there wasn't word OF
truth in his story He laid abed un
til 10 and Il o'clock every morning
and wouldn't work a bit"
Then the wee bit of a child told of
her troubles as Peterson's wife. She
said she and her lover had frequent
misunderstanding before the mar
riage. The day following the wedding
they had q sure enough fight. Then
Peterson was moody. He Whined
and fretted. the wife said and once
she locked him in the pantry to keep
him quiet while she got supper. The
next dav Peterson'a ambitions turned
to suicide. He brought home some
strychnine and offered to kill himself
in full view of his wife. Another time
ne threatened to drink q concoction
from match heads dissolved in water.
but he always changed his mind.
I'VE were sitting on the bed one
night reading The Life of Jesse
James" said the child-wife when
Arthur reached under the bed and
got a big hatchet and asked me if
didn't want to die I told him didn't
would kill himself. He said he just
knew he would if I ever left him.
Then sort of got afraid and told him
I wouldn't leave
Judge Dana said the girl might take
her decree. Anna PeterSOn'S is the
first of a series of juvenile divorce
proceedings brought in Shawnee
county in the last few months. 1t was
evident the court did not approve OF
girl marriages
II want to caution this mother"
said the court in a stern voice. that
it is not we'll to repeat this. This girl
isn't much more mature than child
OF II or u years; and I consider it
but little short of a crime to marry
her off to a mere boy. You did the
foolish thing in this matter by giving
your consent to this marriage and now
want you to take the girl home and
bring her up right
Charging that her husband is guilty
OF bigamy, Zeda May Humbert today
asked for a divorce from Wiley f.
Humbert, to whom she was married
Dec. 26, last year. The plaintiff says
her life was made unbearable by
Humbert's mistreatment and that she
wants the court to change her name
back to Zeda May Schlegel and divide
Hum bert'a personal property valued
at several hundred dollars.
Humbert has lived in Topeka for
some time. At present he is employed
in the ice cream factory of Baugh-
man Brothers.