Norwich bulletin. [volume] (Norwich, Conn.) 1895-2011, 1911-04-19

Ihsss contssted ca Bsfozs jude Ralph Wheeler
None Decided Yet.

y
) Az the akternoon session Of the SUI
perfor court III this city Judge ralph
Whee1eH the divorce case OF Rebecca
Pendleton vs.. Joseph B. Pend1eton OF
Preston, was commenced. The plain
TN was the hfst witness and she was
on the stand nearly all the afternoon
She testif1ed chat for four years pre-
vious 70 her marriage she had taught
school, receiving $1.5O a day 1T IL
on the grounds OF cruelty that she de-
sires a bill. She claims that on July
4, 1910, at the Pendleton homestead in
lently seized her and threw her about
bruising and 1njuxing her.
During the latter part of July she
claimed while in their bedroom he
threatened her life, greatly terrifying
her.
On August 18. 1910. he forcibly and
violently seized her whirled her about,
forced her against q hot stove, burn
Ing her hand. and threw her to tho
floor.
On September he repeatedly struck
her on various parts of her body, pull
ed her on to the floor and dragged her
about and pinched her. Later in the
day he struck her in the breast with
his fist, knocking her to the floor. He
struck her at other times and told her
to go to her home and finally she
did, last September. while he had gone
~ 4CAuICkk. he KISSED neT ana aSkeQ
her to go to church with him, but she
didn't. but went to her home. She
claims he is worth $4,000 and asks
alimOny and the change Of her mage
to Rebecca Hallowell
She was given long cross examina-
ton by Attorney Hull for the defend
ant, going more into detail about the
allegations. she said that the reason
she did not 60 to church with her
husband WAS because she was not able
to ride because of the injuries receiv-
ed. Her sister Sophia had been at
the house several days. helping her
with the work. She had DR.. Witter
to attend her September 10. Her 11us-
band had knocked her down on the
Sth and the morning of her going
home he had told her to 20.
Willis Van Amberg worked at the
place and occupied a room in the ell.
He was away for two weeks during the
last of July. There was no reason why
he could not hear her husband sing
II he was at home. One night her
husband sang for an hour after they
went to bed. He sang Softly and
Tenderly Jesus Is Calling, Revive Us
Again, Where Jesus Is It's Heaven,
and Will There Be Stars in My Crown.
While singing the last one she asked
him If he wouldn't be quiet, but he
continued, and in addition sang God
Be With You Till We Meet Again. AT
that time he told her she not see
daylight. This was about August 4,
and on another night he kept singing
o Lord, Take Me Away.
On August II, while his cousins
were there. a family party went to
Block Island. She said that she did
not strike her husband in the face
that day and was not rebuked by one
of the party for so doing.
On August 20 her hand was burned
where he had swung her against the
stove as she was putting some wood
on the fire. She told his father. who
sent Joseph out into the field to NOV,
and told him to leave his wife alone.
Regarding the first few weeks of her
married life, she said she had no
trouble with her husband, but he was
come cranky. The first trouble was on
July 4. She wanted some chairs and
a table and bought them. That day he
said she would have no more money
for the house. This was June 20. Sha
always spoke to him as usual, but he
was often cranky. He claimed her
mother said that she had always been
mother told her husband that she
should be petted and that he should
hold her in his lap. Joseph had one
fault to find with her, and that was
that she would not sit in his lap while
they were out riding. Her mother told
him he had better show his affections
for her at home.
On one occasion Joseph told Mrs.
Hollowell that his wife was too good
to be used as I used her and asked her
to take her home. She asked him If
he was afraid he would do it again and
he said yes