Evening capital news. (Boise, Idaho) 1901-1927, 1914-05-17

xxAA De AAaAA SSSAoSAst sAAS law
TT is not often that real life supplies the
peculiar sort of plot required in the
= hairraising plays which have made the
Theatre Grand Guignol, Of Paris, famous
the world over. Yet divorce case just
tried In Stockholm, Sweden, presented
evidence that shows faithless wife and
her male accomplish to have figured In
scenes that could hardly be improved
upon at the Grand Guignol. where the es-
sential stage props" are collins and
shrouds, bottles of vitriol and knives drip
ping with stage blood.
It is unfortunately true that wives are
occasionally faithless in actual life, as
well as upon the stage. And the same
applies to husbands. Divorce court rec
ords reveal many ingenious ruses where
by wives and husbands have secured evil
dence of the faithlessness of their we'd
ded partners; but this appears to be the
first instance of husband accomplishing
such a feat by having himself pronounced
dead and placed In a coffin ready for
burial.
That is the feat that was successfully
performed by Karl Petersen, well-to-do
citizen of the Swedish capital. Upon evil
dence thus obtained the court granted
him divorce from the handsome woman
to whom he had been married barely
year.
Owing to her beauty and many charm
ing accomplishments, Mrs. Petersen's for.
mer suitors and admirers were not alto
gether discouraged by the fact of her
marriage to one of the wealthiest mer-
chants of Stockholm. Several of them be-
came frequent guests at the Petersen
home. One in particulars certain DASH
ing young society man named Sven Egs-
trom-shortly became a recognized fam
lily friend Of the type that, in this country
md Eft1rl fe 1Ad
Several months ago Petersen became
suspicious that Egstrom was exceeding
his duties as bundle-carrier and general
utility man about the house. In fact, he
more than half believed that the bond
between his charming bride and Egstrom
was of nature that was rejecting upon
his own honor. Petersen vainly en-
deavored to prove or disprove his sus-
PIGEONS, and then resolved upon spinning
the strangest web in which an erring
wife ever was entangled.
He feigned illness and made that an
few days rest away from the business
and social whirl OF the metropolis. He
was accompanied only by two or three
old and confidential servants.
The day after his arrival IN the coun-
try, Petersen took to his bed and quietly
summoned his confidential physician, to
whom he stated his suspicious and out
lined the details of his plan. The ply
sician's sympathies were with the hus-
band.
For beginning" said Petersen. at
want you to telegraph to my wife, saying
that am dying"
II will do that, willingly" said the
physician. And / will manage to make
you appear as dead as you are supposed
to be, when the time comes. But can't
see my way clear to signing any death
certificate"
How long can you defer your official
report of my death?" inquired Petersen
,.'Will forty-eight hours be long enough p
Ample" said Petersen. II have rea
son to believe that within twenty-foui
hours after you have pronounced me
dead my wffe's paroxysms of grief will
have subsidized sufficiently to allow her te
give me all the evidence I need"
The physician sent the telegram in the
afternoon. and few hours later received
Mrs. Petersen's answer that she would
take the first train and reach her bus
bands bedside on the next afternoon.
Petersenis fitness" had an alarming
change for the worse at midnight. A
dawn the physician announced to the sor
rowing servants that their master hat
passed away. The butler alone was in tn,
conspiracy, for reasons that will becom,
obvious. But he was naturally melanchol,
and, therefore, needed to add merely
touch more of solemnity to his features.
Telersen Delhg OF spare Dulld and en-
tirely without color in face or hands,
was simple matter for the physician I,
add the corpse-like chill and rigidity tina
would deceive any ordinary beholder. H
also undertook the setting OF scene Il
the library that would give the suspecte.
wife every opportunity to betray herself.
A handsome burial casket had been time,
to arrive before noon. This was places
on trestles In the library within q var
OF two Of desk, on which was tele
phone.
The physician took upon himself tn
duties Of undertaken. Aided by the III
deceived butler, he prepared Petersen
corpse-like body for burial and placed |
in the casket. The collins cover was 1
two parts. The lower two-thirds wa
screwed down. the upper part being lei
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