The Detroit times., 1914-07-13
Hard Day on Tots la Arms of
Mothers, Deserted Or Seek
ing Freedom From
Bonds
AMANDA 0GRADY NEVER
WE'D, SEEKS DIVORCE
Husband Refuses TO Make Her
Legal Mother When Truth
Is Learned

II was Stlnlns lAatne NouEl loOHl y.
Judge Hosmer, Saturday, wnere the
divorce mill was grinding The court
room is small at best, and Saturday
it was crow ded to the doors with
wives that we're unhappy, husbands
that were disiliusloned. Witnesses that
were curious. and children that were
wondering
Backed against the wall was a
fringe OF attorneys whispering with
one another and YEARLY Indifferent
TO the sordid tales OF mismated lives
that droned on In the close, thick
atmosphere
one By one the welded ones came
TO the witness chair and told their
story, urged on by attorneys and
halted by nervousness. II was such
typical morning on the desert OF
divorce that a line OF testimony
taken at random from various cases
would tell the whole tale OF marital
unhappiness that is being woven in
the city and In all cities IN the coun-
try.
Yeah, he got drunk lister beat
me something fierce, said big WON
an, her voice coming in husky whis.
per from the shadows of a plumed
picture hat
rHe choked me and never gave me
no money. lisped little, pale WON
an with child clinging 10 her skirts
it's face sticky with candy and blue
shadows under the little eyes that
bespoke OF Illness and sleepless
nights.
She went around with other men
and told me II wasn't none OF my
business" testified a little thin man
with scant hair and pale listless eyes
She wouldn't cook my Hper and
she spent all my savings buying silk
dresses said well-dressed man
that looked like a mechanic.
He just picked up and went with
another woman and told me TO my
face he didn't Hove me stammered
a white-hairea woman, with a deep.
lined face and tremblins, toil-worn
hands.
He said the children cried so he
couldn't take no peace, was the
plant OF woman in fiinsy silk
dress and there was about her the
stamp OF the fallen sister VINO had
found the battle OF the world too
hard and had found the easiest
way"
On and on and on the stories went.
and the air grew closer and more
humid. and the children grew tired
and cross. and walled from WEAKNESS,
and mothers painted with the weight
and heat of the little bodies they
held In their laps. The successful
ones went away, one by one, some
smiling, some grave, and some sad
with the realization that the final ties
he'd been severed
Marie Stevere said her husband
threw her on red.hot stove, and
while he showered caresses on her
in public, In private he abused her
She got a decree
Eliza Roeder testified that her hus.
band deserted her after telling her
she was too attentive 10 his wants
He didn't like 20 be "babied.'
Matte Davis said her father had
to hide her husbands revolver and
the butcher knife when he got drunk
in order TO save the lives Of the fam
lily. "He was six feet, two inches tall
and weighed 2l5 poundsg she added,
as II his bulk was enough TO terriiy
without the aid OF the weapons
An unusual situation developed in
the case OF Amanda McGrady, who
asked divorce from her mate OF 80
years. TO whom she had never been
legally married
She declared that she went through
a ceremony with John McGrady. in
> 1876, at which a street preacher pre-
sided After she had borne the man
two children she discovered that the
ceremony was illegal and that she
was only a common-law wife. She
said McGrady refused TO 20 through
a second ceremony, and that she con-
tinued to live with him, and that sew.
eral other children were born. He
finally deserted her. She got a de-
cree.