Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1915-07-19
STENCIL DENIES
CRUELTY CHARGE
MADE BY WIFE
Leather Manufacturer Files
Reply in Answer to Her Pc
tition for Divorce.
NOT A MILLIONAIRE;
INCOME is ONLY $4,000
Says He Treated His Bride
Kindly and Blames Her Mother
for Their Separation.
From a stan Correspondent.

TRENTON, July 19.-George Fred
erick Stengel, an elderly leather
manufacturer of Newark, today filed
an answer In the court of chancery
to the suit for divorce brought
against him by Mrs. Hattie Oxley
Stengel, his bride of less than a
year.
The answer is general denial of
the allegations of cruel conduct
charged by. Mrs. Stengel. Stengel,
who gives his age as sixty-eight,
says that on or about the first of
last June. Mrs. Stengel left his house
despite his expressed wishes and
without any adequate reason or JUS
tiflcation and has not returned to
him.
Stengel denies that he possesses
real and personal property to the
value of 81, 900 and that he has an
income of upward of $780, 900 The
great bulk of his estate is invested
in the leather manufacturing cor
poration of George Stengel, in New
ark, in which his interest is of the
value of about $500,000 and his in
come therefrom, consisting of his sal
airy of $3.50 and dividends with
drawn in former years are $4,000 or
$4,000, amounting together to about
$4,000. No dividend was declared
during the current year, he says, be-
cause OF falling off in the business,
and ne says that all his other real
and personal property does not ex-
ceed in value $4,000, from which no
net income is derived.
Never swore at Her.
Denial Is also made that on the
night of their marriage he was cruel
to his wife and that she suffered
pain and became i'll and nervous lie
denies also that he ever sWore at his
wife or applied vile epithets to her
! He admits that he insisted upon his
wife entering = hospital to be oper-
ated upon, but says that was only
after Mrs. Stengel voluntarily sub
| mitted to an examination by a phys
ieian. Stengel also denied that oi
/ Decernber IS, 1914, he threatened hi
wife with divorce or that he wen
! out and brought in a livery stabl'
| keeper or a hired man, as Sh'
! charges. and told Mrs. Stengel she
could never return to his home again
Stengel says the facts were tina!
on that day he had ordered Mrs
Stengels father and mother, who
were continually interfering In his
household and stirring up discord
between Stengel and his wife, to leave
his house. Mrs. Stengel proceeded to
pack up her effects and went with
her parents to the street, saying she
would not return. As Stengel OBJ
3,,rr a11 1r1 Iii
man and a neighbor to witness that
she was leaving his home against his
wishes, he says. Mes. Stengel, how
ever, persisted and left that day,
going with her parents to New York
city, where she remained until Janu-
airy %.
Kept Revolver In His Bed.
Stengel admits that he kept a pis-
tol i'm his bed, but says that his wife
occupied n separate room and apart
from him by her own request. He
says he never showed the pistol tc
his wife or mentioned it in any way
which would cause her any nervous
ness.
He further denied that when on
train returning from Florida he
became ugly or abusive, as she
charges or acted in such a manner
as to excuse or justify her leaving
the compartment. He further says
that he was informed by reputable
physicians who had examined his
wife that there was no good reason
why she should not consummate
the marriage, and that on February
81 1915, despite his objections, she
went to the house of her mother In
Nutley. Stengel says the physician
Il fs he,
home, but she absolutely refused tC
do so. stating that If she knew hen
husband would make liberal pro-
visions for her in his will that might
make a difference
Upon receiving the Doctors report
Stengel admits that upon one occa-
sion he said to his wife she was
Taking" but he denied that he ever
swore at or threatened her He fur
ther denies he instructed any physi-
clan to report to him that his wife
was well and strong, or that the ply
sician sent by him to see his wife
reported to Stengel that she was not
in a healthful condition. He also ad-
mits that his wife entered a sani-
tarium at Philadelphia about March
1S, and that further operation was
performed on her April l6, but he
denied tnat IL was upon MS uIBeui
demand. The fact is, he says. the
operation was performed by a physi-
clan of Mrs. Stengels choice and
that Stengel has never been advised
as to the exact character of the OPP
Grafton, although he raised no objec-
ton inasmuch as Mrs. Stengel and
her physician desired it.
First Read of Suit In Evening Star.
Denial is also made that he ever
procured or placed in his wife's room
any carbolic acid Stengel says he Is
about sixty-eight years of age, thai
he had always treated his wife with
the utmost kindness. respect and con-
sideration, and that he was never
cruel or unkind to her. Stengel says
his wife never complained to him of
cruel treatment while residing with
him in the absence of her mother
and no intimation that this suit was
contemplated or notice thereof was
conveyed to him until he read of II
in "much detail In Newark papers
meaning the Evening star.
Stengel concludes his answer by
asking the Court of Chancery to dis
miss the suit. Lintott, Kahrs q
Young, of Newark. represent Mr.
Stengel
T...Ikx, aouac Avon IN