The star-independent. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1904-1917, 1915-02-01
Elderly Man Says Wife
Sold Farm Bought
WithHiS Savings and
Went West
SAD TALES OF
POVERTY TOLD
Woman, Seeking Separation, Informs
the Court She Clothed Herself Out
of the Neighbors' Ash Barrels
Children Close to Starvation

IOrtN complaining husudhus VI NlNSs'
with their sympathlzing neighbors and
relatives, crowded the courts of Judges
Kunkel and McCarrell this morning 10
explain why they have not been living
happily with their mates and to give
reasons why they believe the courts
should grant their requests for legal
separation.
These were the first sessions of di-
voree court held this year and the com
plants contained charges of desertion,
maltreatement, infdehty and pitiful
stories of poverty.
When on the verge of retiring and
spending the rest of his days in ease on
the farm, "Dell Crowder, divorce
seeker, told Judge Kunkel that his wife,
Goldie Shannon Crowder, "sold me
out of house and home and went off to
Utah. -
Crowder, a travelling salesman, said
ne had invested his savings of many
years in a farm in the upper end of
the county and the wife, for no appar
ent reason, when seized with a desire to
return TO the West where she was born
and raised, sold the home, the farm
stock and the growing crops and un-
NSN CliAphIuuSlN itkdiNtls
by her mother, her son and niece. Her
whereabouts now are not known to
Crowder. he said.
Mrs. Marie Midilekauff told Judge
NeCarrell that before her marriage TO
Oliver G. Middlekauff, on October IS,
1898. she had some reason TO believe
her prospective husband S "hobby"
was TO gamble. but she loved him Just
the same. After the marriage, she said,
he insisted ON drawing money from her
$4,000 bank account and he resolved
that since he didn't work before the
wedding day he didn't think it would
be necessary to labor after he had
taken to himself mate"
Got Clothes From Ash Barrel
Middlekauff deserted his wife on
October 8, 1911, the wife said, and
Mrs. Middlekauff made a thorough
search for him in this and other States,
hoping to induce him to return. Her
efforts were in vain, she said.
Neighbors said Middlekauff treated
his wife. "like a dog
In another case, Catherine, the
pretty wife of Chester Rhinehart. a
printer, said of her husband that "he
N'NNANN NV W kdOh my tEuHh, YET the
children, go home and stav there and
not to show my face to him again. And
before | could come home to my parents
in Harrisburg. the wife added. ~
was obliged to get clothing for myself
from my neighbors ash barrels"
Mrs. Rhinehart said her troubles
were numerous. Chester wasn't satisfied
to work at his trade-that was not his
idea of an easy way to make money.
the wife said, and while the family was
living in Meehanicsburg. Cumberland
county, he give up perfectly good po-
sluon to go out on the road and sell
soap and corn salve.' Eventually he
retained to his former vocation, but
not until Mrs. Rhinehart pointed out
TO him, she said, that the children were
badly in need of clothing and that the
little family was 'half starved.p
I'VE had been living in Paterson.
y. j., when he ordered me home; she
ADDED While there he never once
spent an evening with me, always say.
ing that he had work at the office. I"
she added.
Witnesses for Fred Carley, a Middle
town Car Company foreman, who is
SUNG his wife, Amelia, for a divorce,
We're absolutely certain, they said, that
Narley treated his wife Just as well as
any husband could have done and. even
though they could not account for her
leaving him, all offered to assure Judge
hunkel that the husband did not mis-.
treat his wife.
Could Take Care of Herself
Inc oarieys, since their marriage
four or five years ago, and Nh upfil
their separation on August Is. 1911.
mad rooms in the Kline house 4 Mid.
dletown hotel One of the other hoard.
ers said he was sure Carley did not in.
treat the wife "because Mrs. Carlev
could well take care of herself. -
W. W. Conklin, proprietor of the
hotel, said 'Mrs. Carley is a bio won.
an but the Court wanted to know
why the witness thought she eould
take care of herself. -
Well, ia hate to tackle herr
Conklin replied.
The very next day after Barbara and
bosla DUDE were married. Bosia pot
angry at his bride and "beat her up >,
so the wife told Judge McCarreu. She
went on to describe alleged acts of
cruelty, and in so doing dropped the
hlnt that DUDE S ideas of the proper
styles in clothing differed from those of
MS WIFE and frequently were the cause
of family rows.
While we were living in Berwick
my husband met woman on the street
who was wearing a coat exactly like
mine, the wife said. ''He mistook
her for me and before he discovered his
error he had attacked her. That cost
him something like sS6. and he had 10
apologize besides -
Several Cases Postponed
Several divorce cases listed for hear |
ing to-day were continued, including the
following: Martin VS.. Lucy johnson. /
George VS.. Lizzie VI. Gehrett: John VS.
Eva Kind, and Mabel VS.. Joseph
l4illey. These case all were held over
until the April 19 divorce court. The
hearing in the case of Harvey VS.. Annie /
NJ. Fetterhoff will be heard next Mon. !
|day.
Continuance of the suit of Georpe ys
Eaeresa X. SALESMAN was due to the |
tact that the respondent is seeking a /
Harrisburg Hospital