The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1915-06-22
DR.. ERNEST SUED
His Wife Asks the Court for
Separate Maintenance.
Edith Knox, a Nurse, Is Named
as Correspondent.
LONG LIST OF COMPL LAINTS
Plaintiff Alleges She Helped to
Make Defendant.
Married Life a Joy Until Other
Woman Came.
LONG LIST OF COMPl lAINTS

| filed in the Shawnee county district
court this afternoon by DR.. Elvenor
Ann Ernest against DR.. Foy j. Ernest,
! both of whom for the past eleven
years have been prominent physicians
in the city of Topeka. Mrs. Ernest
names as correspondent Miss. Edith
| Knox, for whom, she alleges, her hus-
! band conceived an infatuetion follow
/ ing a surgical operation upon her in
Bethesda hospital. Miss Knox is a
nurse in the Mercy hospital at Hutch
inson.
The lengthy petition in which Mrs
Ernest recites her causes of complaint,
gives in detail the story of her early
struggles in assisting her husband in
the founding of medical practice
from which she now believes he nets
an income of between $4,000 and So
900 a year. On her application Judge
George H. Whitcomb today issued one
restraining order prohibiting the de-
fendant from disposing of any prop
crty he now owns. and another en-
joining Topeka barking and other
financial institutions from delivering
to him money deposited with them to
his account.
Mrs. Ernest does not ask divorce
from her husband, but prays for sepa-
rate maintenance. $4,000 alimony,
$1,000 attorneys fees ,-nd such further
relief as the court may deem equitable.
Helpd Him to Success.
From the beginnings of his profess
sional career in 1904 when he came to
Topeka from Marysville, where they
were married, Mrs. Ernest alleges she
contributed with every form of assist
ance within her power to her hus-
bands professional success She al
leges that at the time of their mar
riage her husbands means were so
limited that after living for three
weeks in the home of a Topeka physi-
moved
at 807 Kansas avenue, one of which
they used as an office and the other
as a residence. At that time, says Mrs.
Ernest, her husband was indebted to
the physician who had befriended
tf1esfs fVs<l4orrowcd money s.12>-- that in
course of the first year of their mar
ried life she was obliged to borrow
sums of money from members of her
own family for their living expenses.
While keeping house and assisting him
in such practice as came his way, she
alleges, she found employment at the
Kansas Medical college. At one time
she was professor of materia medica,
pharmacy and therapeutics at that in
stitution.
After two years in the small quar-
terS at S07 Kansas avenue, the couple
were enabled to move to more COM
Portable rooms at S26 Kansas avenue
where they subsequently made their
home and office for several years. A
year ago they moved to 1925 Grove
avenue where she has since lived in
rented house At the time of their
separation more recently, DR.. Ernest
moved to the Y. NJ. c. A. On account
of the interruption of their domestic
felicity by Miss Knox, alleges Mrs.
Ernest her husband abandoned a plan
which they entertained for a number
of years, of building a home of their
own, although they had purchased
property with that in view.
\ Life of Joy.
The married life of the parties
hereto was one of joy, happiness and
perfect bliss during their struggles and
poverty and while getting a start in
life for the first four or five years,
and until the defendant became in
fatuated with one Edith Knox, follow
ing a surgical operation upon her IN
Bethesda hospital some five or SIX
years ago. after which time defendant
began spending his time in taking her
buggy riding and later in an auto dur
ing the day and night time, receiving
from her almost daily calls in his Of
flee and the rooms occupied as living
apartments during much of said time,
where defendant provided for said
Edith Knox. lunches, boxes of eXpen-
sive candies, many expensive presents,
including bouquets of beautiful flow
erS. clothing, watches and other pres
ents, besides furnishing her money
with which to purchase a handsome
and expensive bedroom suite, and has
laVlShed his time, affections and mon
ey on said Edith Knox"
In regard to her husba nds DISPOSE
ton of the earnings of their joint eff
forts in recent years. Mrs. Ernest al
Ieges that he has a fondness for auto
mobiles and has purchased four with
in the last few years at an aggregate
expense of about 5000 or $4,000 and
that he now has two. She says he
has invested his savings in life 1nsur-
ance, in building and loan associations
and other stocks and in bonds and
real estate. to an extent which she Is
unable to estimate as he has of recent
years refused to let her know the
amount of his income.
Ceased to Love Her.
Mrs. Ernest's petition alleges fur
ther:
THAT from September. 1913. until
the defendant left home, he was con-
tinually telling plaintiff that he did
not intend to i've with her. as ne did
not love her any more and that she
must and should leave him and her
home and go away from the city of
Topeka, and that he would do nothing
more for her if she did not leave the
city of Topeka. but that if she did he
would provide for her elsewhere and
if she would not leave their home he
would.
That during the past winter de-
fendant told plaintiff that he not only
loved Edith Knox, but that she loved
him and that he had absolutely dom
mated her life for the last five years
and he had controlled her every ac-
ton and that he was going to marry
her-notwithstandin defendant had
told plaintiff and others that plaintiff
was as good a wife as ever lived and
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