The Mankato free press., 1916-12-29
CUPID HAS WOMAN
AFFAIRS IN TANCLE
SHE HAS TWO HUSBANDS; 1T
Is MIXED MATRIM0NY
Ruth Nimocks- -Barnes-Robare Aged
TwenN-Three, Wants Court at La
Crosse to Pick One Legal Spouse For
Her; Also Seeks Custody Of Child;
Lady Has Had Some Experience

Lady Has Had Some Experience
From Saturdays Daily.
La Crosse, December 23.-Ruth
Nimocks Barnes -Robare, pretty La
Crosse girl, who, at the age of twen-
ty-three years, has already had more
matrimonial experience than falls to
the lot Of many women twice her age,
wants the circuit court of La Crosse
to pick legal husband for her.
At the presest time Ruth has two,
Victor Barnes of Cambridge, Ohio,
and Percy Robare of La Crosse. De-
spite the fact that she divorced the
former several years ago, she now
desires to have the court set aside
her marriage to Robare on the ground
of illegality so that she may resume
the name of Ruth Barnes.
The case represents one of the
most amazing legal tangles that has
ever been present to Wisconsin
court for settlement, a regular Gordian
knot of matrimony, as it were,
brought about by violations of the
marriage statutes, advised, it is al
legged, by attorneys for the girl. A
marriage, divorce, an illegal we'd
ding in this city and then another at
La Crosse to legalize the Minnesota
celebration are mentioned in the pa
pers filed today with Frank H. Aiken,
clerk of the circuit court.
Ruth's Matrimonial History.
The fifteenth day of July, 1908,
was the biggest day in the life of
pretty. fifteen-year-o Ruth MINI
ocks. On the evening of that day she
faced large audience at the La
Crosse theatre and was united in
marriage to Victor Barnes, aged
twenty-one, motion picture ma
chine operator, who was then connect
ed with a stock company which was
playing at the theatre. The stock
company gave the couple good start
with a donation of furniture and other
articles and it was the happiest day
of Ruth's young life.
Judge Leonard Kleeber performed
the ceremony and Hugo B. Koch,
leading man for the company, and
now one of the stars of the theatrical
armament and the moving picture
world, with Mary Enos, his leading
lady, were the witnesses.
A brief chronology of Ruths mar
ried life follows:
November %, 913-Interlocut-
ory degree of divorce from Victor
Barnes granted by Judge E. c.
Higbee of the circuit court.
June "a, 1914-Married to
Percy Robare at Winona.
November 21, 1914.-Barnes
divorce vacated by Judge Higbee
of La Crosse leaving Ruth in
possession of two husbands.
Shortly thereafter the couple
went to South Dakota.
November 1, 1915.-Returned
to La Crosse to live. Advised by
counsel to remarry to legitimize
former wedding.
December IA. 1915-Remarried
to Robare at La Crosse court
house.
November 80, 1916.-Separated
from Robare on the ground she
was not legally married to him.
December 21-Papers in an
nullment proceedings filed in
circuit court at La Crosse.
Rather Stormy Career.
The Robares struck storms on the
sea of matrimony shortly after they
left La Crosse. Word came from the
west that the wife had shot her hus-
band in a fit of jealousy over another
woman, but that affair was patched
up and they returned to La Crosse
to live. They had a child, Vaughan
Robare. Upon their arrival here they
consulted an attorney who, it is al
legged. advised them to marry and
thus legalize the wedding at Winona.
which had become null and void be-
cause it had occurred before the nee
cessary one year had expired after
the divorce from Barnes. So Percy
and Ruth stepped before a local mag
istrate who performed the ceremony.
Storms broke frequently, it is al
legged, and the Robares found it I'M
possible to sail smooth course. Per-
cy played baseball and worked at
other vocations but his wife alleges
he failed to support her. She even
called in the police number OF times
to talk to her husband, and hnally
she left him, she says, when her law
yer told her she wos not his legal
wife. She has not resided with him
since.
Charges Many Things.
In the papers filed her counsel al
leges that both of the marriages to
Robare were illegal, that the second
one was consummated upon advice OF
counsel and asks that the court an
null both weddings.
Ruth, in sworn statement, charg-
es her husband with non support,
nom attention, recklessness, intoxlca-
ton and cruel and inhuman treat
Eaent.
She demands alimony, the custody
of her child, attorneys fees and the
restoration of the name OF Ruth
Barnes.
Robare, it is understood has taken
his case to an attorney who is franz
ing an answer which, it is anticipat-
ed, will prove highly sensational. He
has twenty days in which to file his
answer
In