The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-07-11
Understanding Man Would
Marry Her, Alleged.
f.. A. Decker Files Sensational
Petition for Divorce.
SAID She ONCE RAN AWAY
Took His Cow and Calf, Sold
Them, for Their Expense.
Several .Affinities" Are Men,
toned by Husband.

Maud Decker, wife of E. A. Decker,
started an avalanche when she swore
to a complaint charging him with
wife desertion. A warrant was issued
and Decker had some trouble but he
paid in full today when his attorney.
Jay Jensen, filed a petition asking
that he be granted a divorce and the
custody of three children.
Among other little things Decker
alleges that when his wife swore to
the complaint she was living in To-
peka with another man.
Again-he alleges that she once
| sold their daughter to man for a
dollar, with the understanding that
| he was to marry her and take her
away.
Still again, he alleges that while
| they were living at Perry his wife and
another man eloped to Lecompton,
| the man driving Beckers COW and
| calf overland, selling them and using
| the money to set up housekeeping at
! Lecompton.
! Once more, he alleges that while he
was away working the sheriff of
Douglas county went into his house
at midnight and arrested a man who
| was occupying the same room with
| Decker'S wife.
All this-and Decker is the defend
ant in a wife desertion suit brought
| by his wife.
Decker says they were married at
Williamstown in 1902 and that they
have three children, two girls and 4
boy, the eldest a girl aged IA years
He says they were happy as larks fol
six years, then he went to Russell tc
work, leaving his wife and children
at Newman.
While he was gone, he says, she
fell in love with George Brinthan anC
the sheriff of Douglas county arrest
| cd RrinthaT1 in his nenIar'S homo a
midnight
/ Still Another.
| Then, says Decker. they moved u
Perry and in 1915 his wife found an
other affinity named Fred Smith H
says she spent her whole time witt
Smith until finally, the city marshal
acting under orders from the mayor
and councilmen, orderd Smith and hi:
wife to leave town or cut out theil
affair.
Il In March, 1915. Decker says, hi:
wife reported to him that unless sh'
paid SIS to the landlord he would
force her and the children out. He
says he sent her the money and late1
discovered that it was all a ruse; tina
as a matter of fact she and Smith tool
the SIS. the children and the COW ant
calf and eloped to Lecompton, there
selling the COW and calf and using the
money to start housekeeping.
i Sold Her Daughter. He Says.
| From Lecompton, Decker says. tn,
couple went to Kansas City with tins
children and he followed in an at
tempt to locate the children. but wa
unable to do so because they moved
| so frequently. Finally, he says. he 10
Gated them thru an article from pc
lice court in one of the Kansas Cit.
, papers. That article-and the peti
ton quotes it-stated that Mrs. Deck
, er told Judge Brady that she he q sol,
, her oldest daughter to a man for
dollar with the understanding that tn
man was to marry the girl ana TAX
her out into Kansas. 1t further quote
Mrs Decker as saying that after tn
man spent the dollar he returned AM
tried to borrow $50 and that whel
, she refused to loan it to him he de
clared the wedding off.
} The same article states that Mrs
Decker and Smith We're arrested upol
J the complaint of neighbors Follow
Il ing that, Decker says, Smith and Mrs
Decker moved to 1928 East Curt
) street in North Topeka; that the
We're living there when she had hin
arrested for wife desertion and wer
still living there at the time he file
his divorce petition. He adds that h
complained to the police about hi
wife and Smith. that a warrant was is
sued. but that the case was disrnisse
, without his knowledge
He asks for a divorce and the Gus
! tody of the children