The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-01-04
That's What J. w. Kirkpatrick
Says of Mute Wife.
She Bought Divine Right of
Husband-WOuldn't Pay.
A new THRILL EVERY HOUR
Religion Plays Part in "Dumb"
Divorce Trial.
Dunkard Faith Gives All OF
Property to Husband.

J. W. Kirkpatrick, mute, charges
his wife. Cordelia, also a mute, with
buying the divine right of a husband
then keeping the purchase price"
The deaf and dumb" divorce case
involving the Kirkpatricks is still on
trial in the first division of the dis
trict court and develops a new angle
every hour.
1t is admitted in the case that Mrs
kirkpatrick had all the money and
property when they were married and
that she has kept all of it in her name
altho much of the money has been
spent. 1t is also admitted that prop
erty and religion form the basis OF
their domestic troubles.
Both of the Kirkpatrlcks are Dunk
ARDS. The DGnkaId church forbios
divorce. The Dunkard faith, it was
testified to today by deacon, recog-
nizes no rights on the part of the wife-
When she weds d man OF the Dunk
ard faith she VOWS to submit her
person and property to the will OF the
husband"
Wife Like Sapphira.
kirkpatrick alleges that his wife lis
like unto Sapphira, the wife OF An
dniaS, who vowed she would subject
her person and property to Ananlas
then kept all the property and tailed
in other respects. He filed sup
Elemental answer in the case TO-DAY
fllled with Biblical quotations relative
to The relations between man and wife.
He charges that thru her appearance
in court Mrs. kirkpatrick has violated
her Christian VOWS and quotes from
Matthew, First Corinthians, Ephesians
and the Acts to prove it.
Kirkpatrick wanted his wife to
purchase a team and move with him
to a farm. she held the strings to
the family purse. She declined to
open It tor the money with which to
buy the team and she positively re-
fused to go to farm. kirkpatrick
holds that under the religious faith
protested by both of them she is
bound to do as he says ard whatever
domestic trouble they have had he
lays to her refusal to submit to his
will
In Defense of His Rights.
He answers that whatever acts
were committed by him of disturb
ing character were in defense of his
rights in his own home. Mrs. Kirk
patrick belongs to the same church,
or did until the present action was
begun, and has kept the faith thru
all the years since they joined church
together, but she baked when the
church officials told her it was her
religious duty to turn all her prop
erty over to her husband if he de-
manded it and to accompany him any
where he wished to go.
Cordelia Kirkpatrick is fourteen
years older than her mute husband,
IS years of age, and she isn't larger
than a 12-year-old school girl. In the
court room, wearing the quaint little
black bonnet and black gown, she is
the picture of meekness. But Kirk
patrick tells his friends, in the silent
language, that she runs things around
home to suit herself in spite of his
bulk and in spite of church and Bibli-
cal injunctions.
Doesn't Believe in Divorce,
Kirkpatrick declares he doesn't be-
lieve in divorce and doesn't want one,
but he demands title to all the prop
erty now in his wifes name One
half of it he claims by divine right
the right that was placed in him when
he wed Cordelia. The other half he
wants because of mental and physi-
cal suffering. He declares that the
frail little woman turned him out lin
a cold world penniless and helpless
in cold weather, causing him much
suffering"