The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-02-09
Decisions Handed Down by
Kansas Body Today.
MOther-in-LaW Has Right 10
Criticise Husbands Wife.
OIL COMPANY is RESPONSIBLE
Must Pay Damages When Case
line Is Sold for Kerosene.
Other Decisions of Interest APP
peaIed From Over State.

The Kansas supreme court iald
down some new law today goVerhins
nother-in-law interference in 1uVenlie
matrimony y In establishing a RUE
concerning interference in young and
ardent love, the court set asloe a
Judgment of $4,000 which Halne
Cooper secured in the Allen county
district court against the parents OIL
her 19-year-old husband.
When Halle Cooper married, ner
youthful husband was long on love
dreams, but short of means OF ma
terial support. So the bride went 10
the home of her father and mother
in-law to live. 1t wasn't much love
dream there, the young woman al
legged in petition for alienation OF her
husbands affections She charged
that the bridegroom's mother nagged
and scolded and criticised the, hasty
action of young Cooper in venturing
on an uncertain and turbulent sea OF
ma trimony. Young Cooper, the evil
cience showed, possessed little earning
ability and much of the burden of
having the grocery bill fell on the
father.
&Then the bride went away to nurse
a sick relative. She was gone many
months. During her absence she be-
came a mother. When she returned
to Allen county, her father-in-law had
sent the bridegroom to a business col
lego and bunch of matrimonial COM
rlicatiors had resulted. There was a
s-iit for divorce. The young wife
hrcdght suit to compel the husband
and father to support the child Then
came the suit against Cooper's pa
rents. who were financially able to pay
unreasonable Judgment.
"a jury in the Allen county district
court found the young husbands
mother mad complained bitterly of the
wedding. But the court couldn't see
it's way clear to approve the $4,000
Susgmcnt.
Ns-Tue parents of a 19-year-old son
owe go legalN duty towards the sons
wife except not to NEEDLE Intentional
" with their sons affections for his
WIFE, said Justice J. S. Dawson in
deciding the case "A mother-in-law
is, not guilty of alternating her infant
sons affections for his wife merely
because she disliked the wife and re-
GREETED her sons marriage, and eX-
pressed her belief that because of his
extreme youth he was not fitted for
the responsibilities and duties of
married man."
increases City's Judgment.
The supreme court today rewrote
it's option in the Richie case from
Topeka. Recently the court gave the
city a judgment of $4,000 in the IA
nous sewer case. Today the court
changed it's order. allowing the city
an additional $4,000, or a total of
practically $4,000, including prin
cipal and interest.
Can Blew Up-Gets Damages.
When an agent of an oil company
sells a gallon of gasoline to Gus
toner who asks and pays for gallon
of coal oil, the oil company is re-
sponsible That was the ruling of
the supreme court today in an appeal
from the Reno county district court
Affirming a judgment for damages in
favor of o. C. Harlow and Fercl Har-
low against C. S. Propes and the
Y. Evidence showed that o. Z. Harlow
poured some of the supposed coal oil
on some cobs and held the can in his
hand while he lighted match to the
cobs. There was an explosion, IRE
and Harlow was injured. The trial
court held Harlow was not negligent
II there had been coal oil in the can
1t was also held that he had a right
TO assume he had received coal oil
and was not required to make test
before using the fuel. Now the gaso-
line company plust pay.
Must Be Specific.
Trial courts may compel plaintiffs
to set out in their petitions specifically
and in detail damages claimed to bust
ness because of false arrests. That
was the ruling of the supreme court
in affirming an appeal from Reno
county. where Isadore Smith brought
suit against George Hern for $11,250
for false arrest.
Hern was chief of police of Hutch
inson. He arrested Smith on a charge
of having received stolen goods. Fail
ing to establish a case, Hern was made
defendant in a damage suit. The court
held Smith was compelled to set forth
specifically in his petition the items
of damage suffered in a business way.
A jury returned a verdict for the de-
PENDANT and Smith appealed to the
supreme court with the result that the
court upheld the trial court.
New Compensation Ruling.
Cities engaged in the construction