The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-05-31
Former County Commissioner
Files Petition Here Today.
SAYS Mrs. O'Neil Accused Him
of Being Dishonest.
RUINED HIS LAW PRACTICE
He Asserts She Slandered Him
and Neglected Home.
Sought To Have Him Arrested
for NOnsuppOrt.

Edwin L. O'Neil, county commits
sioner from 1909 until 1918, and well
known lawyer and member of the
Shawnee County Bar association. to-
day filed suit against his wife, Nina
Thomas O'Neil, in the office of Mrs.
Mary Chaplin, clerk of the district
court. In his petition O'Neil not only
charges his wife with gross neglect of
duty but also with many other Of
fenses, among them that she practi-
caIly ruined his practice and forced
him to go to Oklahoma to begin lie
anew.
In the preliminary he states that he
and his wife were married on OCTOBER
9, 1907 in Kansas City and that they
have two sons, Thomas Edwin O'Neii,
age 9, and Richard Turner OMEN,
age T. At the time of his marriage
it is set out, he was clerk or the court
of Topeka and was without means ex-
cept for his salary. but his wife owned
given to her by her parents and valued
at about $500.
Accuses Her of SANDER.
O'NeiI saws that until October,
1917 he supported his family, was a
loyal and devoted husband and did MS
best to build up a law pracuce for
the benefit of his children. However,
he says his wife so slandered him ana
held him up to ridicule that she in
jured his law practice, impaired his
mind and health by her acts and that
he was forced to move to BartleSv1ile,
Oklahoma, where he is now engaged
in the practice of law with excellent
prospects
wife not only is guilty of extreme
cruelty and gross neglect of duty but
that she has unjustly and wrongfuily
accused him of wasting her money.
He says she has told not less than SIX
members of the bar, physicians. CLUB
women, real estate agents and per-
sonal friends of his that he repeatedly
tried to defraud her out of her money
and that he entered into q conspiracy
with certain relatives of hers to de-
prive her of property.
Wanted to Arrest Him.
He asserts that she has maliciously
told that he refused to support her
and their family and refused to make
any effort to provide for them Fur
ther, he asserts, she consulted the
county attorney about having him ar
rested on a charge of non-support and
that she threatened to put their chill
dren in an orphans home. He charges
that she told him to leave, that she
told him he was dishonest in his deal
ing with her and others, that she told
i and that she did not want him
around.
After reciting. list of accusations
that ne charges the defendant made
against him, the plaintiff then pro-
ceeds to make charges on his own
account. He says Mrs. O'Neil is
| untidy in her home and fails to care
for it; that she is wasteful and care
less in the preparation of meals, and
that she is devoid of the finer in
stincts of womanhood.
Let Children Run Streets.
He also says that she lets their chill
dren run around on the streets late
at night and that she is incompetent
| to direct the education of their chill
dren, whom he wants to take with
him to Oklahoma. He says that Mrs
O'Neil owns three pieces of property
in Topeka valued at $10.500, with
mortgages on two of them amounting
| to about 50, 800. and that she owns one
mortgage amounting to $1,000.
In his petition the plaintiff asks for
an absolute divorce and the custody
of their two children. Tinkham Veale
i is the attorney.
The O'Neils live at 1913 College
| avenue. Mrs. O'Neal is well known in
Topeka musical circles, having ap-
peared as a singer on many occasions