Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1919-11-13
HUSBAND CONTES1|NC
W|FE'S DIVORCE SUIT.
Augustus Brown Denies Charges
Of Intolerable Severity and
Refusal to Support-Mrs.
Brown Forced to Do Much
Manual Labor, She Ayers

NJ Thursday in Chittenden county court
with the contested divorce case Of Rachael
Brown against Augustus Brown. The
couple have been married "a years and
have lived in Burlington all of that time
except for six years during which they
ktept restaurant at Fort Ethan Allen.
Mrs. Brown charges her husband with In
tolerable severity and refusal to support,
alleging that he at one time struck her In
the face, and another time pushed her on
TO the stove so that her wrist and arm
were badly burned She also claims that
lie had improper relations with other
women, and that at one time last spring.
he did not properly provide for her main
tenance. Mr.. Brown denies that he ever
failed to provide for his wife, and
rlaimed that she always had whatever
she needed
One divorce was granted Thursday.
Helen l.. Griswold OF Burlington receiv.
Ing q bill Of divorce from Harold Girls
Gold, who Is now somewhere In California
The grounds on which the bill was granted
were intolerable severity and wilful de-
sertion The petitioner was given leave
10 resume heer maiden name. She was
represented by r. r. Brown.
There was n flood OF witnesses In the
Brown case, the principal one being the
petitioner Rachael Brown. who was
The stand about an hour Thursday morn
ing and again In the afternoon. She said
That she was 50 years of age. was born
In Canada, and married in this city in 1885
During the years that they lived in Bur-
sngton Mrs. Brown claims that she has
done fully her share of the work, labor
Ing in the wood yard and in the garden
with her husband. besides doing her house.
work. and that she worked in the mills
for number of years after she was mar
yied. All their earnings were nut in to-
gether. a large part OF them being invest
ell In real estate in this city and at Fort
Ethan Allen.
There is considerable property owned
by Mr.. and Mrs. Brown. including five
houses at Fort Ethan Allen, and five
others in this city, on Ward street. North
street and Elmwood avenue. They also
own some land. Part Of this property is
in their names jointly, while a small
amount OF it Is In his name alone. Mrs
Brown now seeks her share of the prop
erty as alimony Both have some money
in the banks in their own names.
Among other things, Mr.. Brown has at
various times run livery stable at the
corner Of North street and Winooski ave-
nue.. and later across from the Howard
Relief hall on Pearl street. He was in
ran licensed saloon for n year. Mrs
Brown testified that, while her husband
was engaged In the liquor business. he
WAS quite often intoxicated and that he
drank freely at other times, though not
80 much lately. Thomas Collins a police
officer, who patroled the section of the
city near the home of the Browns for a
number of years. testified that he had
never seen Brown In an intoxicated con-
dltion. 1t was brought out in the testi-
niony that Brown had once been arrested
for intoxication by another officer.
At one time, when Brown was driving
hack for living. the petitioner thought
he was more familiar with his lady pas
sengsrs than he should have been. She
also accused him of visiting a house on
J.afountain street, "where there were no
men at all, and he said he went there
10 associate with those people because
they were good company" The petitioner
also caught him kissing a servant in the
pantry at one time, SO she said.
Witnesses were introduced by the de-
Tense to show that Mrs. Brown was
allowed to buy groceries as she wished.
and that Mr.. Brown settled for the bills.
even during the time that she claimed
he had not supported her properly.
Victor Fisher. another police officer.
so police station No. 2 on Elmwood
avenue and asked him to go back home
with her as her husband had been Abusing
her. He went with her and found some
things broken in the house, but did not
see anything OF Mr.. Brown. Mrs. Brown
showed him a spot on her wrist and said
that she had gotten it when she fell on to
the stove. When he asked her how that
happened, she simply pointed to the
broken jardinieres on the floor and said
You can see for yourself" She wanted
him to arrest Brown. but he told her he
could not do that without a warrant.
Later. according to Mr.. Fisher. He
found Mr.. Brown In front of the police
station and Brown showed him marks
on both sides of his face. where it looked
rs though some one had stuck their finger
nails In Brown said his wife had done
3. but offered no further explanation. A
while afterward. Brown started toward
home.
Just before adjournment Of court
Thursday afternoon, the divorce case of
Pauline Vartul, 15-year-old wife of
Francis Vartuli Of Winooski, was heard.
The petitioner sues for divorce on the
grounds Of intoerable severity. There is
n child about seven months old. of which
phe asks the custody. Besides the petit
tionsr, the witnesses were her father and