The producers news. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1918-1937, 1919-12-26

This case has been very sensation
al because Of the prominence of the
people involved and so the court
house was the center Of interest again
all week.
Mr.. Gobbs as q defence to his wife's
petition for Il AdiVorce on the grounds
Of cruel and iphuman treatment, in
terposed defence denying the
charges and making a counter charge,
accusing hisIwife of infidelity and
naming Prof. Frank Houston, for
many years at the head of the schools
of Plentywood and prominent educat-
or in eastern Montana, and now as
sistant county superintendent of
schools Of Roosevelt county, as cor
respondent. VIZ, =
Because of the charges Of adultry,
the case went before jury.
Howard M. Lewis appeared as at
torney for Mrs, Gobbs and Attorney
Lvnke Of Sydney appeared for Ed
Mr.; Gobbs is we'll known and
highly esteemed young farmer of the
McCabe precinct in Roosevelt county,
and early in the war was called, but
was later dismissed because he could
not pass the physical examination.
Upon his return to his, home his wife
.lsft. him and illlla3aLi sa,es orr
divorce on ground OF cruel, and inhu-
man treatment, although the evil
dence indicated that they had always
gotten along happily prior to that
time.
In Gobbs' counter charge he alleged
that Mrs. Gobbs had met Prof. Hous-
ton in Williston and that she had
stayed with him there at the hotel.
It seems that Prof. Houston was
at the hotel at Williston one night
while Mrs. Gobbs was there, but evi-
dence was presented that proved be-
yond a doubt that Prof. Houston did
not go there to meet Mrs. Gobbs, but
went there accidentally, and met Mrs.
cGobbs at the hotel, where he only
spoke to her in the lobby when he met
her.
It seems that Prof. Houston was on
the county examining board for Sheri-
dan county along with Prof. Living
ston of Medicine Lake and that Prof.
Houston after several delays went to
Medicine Lake, taking the paper to
mark, and that as he stepped off the
train he met Prof. Livingston just
stepping on the train to go to Willis
ton to meet his wife in response to a
telegram. Prof, Houston protested
that the papers had to be marked and
that he did not have the time to
run around any more. Whereupon
the Medicine Lake teacher suggested
that Prof. Houston accompany him to
would put in their time there mark
srnp thn rovo1e xnyhsnh D,soF
Houston accepted and went to Willis
ton, where the two teachers worked
until three o'clock in the morning be-
they an. retired Early In tie morn:
%s teek FL III Pf1ess trsin fee te bEas2s;
Gobbs rode in the day coach and
Prof. Houston travelled in the smoker,
SO it seems that there was no founda-
ton to the charges of improper rela-
tionship between Mrs. Gobbs and
Prof. Houston and the evidence in the
case proves that great injustice has
been done Mr.. Houston, who was alb
solutely vindicated by the evidence.
However, it must be stated in JUS
tice to Mr.. Gobbs,s that among his
own neighbors, where he is best
known, he is very highly thought of
and is considered splendid young
man, and he has the entire sympathy
of the neighborhood in his trouble.
The Gobbs farm was appraised at
$4,000 by the jury and after deduct
ing alls indebtedness half of the re-
mainder was awarded to Mrs. Gobbs,
who will realize between $1,5OO and
81, ,000 from her unfortunate husbands
property.
n