Free trader-journal and Ottawa fair dealer. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1920-1927, 1920-05-11
SECOND HUSBAND
MAKES WEALTH WITH
EARNINGS Of. FIRST
FRED T. ROLPH, WEALTHY
STREATORiTE IN PROCEEDINGS
IN CIRCUIT COURT TODAY
WIFE RECEIVES INCREASE OF
ALiMONY.

The Circuit Court this morning by
against her husband, Fred r Rolph,
a prominent Streator banker and lum-
Der dealer when hearing to increase
her temporary alimony pending the
settlement Of her separate rnainten-
ance suit was heard, Not only did
the wife accuse her husband Of max,
ing his immense fortune from invest.
ments made from the estate Of her first
huband, stephen Conger, but also Of
immortality charges and of preparing
statements for the Probate Court in
regard to the settlement OF her guard
ianship affairs OF her daughter Mary
Adelaide Conger, which she had to
sign even without reading.
Mrs. Rolph was granted 500 per
month temporary alimony and the
home in Streator on May l. 1918 IN
the Circuit Court, but maintained that
she could no longer live on that
amount, due to the increase Of the
cost Of living She stated that She
was residing in Washington with her
daughter lnez, who was employed N
the Air Service department, receiving
$40 a month, and that the Two divid-
I'd mp the living expenses but that
they could not get along on their in
comes. Sh" further claimed that she
had TO pay for the care OF her daugh-
ter Mary Adelaide COnger who is said
10 have been an Invalid and feeble
minded since she was 10 years Old.
out Of her alimony. After hearing
the clase Judge Davis increased her
alimony to 1925 per month.
The case was called at 500 O'Clock
and extended thru the greater part Of
the morning. l., O. Browne, Mrs.
Rolph's attorney, read the original
bin filed by him at the time the sep
arate maintenance SUIT was started.
In this the wife accused her husband
OF adultery with unknown women at
unknown times, claiming that she con
tracted lOathsOme diseases from him
in 1904 and 1917. She claimed that AZ
the latter time she was patient in
the StreatOr hospital for some time
and refused To live with him after
that.
Mr.. Browne then stated that AT the
time Mrs Rolph was granted her tenn
porary alimOny her husband thru
atlidayits alleged that his holdings in
the Streator Lumber Cos We're val.
ued at only $4,000 but that later in
an effort to get some of his holdings
released from an injunction he test
fed in the Circuit Court that his in.
tercst in this company was valued at
about $40. 900 The attorney further
represented that the defendant owned
a large portion OF the stock in the
Ames Lumber Co. and the Peoples
Bank in Streator, and that his for
tune. 50 far as he was able 70 estimate
t. was valued at about $3.50 goo. lie
stated that the increased cost OF liv-
ing was such that it was costing Mrs
Rolph about twice as much to live as
il did when her almony was granted
He stated that Mrs. Rolph's first
husband died leaving her an estate
valued at about $4,000 which she
turned over to her second husband
He further stated that at the time
Rolph and his wife were married he
did not have a dollar but that he has
accumulated his fortune thru the
money that Mrs. Rolph gave him, and
that she had given him all the estate
of her first husband and was practi-
cally pennileSs now except for the ali
mony. He further told that at the
time Mrs. Rolph and her husband were
married. She was living in comfort
able home in Millington, which later
burned up, Rolph collecting the insur-
anCe.
He ended his plea by saying, Re
fore her marriage she lived in a com
Portable walk of life, 'Rolph is now liv
ing Iuxuliously on her property and
its accumulation and don't even deny
il. She needs more money to live on,
and has got to have 1t.
Mrs Rolph then took the stand, she
testified that she married her hus-
band November .. 1892, and had two
children by that marriage and one by
daughter was living in Washington.
ID c.. where she had been empolyed
her previous marriage That her
for past two years, and that she was
now making her home with her. she
told of her daughter by the hrst nus
band, who she claimed is now cared
for by her aunt in Chicago at a cost
OF from S45 to to SO per month to
her.
She was questioned about the
amount of her first husbands estate
and replied that he left between SO
900 and $50 900 and she turned II
every penny over to Mr., Rolph,
"Did he have any property at the
time of your marriage asked Mr..
Browne.
Not even trunk, not even SUIT
case" was the quick reply, He SNIP
" came into my well established home
and hung up his hat. Mr.. Rolph got
every dollar | mad" she continued
sold everything and turned the money
over to him When the house burned
he collected the insurance. thihk
it was about $l7t0; he handled the
business affairs.
I'm my husbands WI everything
was left to me unless ! remarked
II | remarked two-thirds of the estate
was to go to my daughter"
She estimated Rolph's estate at the
time she left him at about SlOtO0o.
He doesn't live in Streator much or
the time" she continued He spends
his winters in Florida and his sum
mers up north. He has a pretty good