The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1922-10-17
HOT NEWS FROM
DAT MAN, ARIZONA
DIVORCE PROCEEDINGS OF
INDIAN AND WIFE WOULD
DO CREDIT TO EAST.

OATMAN, Ariz. - The opening
skirmish OF one OF the most interest
ing legal battles in the history OF Mo-
have county was fought out recently
in the Oatman court OF domestic re-
lations when John Oatman, wealthy
Nohave Indian. was sued fOr divorce
hv his wife. Estelle Oatman. Both
niaintiff and defendant live near Dat
man gold camp, in which the MohaVe
chief is heavily interested.
Iohn Oatmau claims to be the
grandson OF Ola Oatman, famous IL
Arizona history. In 1851 the Oatman
family while on its way from limos
n California, was massaCTed by IN
dams One daughter Ola, was spared
and forced to marry a Mohave brave.
She became such thorough Indian
woman that wears later when her
brother insisted that she leave her
husband and children she went IN
sane. NJ.
In bringing her suit Tor divorce Mrs
Oa+man Swore. both legally and ut
erallv that her husband had reverted
to dog dinners" that he frightened
her on several occasions by putting
ohosnhorus on his body and doing the
old tribal ghost dances, and that he
had had many conferences with boot
leo oeddlers OF coffin varnish, Tor
ty7rod" and "sheep-herder's delight.
Through her attorney, Y. 2. Lucas,
Of Oatr1an, Mrs. Oatman further al
legged that her husband was addicted
10 eating locoweed, and that during
the deuentia following this dissipa-
tion on one occasion he had tied her
into the topmost prickly branches OF
candelabra cactus twenty-five feet
high and had lett her there during
scorching hot afternoon
She further alleged that while III the
hogan" or house, Mr. Oatman con-
tinuallv scratched matches on his bare
foot: that. following an ancient Mo
have custom, he had refused 70 look
at his mother-in law since the Oatman
marriage in 1908, and that III 1911 he.
had threatened to feed her youngest
son, then eight months old, to the
Mohave sacred rattlesnake, which IS
led but once year.
While using dynamite in working
claim in the Oatman gold mining
district in 1910 Mr. Oatman lost part
OF his SCALP. one eye and also sustain
ed such severe decorations OF the low
er law that DR.. r. A. Hoag, a local
dentist who was called as witness,
found it necessary to extract all OF
Claimants teeth. Since which time,
Mrs. Oatman testified, her husband
had taken delight in removing his
false teeth, taking out his glass eye
and "scalping himself by removing
his wig in order to brighten both his
own children and the boys and girls
Of the tribe.
Il also was brought out that follow
ing a recent division OF communal
property Oatman, in order to get his
half OF the household furniture, had
sawed one table, three chairs and
chest of drawers in two and had then
removed his half of the furniture from
the Oatman home. Mrs. Oatman com
planned particularly and bitterly that
Oatman, in order to get what he
claimed was his hall OF everything
had sawed in two a pastel picture OF
Mary Bots de Vache, her mother,
which crayon likeness she said she
had purchased in the town OF Oatman
some wears before from a travelling
Swedish artist Later in the hearing
however. Mrs Oatman admitted that
when she and her husband had become
reconciled temporarily he had gallant
" attempted to make amends by nail
ing the picture Of her mother and the
other household goods together again.
During the testimony strange Mo-
have custom was revealed. In years
past when a Mohave wife wished to
divorce her husband she merely put
his saddle outside the door. and no
further hint was needed. The husband
did not return But now, Mrs. Dat
man complained, mo horse, no more;
no mule. no more; no saddle, no more.
My man got a flivver in the kitchen
with no rubber on the wheels. But
Mohave woman can't stick flivver out
side door like old time saddle.
In his own defense, through Law
yer H. c. Topp, Mr. Oatman stated
that he was tired of married life, that
his wife put mud on her hair and fed
him nothing but prunes and chile con
carne. prunes and tortlias, prunes and
enchiladas, prunes and frijoles and
primes and tamales
Judge Zadock Sheffield has taken
the case under advisement and will
hand down a decision soon. The EN-
tire mining camp eagerly awaits the
verdict.