The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1923-11-08
LOVE CONTRACT
FAILS TO HOLD
Scales and Wife Entered
Into Business Like
Union in 1917.
NOW GET DIVORCE
Married without License or
Clergyman, They Are Now
Separated Again.

The up-to-the- minute sheik and his
/ Iassie, the up-to-the-minute Happier,
had better not follow the example OF
Arthur Scales and Lillian Sterneman
and enter marriage by contract just
to be modern and all that, because I'M
der the laws of the state of Wisconsin,
at can't be did" any more.
In April 1917 Arthur Scales, an adj
vertising man on a Milwaukee news
paper, entered marriage contract
with Lillian Sterneman. They did not
| apply for a license or seek minister
of the gospel or a justice of the peace
or anything like that. They simply
signed a document agreeing to take
each other as man and wife. There was
no "for better of worse" or until
death do us part" about it at all. 1t
was just a simple contract. worded
like any other business contract only
different.
Now Gets a Divorce
The marriage so contracted, like
many other marriages all orange bios
/ SONS and rice, did not appear in spite
of the dispassionate way in which the
state had been entered. Today in the
municipal court of Kenosha county a
divorce was granted to the wife, who
will resume her name of Lillian
Sterneman.
No children have been born to the
marriage. Mrs. Scales charges that
her husband treated her roughly abus-
ing her in profane terms and some
times striking at her. Last Christmas
day, she alleges he struck her in the
face in the presence of company at
their common home, causing her hui
initiation and mental distress.
Came to End of Road
Scales in dignifed letter to divorce
counsel at Kenosha, expressed no de-
sire to contest the divorce action COM
menced by his wife, bat admitted that
their life together had been unhappy.
81 am writing to state" said Scales,
| chat for several years preceding our
separation in May 1928, my wife and I
had been unable to get along together
and that scarcely day passed. with
out some friction or trouble between
u.s. / do not deny that have not been
at fault at times, but at. the same
time, i believe that it is fair to say
that some of our quarrels were init
ated by reason of my wife's DISPOSE
ton.
81 am employed as a newspaper adj
vertising solicitor and my employment
makes it necessary for me to be able
to give it undivided and scrupulous
attention. While l was living at home,
II was continually worried and har-
assed by reason of the fact that our
relations were so wholly incompatible.
At the time I left Mrs. Scales in May
| expressed the desire that she proceed
to apply for a divorce. We have not
lived together since that time and I
feel that we should never be able to
live together again"
Can't do it any More
The contract marriage which was en-
tered by Scales and his wife in the
spring of 1877 was legal at the time.
But by an act of legislature which
went into effect in July 1917 it is now
necessary for any couple intending to
wed to secure a state marriage license.
Once having procured the license they
may be married by clergyman, by a
justice of the peace or judge of a
court or simply by signing a document
in the presenc9 of competent witnesses
as was done here.
The marriage cont-.t entered into
by Mr.. and Mrs. Scales reads as fol-
! lows:
The Marriage Contract
l. The undersigned, Arthur G.. Scales
of Milwaukee. Milwaukee county,
Wisconsin, who is herinaf n called
the husband, and Lillian Sterneman of
Milwaukee, Milwaukee county, Wiscon-
sin, who is hereinafter called the wife,
and who are both of full age and com
petent to contract, marriage, do here
by agree to become husband and wife
and do hereby by virtue of this writing
take each other for husband, and wife
and do sign, execute and deliver, this
instrument in duplicate each to the
J other for the purpose of creating. con-
shutting at once a contract of mar
riage and for the purpose making
themselves at once husband and wife
|
ccnsin. The said Arthur C. Scales
hereby at once taking the said Lillian
Sterneman, for his wife, and t. said
Lillian Sterneman hereby at once TAX
ing the said Arthur G. Scales for her
husband. This contract to come into
complete operation at once to make the
parties hereto husband and wife i'm
mediately by the creation of a com
plete marriage between them.
In witness whereof the said parties
have both signed, sealed and deliver
ed this instrument, such delivery be-
ing by each of them to the other and
they both being together at the city of
Milwaukee, state Of Wisconsin, when
this contract was made, signed .execut-
ed and delivered between them, for
the purpose and with the intent to
make them husband and wife forth
with all on the seventh day of April.
1917. (Signed) Arthur 6. Scales, Hus-
band, Lillian Sterneman, Wife. Sign
ed also by two witnesses.
City Manager c. NJ Osborn was in
Oshkosh today to address the Kiwanis
/ club of that city regarding the advis-
e r