The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1923-12-27
MRS. LEXINGTON
I DENIED DIVORCE
Judge Differs With Her
Views of Cruel and In
human Treatment.
POTTERTON Is NAMED
Name of Russell POtterton,
Family Friend, Is Men
toned Frequently.

Judge E. B. Belden denied divorce
to Ada bennington from her husband
Charles. after listening to testimony
for more than an hour and half late
Yesterday afternoon. The wife had
sued on grounds of cruel and inhuman
treatment.
On the witness stand on direct ex-
animation the wife testified that she
had no further love for bennington,
for he had killed it by staying out
bowling at the club two nights a week
and remaining away from home all
night many times on. Saturday night.
She further stated that he had pen
chant for risking his pay check on
games of chance, particularly poker,
and that on one occasion ne had lost
$50
Under the questioning of her at
torney, Calvin Stewart, she stated that
bennington had once caught her by the
arms and shaken her on a public
street, and then threatened to take
their four-y ear-old son away from her.
Another example of his cruel and in
human treatment she said was shown
on one occasion when the baby was
sick, when she herself had severe
headache, and the husband brought
home party Of friends for a card
game which lasted until ) a. m.
Enter--'The Family Friends.
On cross examination by Attorney
Morris Barnett, the wife admitted
that the incident of the public shaking
had occurred at 1880 at night on the
street nearly in front Of their house
and that no one mad seen it. She also
admitted that she mad gotten out of a
machine shortly before this, and that
when questioned by her husband as to
who had escorted her home she stated
that it was father. The husband
recognizing that the car was not that
Of her father confronted her point
blank and gotten the admission that it
was Jack Nelson. Then she was
shaken
Asked why she had said that it was
ner father she replied that she ''did
not know
Several months ago she met Russell
Potterton at a dance, and she admit
SSN btIcib OpOA llGL nuSUduQ D buISdL
that if you don't stay away from
Russell, I'll so TO Russell and tell him
to stay away from you," she had prom
ised to leave him alone.
Then there followed number of
dates and questions as to whether
Russell Potterton had not met her on
those occasions and taken her to
dances, or riding, and in each instance
the wifes memory seemed poor. She
said she didn't remember how often
she had been out with Potterton.
Here Last Saturday.
Asked If Potterton was still in
town, she replied that he had left and
that she didn't know exactly where he
was. In reply to the questions of her
own attorney she said that he was
simply friend Of the family and that
he was in Illinois some place. She
said that her sister kept company with
his brother, and that he left about
three weeks ago.
Then under the questioning of At
torney Barnett as to who she was out
with a week ageeaSaturday~ night she
admitted that it was Potterton again.
"Do you know who you were out
with this last Saturday night?" he
asked.
81 sure do"
"Who was it, if you care to say?"
Russell Potterton."
Il thought you said that he left
here about three weeks ago." To this
question there was no answer.
Home to Mother.
The wife testified that she went
home to her mother, Mrs. David Shes
Diet, on South Park avenue, last June
following an alteration with her hus-
band, and that she and the boy had
been living there ever since.
She admitted that her husband had
made several attempts to patch up
their matrimonial bark and get it
afoat again, but she said that she
didn't want to go back.
The wife's memory again played her
false when asked if she had told Mr..
Dreamer that she would find out some
day." in reply to his question as to
why she hung around with Russell
Potterton.
Dorothy, sister of the wife was
then put on the stand. She testified
that there had been continual strife
in the household, and that the wife
had begged bennington to learn to
dance but that he had refused A
general laugh followed, after Attorney
Stewart had spoken up and said that a
man didn't need TO learn to dance if
he didn't want to.
The wife's father then told of his
attempts to keep the young couple to-
gether. They were married in 1917.