The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1923-02-01

Divorce was granted Friday after
noon in circuit court to Catherine
Spetzman Devices from Robert A.
Devices, and Mrs. Devices was given
the right to resume the name she
bore when as a widow, she was mar
ried to Devices at Chicago November
%, 1915. He also had been previous
ly married and both parties had chill
dren by their former unions, children
who are now upwards of twenty-one
years of age.
Under the court decree she resumes
her former name, Catherine Spetz-
man.~
Mrs. Spetzman is proprietor of a
summer resort at Powers Lake and
Devices is former Chicago attorney
who has now hotel at Riviera, Flor
ida, in partnership with Tom T. Can
non, Florida State Senator.
Charge Appropriation of Money.
Mrs. Spetzman testified that at the
been in the hotel business for many
years and in 1919 operated summer
resort at Powers Lake. She said
that Devices, who apparently was
formerly an attorney, was possessed
only of his law library at that time.
She said that for one year in 1919
the summer resort yielded profits of
$1,000, and that Devices manipulate
ed the bank account so that he sue
ceeded in drawing the entire sum.
which he converted to his own use.
The following year in 1920 she took
her husband into business as partner,
and he became joint owner of the re-
sort. That year, she testified the
profits were $10,50O, all of which De-
wees secured and converted to his
own use.
Spent Her Money on Wedding Trip.
The plaintiff said that just after
she and Devices were married, she
gave him $1,000, which he spent on
the wedding trip. She purchased a
car for $1,400, and that, she averted
he appropriated to his own use and
kept it until it was worn out. In 1918
he secured $1,000 from her which he
said he invested in Texas at eight
per cent. Mrs. Spetzman said she did
not know with whom the investment
was made, and had no papers to show
that she had claim to the sum. In all
Devices secured from her a sum in
excess of $15,500.
The complaining wife and partner
said that her husband did no active
work about the hotel. He loafed in
the morning and hung about in the
afternoon, but in the evening did do
some work checking up the register.
"To keep track how much money
was coming in?" asked George w.
Taylor, plaintiffs attorney.
81 guess so" she shrugged.
"Other Women In The Case.
According to the testimony, De-
wees had not been very particular in
his associations. He went frequent
ly on excursions with other women,
Mrs. Spetzman said, and women visit
ed him at his hotel in Riviera, Flor
ida, sometimes late at night.
Some of the women were of a very
low moral character, she testified
Mr.. and Mrs. Devices went to Florida
in the winter of 1922, and in the
spring of 1922, the wife returned
alone to Wisconsin. She declared
that his conduct in and about West
Palm Beach, Florida, with reference
to other women, Inundated her so
that she decided to leave him, and
they have not lived together since
May 1922.
Devices now, according to the state
ment of his wife, who has just secur-
ed divorce, is proprietor of a $780,
900 hotel in Riviera, Florida, in
partnership with Tom J. Cannon,
state senator of Florida.
Divorce was granted by default as
Devices did not put in an appearance
or an. answer. Service had been Sc
cured upon him at his residence in
Florida on January 4, 1923.