Evening Republican, Volume 22, Number 225, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 17 September 1919 — SENSATIONAL SUIT IS FILED [ARTICLE]

SENSATIONAL SUIT IS FILED

DR. HANSSON IS MADE DEFENDANT IN SUIT FOR/ DIVORCE There was filed in the Jasper circuit court today a suit which will undoubtedly be one of the most sensational ever tried in this county. The suit is brought by Kate Hansson against John Hansson. Moses Leopold is the attorney for the plaintiff. Rumors of serious trouble in this family have been reported for years and the divorce proceeding is not a surprise to their neighbors and others who have known of the unpleasant relations seeming to exist in the family. The charge? in the plaintiff’s application for divorce are as follows: “The plaintiff in the above entitled cause complains of the defendant and alleges that she is now and has been for more than two years last past a bona fide resident of the state of Indiana, and for more than six months past a bona * fide resident of Rensselaer, Jasper county, in said state. “That the plaintiff and defendant were duly married on the 29th day of January, 1896, and lived together as husband and wife until the ——- day of , 1919. The plaintiff further alleges that she has resided in the sanie house with said defendant since the day of not since said year cohabited together nor eaten their meals together, but have occupied separate rooms in said dwelling and have lived separate and apart therein. That during all the time since the year 1915, up to the present time, the defendant has been guilty of cruel and inhuman treatments of and toward this plaintfif, in this, that the defendant has repeatedly told her that ‘she is not a decent woman and not a fit mother to raise a daughter,’ and that he has repeatedly called her and that he has cursed her by often saying, ‘G— d— you, I will knock your head off,’ and that he has repeatedly told her that ‘she is crazy and that everybody knew it.’ The plaintiff further alleges that on one occasion and within the last month she ‘asked the defendant to what school he intended to send their daughter, Annette,’ and that the defendant answered, ‘G— d— you, it’s none of your business about that school; you are not a fit mother to raise her. You get out of here,’ and thereupon he seized two buckets of cold water and threw the same upon this plaintiff. The plaintiff further alleges that the defendant has used other vile and abusive language toward the plaintiff which cannot be quoted in this complaint with proper regard for that chastity of language which should characterize all civil pleadings. plAintiff farther alleges that the defendant is 49 years of age, and is more than six feet tall and weighs approximately 300 pounds and is in all respects a giant physically. The plaintiff further says that she is 44 years of age, and weighs 110 pounds and is very frail physically. The plaintiff further complains of the defendant and says that during all the time since the year 1915 the defendant, knowing of his superior weight and strength and knowing of her weak and frail condition and without any cause or provocation on her part and for the sole purpose of torturing her, has repeatedly slapped and choked the

plaintiff, and that he has repeatedly thrown her upon a bed and jerked her with such violence as to render her almost unconscious. “The plaintiff further alleges that the defendant has often .boasted of his wealth and of his influence over the citizens of Rensselaer and vicinity and has threatened, in case the plaintiff brought suit . against him for a divorce, to use his wealth and his influence for the purpose of procuring witnesses to testify that she was an unchaste woman and that her reputation for chastity was bad. “The plaintiff further alleges that the defendant, within the past few days, has threatened her with further physical violence and told her that unless she sign a certain paper within a certain specified time, which paper purported to be a settlement of their domestic affairs, that he would fix her for all time to come, meaning thereby that the corporal punishment he would inflict upon, her would be severe and result in permanent injury to the plaintiff. That the plaintiff refused to sign said paper, believing from the defendant’s past treatment of her that he would carry out his threats of violence, was comto and did leave the house where they resided and take up her home among strangers as a place of refuge , , , “That plaintiff and defendant have, as the fruits of their marriage, two children, whose names and ages are as follows, to-wit: Gravelous Hansson, Who is 22 years of age, and Annette Hansson, who is 19 years of age. “That the defendant is not a nt person to have the care and custody of said Annette Hansson, and that she is a proper person to have the care and custody of said Annette Hansson. “That the defendant is the owner of real estate in Jasper county, Indiana, of the value of $30,000.00, and personal property of the value of $20,000.00, and that the plaintiff has no property, real or personal. “That the plaintiff and defendant separated as aforesaid and have not since lived or cohabited together. . “Wherefore, plaintiff prays tne court that the bonds of matrimony heretofore existing between the plaintiff and defendant be dis r solved, and that the plaintiff be granted a divorce, and that she be given the care and custody of their said daughter, and that she have judgment for $20,000.00 alimony and the sum of $1,000.00 per annum for the maintenance of said Annette Hansson, to be paid as the court may direct, and for all other proper relief.”