Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 20, Number 41, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 24 January 1899 — The Circuit Court. [ARTICLE]

The Circuit Court.

. Three Divorces in One Da j. T|be Ben Hart divorce case was tried by Judge Thompson, Friday. The Harts lived in Jordan Tp. Both have been married before and both have children by the former marriages. Hart sued for divorce alleging uruel and inhuman treatment, in the way of abusive language, and throwing aspersions on the immaculate parity of his moral character. Mrs. Hart filed a cross complaint asking that she be granted the divorce. She also charged cruel and inhuman treatment. The judge heard the evidence and concluded that neither party had grounds sufficient to justify him in granting a divorce. The trial of the big ease from Lake Co. of Brown vs. the C. I. & L. Ry., was adjourned at 11 o’clock this. Saturday morning, until the same hour Monday morning. Jiidge Thompson broke all previous divorce records in this court by trying three cases and granting three divorces, in two hours time. The Leech and Hersbbeel case?! from Parr were two of the three, and the Gibson case, from Rensselaer, was the third. In John Leech vs Jettie Leech, John filed a complaint oharging his wife with cruel and inhuman treatment, in that aha refused to cook his meals or take care of his house. Jettie came back at John with a cross complaint, charging John with oruelty, in calling her bad names &c., and also with failure to provide, and she swore at the trial tbat the only clothing he ever bought her was a pair of shoes and a calico dress. The judge decided in her favor and granted her the divorce, the custody of their infant child and SIOO in alimony. The child is in evidence and can be delivered, but where the SIOO will come from, is an unsolved problem. This couple was married in Nov. 1896 and parted in December 1897. In the case of Minerva Hershbeei vs. William Hershbeel, the parties were married in June 1896, when the plaintiff was only 15 years old and the defendant 21. She charged cruel and inhuman treatment, such as striking and beating and cursing her. Also that he was a habitual drunkard and did nothing for her support. The evidence at the trial supported the allegations of the complaint and she was granted her divorce, and her maiden name of Leeoh. In the Rensselaer base of Rebecca A. Gibson vs. Edwin T. Gibson, the parties were married Aug. 4th, 1896 and separated June 27th, 1898. Both had been married before and the plaintiff had several children by her former marriage, some of them cf adult age. The oharge was cruel treatment, and she presented evidence that he called her bad names, struok her and threatened her life. She also alleged that he had got away with $1,500 worth of property she had when she married him. She was given her divorce and the name she had before she married Gibson, Rebecca A. Stiyers. The defendant is at Kalamazoo, Mich., and made no appearance in the case.