Sure - they're long gone (forgive the length of the message, but I
wanted you to get the whole "flavor")......Hannah A. Curtis said that
"during the past three years he has grown careless, indifferent and
estremely indolent, and has almost wholly failed to support his family,
and besides he has become addicted to most bestial and degraded habits
of which plaintiff has lately learned. That the knowledge of these
habits of defendant has made plaintiff greatly ashamed of herself and
for him - and it has given her great grief and pain of mine - and has
rendered his very presence obnoxious and most abhorrent to her - so much
so that when she came to know the whole truth concerning his bestial
practices with brutes, which things he admitted to be true, she turned
away from him in loathing and disgust and she left his house and she
never can live in cohabit with him again."
In return, John F. Curtis accused Hannah of the following: "That some
time the early part of the year 1887 she formed an acquaintance with and
conceived an attachment for one Scott Hendrix who was at the time a
married man residing in the neighborhood of your petitioners residence
in Union Twp said County and State, and that an undue and improper
intimacy sprang up between said parties which manifested itself by their
fondling and caressing each other, at one time in the house of said
Hendrix at a time when the wife of said Hendrix was upon her dying bed.
That soon afterwards your petitioner was informed of these acts of
impropriety and remonstrated with her, but she refused to deny the
attachment - or to promise reformation for the future.
That shortly after this she admitted to petitioner that said Hendrix had
kissed her and asken (sic) to be permitted to have sexual intercourse
with her, but exhibited no indignation at the insult offered. At another
time when said Hendrix came to petitioners house in his absence and
made similar proposals to her and threatened to shoot himself with a gun
which he leveled at his head, unless she would comply with his proposals
and yield to his carnal desires, she, instead of exhibiting indignation,
pulled the muzzle of the gun away from his head and invited him into the
house.
That during the summer and Fall of 1887 when your petitioner was in the
fields at work, or away from home, industriously laboring to support his
family said Hendrix would visit petitioners house and hold long and
earnest conversations and talks with petitioners wife, at times she
would stand for hours at her gate talking to him when the older child
was in the house and she did not want their conversation heard. That
these and numerous other acts of a similar nature and import continued
during said summer and fall, torturing your petitioner with fears and
suspicions and utterly destroying his confidence in said petitioner and
his domestic peace and happiness.
That when a short time before the separation your petitioner
remonstrated with her and besought her to abandon her association with
this man and bestow her affection on her children and your petitioner,
informing her that the past would be forgiven, she flatly informed him
that she did not love him [submitters note - the line and that she had
much greater affection for said Hendrix was struck out at this point]."
I would also note that John Curtis died about 6 months after the filing
of this petition, and Hannah remarried - to Scott Hendricks. As you can
see, the court minutes would be fascinating....Karen P.
WoodsieB(a)aol.com wrote:
Karen, Without meaning to be too nosey... I am rather curious what
accusations merit divorce in those days. Can you share?
Kathi