Camden Courier-Post, May 15, 1936View transcription
WIFE SPIRITUALIST, MAN ASKS DIVORCE
Decree One of Six Recommended Here; Varied Rows Aired in Court
Because Thomas Van Newkirk, 3718 Frosthoffer avenue, objected to his wife attending spiritualist meetings, she left him.
Van Newkirk was one of four men and two women who were recommended divorces by Advisory Masters William J. Kraft and William B. Knight. All but one charged desertion, the other extreme cruelty.
Van Newkirk testified before Kraft that he and his wife, Ruby, of 1201 North Thirty-sixth street, were married at Media in September, 1928, and that she deserted him in August, 1933, after an argument over her attending spiritualist meetings.
Van Newkirk said his wife went to them regularly once a week and that he was unable to persuade her not to go. The couple has two children, Dorothy R., 7, and Richard Thomas, 5, who are with their father.
Living with his wife and knowing that she cared for another man was bad enough, but when the other man began to call her on the telephone, that was too much for [illegible] Lyon, 324 Pearl street, Clayton, a Philadelphia bank clerk. [illegible] recommended a divorce from his wife, Martha E., 6301 Grays avenue, Philadelphia.
Lyon said they were married in 1919 and separated last September. They have two children, Richard E., 15, and Shirley A., 14, who are with their mother.
Lyon told Advisory Master Kraft his wife admitted she had "transferred her affections to another man." Lyon did not reveal who the man was. He said he continued to live with his wife until 1934, when the other man began to call his wife on the telephone. The climax, he testified, came last September, when he called her while they were entertaining friends. Lyon said he told his wife either he or she would have to leave. She did, Lyon testified.
A witness for Lyon was his sister-in-law, Mrs. Marie Gray, of Philadelphia, who said her sister admitted to her there was "another man."
Mrs. Bertha Verfaillie, 21 South Sussex street, Gloucester, who was recommended a decree by Advisory Master Kraft from her husband, William H. of Brooklawn, exhibited her burned marriage license.
She testified her husband burned it with a match and said he was "a beast" when he came home drunk. It was then, she testified, that he would kick her and overturn the furniture. Advisory Master Kraft placed an order of $5 a week on Verfaillie for the support of his daughter, Angela, 14, who is with her mother.
After 31 years of married life, his wife left him, Charles Piper, 910 North Thirty-third street, told Advisory Master Knight. He and his wife, Farabelle, 2642 Federal street, were married in 1898 and separated in 1929. There are two grown children, Elsie and Farabelle.
Her husband wanted her to work all the time and when she fell ill, told her he was "disgusted" with her and left her, testified Mrs. Anna H. Atkinson, 2830 Concord avenue, against her husband, Millard, Hartford, Conn. Mrs. Atkinson said they were married in 1923 and that her husband left her in 1932. She retains the custody of their two children, Millard, 9, and Charles, 5.
[Article continues with a sixth case, cut off mid-sentence ("...of Millville") at the edge of the scan — untranscribed as illegible/absent from the source.]
Decree One of Six Recommended Here; Varied Rows Aired in Court
Because Thomas Van Newkirk, 3718 Frosthoffer avenue, objected to his wife attending spiritualist meetings, she left him.
Van Newkirk was one of four men and two women who were recommended divorces by Advisory Masters William J. Kraft and William B. Knight. All but one charged desertion, the other extreme cruelty.
Van Newkirk testified before Kraft that he and his wife, Ruby, of 1201 North Thirty-sixth street, were married at Media in September, 1928, and that she deserted him in August, 1933, after an argument over her attending spiritualist meetings.
Van Newkirk said his wife went to them regularly once a week and that he was unable to persuade her not to go. The couple has two children, Dorothy R., 7, and Richard Thomas, 5, who are with their father.
Living with his wife and knowing that she cared for another man was bad enough, but when the other man began to call her on the telephone, that was too much for [illegible] Lyon, 324 Pearl street, Clayton, a Philadelphia bank clerk. [illegible] recommended a divorce from his wife, Martha E., 6301 Grays avenue, Philadelphia.
Lyon said they were married in 1919 and separated last September. They have two children, Richard E., 15, and Shirley A., 14, who are with their mother.
Lyon told Advisory Master Kraft his wife admitted she had “transferred her affections to another man.” Lyon did not reveal who the man was. He said he continued to live with his wife until 1934, when the other man began to call his wife on the telephone. The climax, he testified, came last September, when he called her while they were entertaining friends. Lyon said he told his wife either he or she would have to leave. She did, Lyon testified.
A witness for Lyon was his sister-in-law, Mrs. Marie Gray, of Philadelphia, who said her sister admitted to her there was “another man.”
Mrs. Bertha Verfaillie, 21 South Sussex street, Gloucester, who was recommended a decree by Advisory Master Kraft from her husband, William H. of Brooklawn, exhibited her burned marriage license.
She testified her husband burned it with a match and said he was “a beast” when he came home drunk. It was then, she testified, that he would kick her and overturn the furniture. Advisory Master Kraft placed an order of $5 a week on Verfaillie for the support of his daughter, Angela, 14, who is with her mother.
After 31 years of married life, his wife left him, Charles Piper, 910 North Thirty-third street, told Advisory Master Knight. He and his wife, Farabelle, 2642 Federal street, were married in 1898 and separated in 1929. There are two grown children, Elsie and Farabelle.
Camden Courier-Post, May 15, 1936 (detail — the Charles Piper case)View transcription
After 31 years of married life, his wife left him, Charles Piper, 910 North Thirty-third street, told Advisory Master Knight. He and his wife, Farabelle, 2642 Federal street, were married in 1898 and separated in 1929. There are two grown children, Elsie and Farabelle.
Her husband wanted her to work all the time and when she fell ill, told her he was “disgusted” with her and left her, testified Mrs. Anna H. Atkinson, 2830 Concord avenue, against her husband, Millard, Hartford, Conn. Mrs. Atkinson said they were married in 1923 and that her husband left her in 1932. She retains the custody of their two children, Millard, 9, and Charles, 5.
