Brooklyn Eagle/1878/Uncle Lattin
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UNCLE LATTIN.
Some Phases of his Religious and Married Life.
His Wife's Complaint of his Cruelty and Meanness - His Side of the Case.
Counselor Noble, of Long Island City, is taking the testimony, as referee, in the suit for divorce instituted by Mrs. Hannah Lattin, of Farmingdale, against her husband, Daniel [sic] Lattin. Counselor Brower, of Brooklyn, represented Mrs. Lattin, and ex-Judge Reld, of Babylon, is counsel for the defendant. Mr. Lattin is 72 years old. Mrs. Lattin is about 65. She was a widow with two daughters, both of whom were married when she married Mr. Lattin five years ago. Mr. Lattin had been married, too, and had some children. He was at one time an extensive farmer, but old age compelled him to relinquish active labor, and gradually he disposed of his possessions until only a mere garden patch was left to him. He had a comfortable home, and as his income was no longer sufficient to enable him to retain servants, he began looking around for a life partner, and found her in the widow Williams. He was an enthusiast in religious matters, a praying and exhorting brother in the Methodist Church. Their married life has not been happy. When he would knock Mrs. Lattin down, as she alleges he frequently did, he would exclaim, "Glory, hallelujah! Bless the Lord!" The suit is brought in consequence of this alleged "cruel and inhuman treatment." It is charged that he neglected to provide the necessaries of life for the house, and that during their whole married life he never expended in the aggregate more than four dollars for shoes and clothing for Mrs. Lattin. He is said literally to have lived upon his religion. He believed that he was sanctified. He could endure for a week without eating, and insisted that others should do the same. In April last Mrs. Lattin abandoned him and his home, and went to re- side with one of her daughters. The testimony for the plaintiff shows that in four years Mr. Lattin provided her with one pair of shoes. In 1876 Mrs. Lattin ate some eggs from a lot that Mr. Lattin was saving to sell. and it is charged that he punished her by catching her by the throat and blaspheming at her, saying that he would kick her so that she would not be able to leave the hennery again, and that "by the law of Moses he would cut her head off." As he said this, it is alleged that he choked her. On another occasion, Mrs. Lattin cut up a pair of blankets to provide herself with underwear for the Winter. It is alleged that for doing this he chased her with a club, striking several blows at her head, which she warded off with her aprons. "Lord, help Thy servant," he would exclaim, as he struck at her head and missed it. At other times ho would about "Oh ! Glory You'd better repent," as he plied his fists, and when he got in a good blow his favorite ejaculation Was "Bless the Lord!". Mr. Lattin's Turn. "You've been tellin' all sorts o'lies 'bout me," said Lattin on the occasion of the last hearing. "But wait till my turn comes. O, Glory! You'd better repent." Mr. Lattin's turn came yesterday. He said he was disabled by age and could not work. His income is from three acres of land and the interest of $1,100. He denied unqualified that he had ever used violence toward his wife, or that she suffered from the lack of food and clothing. He said that once ho thought she was going to strike him with a stick, and he pushed her down on a bed, took the stick from her but did not "punch" her in the aide with it. He used on that occasion language which Judge Reid termed a "fragrant expression," and as Mr. Brower insisted that the language should go in the minutes, the Judge obtained from Mr. Lattin several fragrant expressions" which Mrs. Lattin used on the turbulent occasions. Mr. Lattin denied that he frothed at the mouth when scolding his wife for making petticoats of the bed blankets. "She accused me of killing my first wife," said Mr. Lattin, "and to provoke me called me everything but a clever fellow." Again, she would leave the doors open in cold weather, when she knew I wished them shut. Sometimes I would put my arm around her neck in a playful manner, and she would say, "I'll kill you!" I would say, "O, Hannah, I wouldn't." Then he added, "It was all vanity, you know - all vanity. There was trouble, Mr. Lattin averred, because he would not permit his wife's daughter (Mrs. Sayres) and her son to live in the house. "It was a bad case of daughter-in-law, and that is all there is to it," said Judge Reid. When Mr. Lattin, in the Winter of '78, was disabled by an accident, his wife remained "at Sarah Jane's," and the neighbors had to come in and help him. Judge Reid - Did you ever shout and exhort so loudly as to keep your wife awake all night? Mr. Lattin said he did not. Mr. Brower - Will you swear you did not? Mr. Lattin - I have always been in the habit of praising the Lord, but not so that she has not had plenty of time to sleep. I have been in the habit of praying ever since the Lord converted my soul from death unto life. I have been a professor of religion for thirty-six years. (Hallelujah.)" His First Wife's Clothes. Mr. Lattin was comparatively quiet during his direct examination, but the cross examination afforded a "circus" for the spectators. "O, you can't catch me; I'm all straight a'nt a lyin'," was what he frequently said to Mr. Brower. He said his first wife left clothes and that his second wife had them to wear. "How do you know?" asked Mr. Brower. "O, we took an inventory, we did," then shaking his fist at counsel, "We're straight, wo is" The inventory placed the value of the goods at $25. He recollected having given his present wife sixty or seventy cents at one time to buy chemises, and did not give her more because there was "so much clothes in the house." He could not recollect that he over gave his wife money to exceed two dollars. His meat bills for nearly va years were $50. He was made poor one year by having a $30 cow run over by a railroad train. А Preacher And Exhorter. "Mr. Brower - You are an exhorter, and sometimes preach, do you not? Mr. Lattin - Yes; preach Jesus Christ and Him crucified; (excitedly, and singing) "Jesus, lover of any soul -" There, there, stop," said the referee. "Let me to Thy bosom fly -" "Stop, I tell you!" and the referee rose from his seat. Mr. Lattin subsided at Judge Reid's solicitation. He said his wife was like all other women - she had grit. Mr. Brower - Was your wife ever frightened at your religious demonstrations? Mr. Lattin - She was never frightened at anything I did in praising the Lord. She went to the altar once and made profession of faith. I tried to get her to pray, but she soon fell away. Mr. Lattin said he had been arrested once for striking an Irishman who bad struck his son. "And I will defend myself and children, by the grace of God," he concluded.