A Devastating Betrayal in Marriage

Mrs. Steele, who brought suit against David B. Steele on March 24 to have certain deeds executed by her set aside on the ground of fraud, brought an action yesterday for a divorce, alleging cruelty and refusal to support. She asserts in her complaint that she was married to her husband at Brockville, Ontario, on February 21, 1888, and that since the marriage they have acquired real property in this city valued at $30,000; about $22,000 worth in Montana and $23,000 worth of land in Iowa City, Mo., and Vancouver, B. C. She alleges that her husband induced her by certain representations to deed him her interest in the property so that he could control it for mining operations, promising that he would soon send her $30,000 in return and they would go on to the World’s Fair together. So far from doing this, however, she alleges that he no sooner acquired her interest in the property than he began to abuse and ill-treat her and threatened to shoot her, adding that he had her just where he wanted her; that he could sell all her property and that she could not get a cent. She also complained that he cut down her income from $122 to $40 a month and notified the Seattle tenants not to pay rent to her; that he took the key of the house she was living in away from her, removed part of the furniture and sent it to Portland, and was threatening to send off the rest. Mrs. Steele says that she has one son, who is married and living in Portland, that she is 62 years of age and not able to support herself.