Groves v. Groves
Groves v. Groves
Opinion of the Court
The plaintiff petitioned for divorce because of alleged cruel and inhuman treatment endangering his life. Defendant denied the charges of cruelty and averred in substance that in so far as she upon any occasion said or did anything to the injury of plaintiff she had been provoked or driven thereto by the misconduct of the plaintiff and by his ill-treatment of her. She further alleges that her acts, if any, of which plaintiff could have truthfully complained were afterwards condoned by him. She further charges him with wilful desertion of her, and expresses her willingness to restore their family relations and to live with plaintiff as his wife. The trial court found for the plaintiff and granted him a divorce, but adjudged and required him to pay to the defendant a stated sum for the support of their infant son and to pay the costs of the action. The defendant appeals.
The evidence shows that the parties were married in the year 1900 and that they lived together until August, 1912, when plaintiff left his wife and home and went to Chicago, Illinois. When leaving, he kissed his wife good-by and told her he would send for her to come to Chicago. It is very plain, however, that he did not intend to live with her any longer. He did not send for her or return to her and four months later, began this action for divorce. It is quite clear that the parties did not live happily together. It is equally plain that, aside from negligible incidents of ill temper or petulance on one or both sides, the only real trouble between them is the outgrowth of jealousy. On one occasion, plaintiff was excited to anger over what he considered the unbecoming freedom of conduct between his wife and a street car conductor and this led to an angry altercation between the parties; but as this is the only incident in which he questioned her relations with other men and it occurred more than two years before their family relations were broken, it has no material significance in this case. It is undisputed, however, that for a year or two before they separated, defendant became very jealous of her husband’s attentions to other women named in the record and that, growing out of this fact, there was continued bickering between them and defendant expressed her indignation quite freely to others. It is equally clear that defendant had excellent reasons for her jealousy, and whatever may be thought of the wisdom or propriety of the manner in which she manifested her resentment, it was not unnatural, and the husband who continually provoked it is the last person in the world who should be heard to complain of it, and least of all should it be made the ground for equitable relief in his favor. He 'admits that, while still living with his wife, he made the acquaintance of a young woman in another city, to whom he was introduced as a single
The record is without support for the conclusion that the life of plaintiff has been endangered in any.manner by the alleged abuse or cruelty of the defendant, and the charge that she neglected plaintiff in sickness is not proven. So. lacking is the case in all apparent merit that it suggests a doubt whether the whole record is before us, but the appeal appears to have been regularly taken and the abstract purports to present all the evidence material to the issues tried. Upon such showing and in the absence of any appearance' by the appellee to question or deny it, we are bound to accept it and reach our conclusions therefrom. We have, therefore, to hold that the petition for divorce should have been dismissed.
The decree below must be reversed, except as to the taxation of costs. Costs of this court will he taxed to the appellee. ■ — Reversed.
Case-law data current through December 31, 2025. Source: CourtListener bulk data.