Walldren v. Walldren

63 S.W.2d 845, 187 Ark. 1077, 1933 Ark. LEXIS 205
CourtSupreme Court of Arkansas
DecidedOctober 23, 1933
Docket4-3171
StatusPublished
Cited by9 cases

This text of 63 S.W.2d 845 (Walldren v. Walldren) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Arkansas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Walldren v. Walldren, 63 S.W.2d 845, 187 Ark. 1077, 1933 Ark. LEXIS 205 (Ark. 1933).

Opinion

Mehaffy, J.

The appellee, Gage B. Walldren, was in business in Chicago, and on March 1, 1926, he and the appellant were married in Chicago. On August 4, 1932, appellee went to Hot Springs, Arkansas, and established his residence, and on October 4, 1932, he filed an action for divorce in the Garland Chancery Court, alleging a residence in Garland County for more than sixty days. A warning order was issued, and C. D. Harmon, an attorney, was appointed to notify appellant of said action.

On November 1, 1932, appellant, by her attorney, C. D. Harmon, filed answer and cross-complaint, in which she denied the material allegations of the complaint, and alleged that there were property rights to be adjudicated and that appellee was the owner of an interest in warehouses in Chicago, having a value of at least $75,000, and a yearly income for the years 1931 and 1932 and prior thereto, exceeding the sum of $6,400: She alleged that the appellee wilfully abandoned and left her on March 15, 1931, without reasonable cause, and that since that time he had utterly failed to adequately maintain and provide for her. She prayed that appellee’s complaint be dismissed; that she be awarded a reasonable sum for her maintenance and support, and for a continuing and permanent alimony.

Evidence was taken, and a decree was rendered by the chancery court on January 25,1933, granting divorce to appellee, and awarding judgment in favor of appellant in the sum of $300 as attorney’s fees, and the sum of $50 as expense money, and $80 per month alimony during their joint lives, unless the appellant shall sooner remarry, in which event payment of alimony shall cease. This appeal is prosecuted to reverse the decree of the chancery court, granting a divorce to appellee.

The evidence introduced on the part of the appellant showed that he was born in Chicago, and lived there continuously until he went to Hot Springs, August 4, 1932. He was interested in business in Chicago, one of the stockholders in a corporation, and that he has no business elsewhere, and no income except from his business in Chicago; that his income from this business the previous year was $6,400.

Mrs. Joseph Sullivan testified for the appellee that she is 37 years old, a sister of appellee, and has known the parties during their married life; visited them several times at their several addresses in Chicago; that during their married life she had opportunity to observe both of them; that her brother was a good husband, and was kind and affectionate, and did everything to make his wife’s life pleasant; he was a good provider and a dutiful husband; she observed appellant’s conduct towards her husband on numerous occasions, and, regardless of what her brother did, his wife was unappreciative of kindnesses bestowed upon her; continually nagged, fussed, and treated him indifferently in the presence of her friends without cause; on one occasion of their anniversary appellee, mailed her an anniversary card with $50, which did not meet with her approval, and she carried on a general war lasting several days, by heaping continuous insults upon him. One instance, the witness and her husband were invited to appellee’s home for dinner, and witness and her husband were late, and upon arrival at appellee’s home appellant was in a considerable temper and throughout the meal, in the presence of guests, continually nagged her husband about their lateness, made insulting remarks, to the embarrassment of appellee and their guests, causing the party to be concluded at an early hour. Appellant continuously and openly insulted appellee, and was guilty of rudeness, contempt, and continuously nagged at him, making his life intolerable; appellee did all he could to provide for appellant, of which she was unappreciative.

Edward E. Walldren, who is 75 years old and the father of the appellee, has known the appellant about eight years in Chicago; during the time his son and wife lived together, his son did everything in his power to make her happy. Appellant was rude, openly insulting, and nagged the appellee, and did other things to make his life miserable, and heaped so many indignities upon him that it was impossible to detail them unless asked to give a lengthy testimony; is convinced that his son’s wife had determined to 'make him unhappy and miserable, and kept him upset and did other things to interfere with his business, without cause.' June, 1930, at witness’ home in Long Lake, Illinois, his son and wife were invited to dinner with others, and without provocation appellant excepted to the arrival of certain other guests and insisted that appellee leave with her before dinner. After much embarrassment and provocation, they remained for dinner, during which time she sat with her back to the guests she objected to, and refused to enter into any conversation except to make sarcastic and impudent remarks to her husband. Her attitude toward appellee was at all times one of contempt and ridicule.

Gage B. Walldren, the appellee, testified that he was formerly engaged in the storage' business in Chicago; had been a resident of Hot Springs since August 4, 1932; married March 1, 1926, in Chicago, and he and appellant lived there together as husband and wife until March 15, 1931; shortly after their marriage appellant began a course of rudeness and contempt, continuously nagged and fussed, with the result that he could never please her; that he bestowed luxuries upon her in keeping with his financial condition, and she continuously demanded and expected more; openly insulted him in the presence of friends which humiliated him, and made his life miserable and intolerable; kept him upset to where he could not devote the time and thought his business demanded; he did things that any man. would do to make a woman happy, but it seemed that she was not satisfied.

Thomas Mays testified in substance that appellee came to his place in Hot Springs, Arkansas, on August 4, 1932, and had resided there since.

Edward E. Walldren was recalled. He testified that he was president of the Walldren Storage Warehouse, a closed corporation since November 15, 1929; that the stock book record was in possession of appellee, who was the secretary and treasurer of the company; the stockholders are witness, appellee, and James McGrath, an employee of the corporation; testified about one instance where he said the conduct of appellant broke up a party. She seemed to take delight in doing everything she could to make her husband’s life unhappy. He knew they were not getting along well; learned this from his son. The Walldren Storage Warehouse is a corporation capitalized at $100,000, and a mortgage on it for $65,000; it is a five-story, fireproof brick building. The stock book would show the interest of his son in the company, but he refuses to produce'the book, as it is in the possession of his son phis son is now in employ of the company, drawing, a salary, but has not been in the office for the last three months; the company maintains a record of the" salaries, but Im refuses to produce it. Witness testified at some length,'but generally that appellant nagged at'appellee, and insulted him, and in one instance witness was accused of carrying away wine glasses from the home of the mother of appellant, but diet not know who accused him.

Several witnesses testified-in behalf of appellant, each .of them contradicting the evidence given on the part of the appellee.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Welch v. Welch
491 S.W.2d 598 (Supreme Court of Arkansas, 1973)
Olivieri v. Escartín
79 P.R. 505 (Supreme Court of Puerto Rico, 1956)
Morales v. Vélez
75 P.R. 901 (Supreme Court of Puerto Rico, 1954)
Smith v. Smith
223 S.W.2d 776 (Supreme Court of Arkansas, 1949)
Crenshaw v. Crenshaw
182 P.2d 477 (Montana Supreme Court, 1947)
Settles v. Settles
195 S.W.2d 59 (Supreme Court of Arkansas, 1946)
Alston v. Alston
74 S.W.2d 239 (Supreme Court of Arkansas, 1934)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
63 S.W.2d 845, 187 Ark. 1077, 1933 Ark. LEXIS 205, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/walldren-v-walldren-ark-1933.