from The Republican (Danville, Indiana)--issue of Thursday, August 28, 1902--page 8, column 3:
MORE UNHAPPINESS
Thomas J. Miles Defendant in a Divorce Suit
Melvina Miles has filed against her husband, Thomas J. Miles, for divorce and $50,000 alimony. Mr. Miles is one of the wealthiest men in the county and a prominent citizen of Liberty township.
The complaint recites that they were married July 30, 1890, and lived together until June 7, 1902, and that for eight years the defendant has been guilty of cruel and inhuman treatment, that he is stingy although worth $150,000, that for the purpose of annoying the plaintiff he has persistently refused to furnish the home with the comforts of life as befits their station in life and financial ability, that he frequently charged the plaintiff with being a pauper, that she had nothing, and when any expenditure of money was necessary for the home that he would curse and abuse her when asked to furnish the money.
Plaintiff alleges that she is the second wife of the defendant, that she has helped him raise his children by the first wife, that she assisted in caring for his invalid sister for which he received large compensation. She alleges that defendant often grumbled at expenses and told the plaintiff that the land and money belonged to his children. She further alleges that defendant would refuse to speak to her, that he would not go to church with her or to social events and would withhold letters and invitations addressed to them jointly for the purpose of humiliating her and annoying her. She alleges that during visits of her brothers and sisters to her, defendant would not speak to them for two or three weeks. On one occasion when a sister visited them, defendant refused to speak to the sister, was morose and sullen and refused to converse with plaintiff or sister at meals.
She alleges that defendant ordered plaintiff to carry pails of swill to the hogs and refused to furnish money whereby she could visit her relatives. For the purpose of annoying her the defendant would threaten to commit suicide and plaintiff had left home and returned to live with defendant only on promise of doing better.
Plaintiff alleges that she had to carry in wood and build the fires. As the defendant's children married off, they took from plaintiff's and defendant's home household goods until more were needed in their home and when requested to buy them, he cursed and abused the plaintiff and threatened to commit suicide.