Newpaper clipping on Ansel Witherall, Franklin, Lenawee County, Michigan

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                                      Death grants Divorce
                               Lydia Witherall and Ansel Witherall

Printed in Lenawee County Researchers, April 1989, Vol 2, No 5: Printed here
with permission from the Lenawee County
Researchers. 

>From the Times & Expositer, Jan 29, 1898: 

On His Deathbed
A Wealthy Farmer of the Town of Franklin Is Served with
Summons in a Suit for Divorce. 

The Grim Messenger Subsequently Executes the Divorce 

On Thursday last Lydia E. Witherall filed a petition for divorce against Ansel
Witherall, a well-to-do Franklin farmer. Death last night granted the decree.
Undersheriff Shepherd served the subpoena on the defendant, as he lay sick in
bed yesterday afternoon. It was thought then that he would not survive the
night. 

The couple were married in the city by Rev. Bancroft, Oct 18, 1894, the woman
having shortly before that time secured a divorce from George Cole. 

In her bill of complaint against Witherall she recited that he had charged her
with stealing $4,500 deposited in the Lenawee County Savings Bank; that he
refused to eat at the table with her, saying he was afraid she would poison
him; that he would not even partake of a fine Christmas dinner she prepared,
because he believed it had been seasoned with "rough on rats"; that he had
charged her, in the presence of neighbors with being unchaste; that he drank
to excess, and that when he became intoxicated he was so savage that she was
obligated to lock herself in a room; that he had threatened to kill her, had
tried to strike her with a beer bottle, and had thrown a poker at her; that in
the latter part of December he commenced carrying off the household furniture,
until she did not have sufficent bed clothes to keep her warm, it being
necessary for her to keep a fire all night; that he had not lived with her
since early January, and that before leaving he smashed all the windows, and
made it necessary for her to pin up sheets to keep out the cold. 

Witherall died of inflammation of the lungs. He was about 75 years of age.