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King’s Daughters and W. C. T. U. Investigatethe Domestic Arrangements of Daniel CoughCough Retaliates by Going to Law—Celestial’s Wife is a Cousin of the Late James G.Blaine.Daniel Cough is the only naturalized Chinaman in Maine, and at present h»-is having an experience in litigation that attracts the attention of all who know him.Cough's troubles are domestic. The W, C. T. U. thinks he should treat his wife differently, and, following up this line of thoujrm, they have approached Cough, throu?^h a representative, with the result that he has responded by going to law.The w .fe is an American, and a cousinof the late James G. Blaine. The scene%of the domestic troubles of Cough, and of the actk of those who would reform his ideas on matrimony, is Bass harbor, in the town of Tremont, near Bar Harbor.T’ first intimation that me*tic affairs were to be public was. the report of Neal of Tremont, wife of local physician, who Investigated tne Cough home. She reported that Cough half. As a result of recent interference Arno was sent to jail on a complaintCough’s do-exploited in Mrs Evelyn a prominentpreferred by his father. Cough averred that Arno had assaulted him. The boyinsists that he merely took his mother’s part.When the boy was discharged from jail at the expiration of his sentence he found that his father had fenced off r bit of the dooryard at home*, and had posted “No Trespass” signs all over the premises. Every time the boy went into the house his father is alleged to have chalked it down, and therefore in a few days had a string of trespass offenses against the youth that would keep him In jail for years if they were pressed.But when Cough had his son committed to Ellswotrh jail, the authorl ties informed him that he must pay the boy’s board. That made the case look different. When the first sentence had expired the father did not appear to press the other counts.These and other happenings so advertised the condition of affairs in the Cough family that the King’s Daughters i otltled the Maine W. C. T. U. and that body decided to do something.DANIEL COUUH.kept his wife in seclusion, such as! orientals usually prescribe for thetrhelpmeets. This did not seem right toMrs Neal, and she told the local K.ng Daughters that Cough was keeping his wife under restraint.Cough, it appears, has been married i about 25 years.That an American wife should live 25 years In a Maine fishing hamlet and never v-ail on her nearest neighbors nor receive any visits from them, seems almostincredible.There are barely a dozen houses at Bass Harbor, and every one knows every one else, but it is alleged that the Yankee wife of the Chinaman has never u til recently been out of her dooryard, end is barely known among the villag-Cl 3,Cough came to Calais, Me, a stow-avay, about 20 years ago. The skipper of tne ship on which he left China took quite a liking to the bright young coolie, iud bestowed on him the name of Dan-ici Cough, as a comfortably plain Yankee substitute tor his oriental patronymic. Cough took naturally to American customs, and after drifting about for a thn * settled at Bass Harbor and established aim self in trade. He now owns e die a flourishing store and is a man off considerable property.Soon after arriving at Bass Harbor he ini -1 Elvira Higgins. The girl was won after a brief courtship, and the couplesettled down.Mrs Cough always had been a cheerfulgirl, and her seclusion after marriage gave rise to the report that she did not want callers, so the neighbors, with true Yankee resentment, stayed away.As the years passed several children, bUck-eycd and olive-tinted, came to the Cough household, and in due course of time minified with the children at the village school. But not even then did the neighbors learn any more about the inner life of the family.Now, according to the King’s Daughters. Mrs Cough asserts that during all these years her Chinese husband has been a household tyrant. That he has confined her within doors and has otherwise treated her as no American woman should be treated. She says that she endured it all as best she could.Her favorite son is named Arno. This son, since he has come to his full stature, has on several occasions interfered in family quarrels in his mother’s bc-At the outset they were met by a prompt move on the parr of th husband First he forbade Mrs Evelyn Neal from entering his house. Bur Mrs Neal as the representative of the state W. C, T. V, was very determined, and came with an officer to visit Mrs Cough. Then the husband had a curious legal document served on Mrs Neal. It is said that only once before in the history cfthe state has such a paper been servedroin Maine. It reads as follows:“To Mrs Evelyn Neal. Bass Hancock county, Me—You are forbidden to wilfully, wantonly ciously vex, Irritate, harass or Daniel Cough by slandering him to his wife or any other person, or by meddling with his family affairs:—or to excite his wife not to live with him or by telling Arno Cough and insisting that he trespass on the premises of said Daniel Cough.”Harbor,hereby or m ili-tonnentNotwithstanding this impressive protest the Indies feel sufficiently sure of their position to go ahead.Chief Justice Peters, who issued naturalization papers to Cough, says that this is one of the most interesting cases in the state, from a legal point of view. The matter will come into court at the October term, when the husband will have a chance to present his side of thestory.County Attorned Bunker of Hancock will appear for the wife and in the interests of the King’s Daughters. Hon Hannibal Hamlin, son of Vice Pres Hamlin, will be Cough’s counsellor.Yes, but Does He Get Her?“And you asked her father for her hand?”“Yea M“Was he violent?”“Very. He said I must be an idiot to think of such a thing.”“What did you reply?”“I told him that, of course, he knew his own family better than I did, but that I was willing to take my chance.” —(Odds and Ends.Chair Must be There.“I was struck,” says Max Muller in Cosrnopolis, “by the extraordinary power of observation of a French friend of
Newspaper Details
Boston Sunday Globe
Boston, Massachusetts, US
Sun, Sep 26, 1897
Page 34
Full Page
Clipped by
Anonymous
NA, 18 Sep 2018
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