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New York, December 11, 1915. "Mrs. John Charles Thomas." The singer Ruby Rothnour, wife of the noted baritone. In 1923 she got a divorce in Reno. 5x7 glass negative, George Grantham Bain Collection. View full size.
I couldn't tear my eyes away from them. Her shoes I mean.
Knowing that divorce was very uncommon in those days, my hat goes off to her for getting one in order to get away from an abusive husband. He sounded like a horrid man.
Nipped her on her shoulder, did he? Maybe he was just passing along a hello from Bela Lugosi. Here in Baltimore where the songbirds tied the knot, word in the crab cake houses was JT was spending too much time painting that damn car of his and fooling around with the Graduola device on his "fancy-schmancy" Aeolian-Vocalion phonograph.
Gotta say those creepy dolls probably caused the divorce.
New York Times, Feb. 5, 1923.
BARITONE'S WIFE OBTAINS DIVORCE
Mrs. John C. Thomas Charged
Husband's Cruelty Caused Her
To Lose 28 PoundsRENO, Nev., Feb. 4 -- Ruby Thomas, wife of John Charles Thomas, an American baritone, obtained a divorce in the District Court here late yesterday. Cruelty was charged in the complaint, Mrs. Thomas testifying that his treatment caused her to lose weight from 130 pounds to 102 pounds, at which figure she now tips the scales.
Thomas was temperamental, Mrs. Thomas testified, and on one occasion he bit her until the blood ran from her shoulder, she said. On another occasion Thomas did not like the gown she wore at the breakfast table, and, in the presence of a male guest, is alleged to have torn the garment from her body, leaving her almost nude.
The couple were married in Baltimore in 1913.
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