, 1875-03-12
How the Lawyer Met Man and Gave
Him tho Summons.
Horror OF Mr.. Fox When III
Learns the Fact.
His Wife Chews Tobacco and is Gencr.
ally Bad.
Hor Relations with netcaHe.

connection with our law courts which cxciteB
u1snd comment abroad, 1t Is tin fatal Iapidity
wish wlIic!, they pns asn,dcs those whom God,
through tho inBtrumentality OF parkon OF Iuatice
oS tho pcaco, has Joined together. Whether ornot
there Ia too much duly authorized disorcing 60
ing On In Chicago is matter of opinion.
but tIlero cau be no doubt that tlloro Is
su,erilnity of cascs where tho viicst kind Of
trickerr is employed to enab!o men md women
who arc siex OF tic restraints Of married lfo or
layo bocomo tired Of their welded partners, to
lid themselves Of thoir bonda and enjoy tho uow
freedom or fresh fancy which las led them to
i,lyo1o tho aid Of tho Ehsster divorce lnwyer.
Within tho Int fcw days case Of this latter
kpd han occurred, which, taking into coi1alera-
ton all tho features which It prcsenta. Ia about
rs bad specimen Of the divorce swiudlo aa was
evor rerpetratod in this city.
On the 13th Of February lnst
Mrs. 1AyIsfA FOX,
through her counsel, Hiram B. Mctcalfe, fled
a bill for divorce III tho Superior Cnult Of Cook
County agait,at her husband, Charles Fox. As
il customary IN aucl, cases, tie Clerk Of tho
Court gavo tho iawycr tho writ Of summons
against tho defendant, and ho left tho office.
Nothing further VIVA heard Of iho cage until
tho t;th Of March, when 1t carne up for trial be-
complainant In tho suit ltnn!icl By llor lawyer,
Mr. Afetcnto, ard q Huflicicncy Of wituesHes NIP
re1re1, bNs ths defendant waB not yislbta; and
10. aftpr hoariuE tho testimony, tho Judge lit
tho absence Of aefaulting defoniant, 1eciuel to
graut decree Of divorce. Mud A1rd. Fox 'aft tho
court suptesnnly happy. No one vino heard th9
scatinlo.iy which tho complainant Thought to MD
her ra.o would l,oye doubted tho wisdom Of tle
decision OF tho Court.
TIE Hill Or C0strE4sISAST,
which wAR ftfjY A1lHn{it.i bTA the tcktr1nNy
eo..lt rel fusth that bho was married to Churcs
Fox, Fob. ., 1879. at Fittaturc, Pa.; thut in
tlls nent!l Of septombcr Of that year Lo guso
himself up to ulultoruus practices with ono
Eya Whitney: that ho had repeatedly bcon
guilty Of ox!retuo cruelty to LeF, and TINT
Nov l, 1879, llo deserted her, aud hnd hot
since contributed to her support. As
.. general rule. anT ono Of these allcga-
su1t In decroe for the cufuplainant and
In this cnac, where tho defendant l,atl apparently
tccu guilty Of 30 tuucll unl!llsbandliko conduit,
thero was no alternative left tho Court but tho
granting OF ths divorce: L!ko all casca Of tle
Kind NJ aoou rs tie decision WIS ropched it
dlopped out Of tic memory Of tho Court, ana 1t
was only by moro accident ttnt II strange re-
auscltatlon of tho casc arrived. "Wednesday last.
une OF tho c!otks OF tho Superior Court, who
arranging the paperH In tile suit happeled casu-
written on tho back oi tito writ of summons
which had been issued 10 lawyer Nctcalfe. 1t
ran AZ follows:
COPY thereof 10 tho wlAuua1ned loEeudant til. ly.h
T'nASc,a AasEw, Slserin,
hy II. u. 9ALrlN, Dtpnty-
IA far as verbiage vent tue return MAS in gool
shnpe. but 1t BuaIeuiy fAhAc1 acrosH tho aInd of
the clerk, who Is Of necessity familiar with tic
chirog4aphy OF the different Deputies. that the
writing was not that Of Mr. oa'pin, and that In
Si,aa DO 1tua Yntf1r p11a ufr
coTrectlese Of his suspicious that ,l,o
return was not eIl right. tho clerk
submitted the document 10 Sheriff ARnew AMI
forgery. Ti,Is intelligence mas Immediately
conveyed to Judge Moore. who INSTANTLY
BET Aside TIE DECREE
which had becn granted, and Hcnt word to Dir.
Metealfo 10 appear before him Oh the morning
Of tho uext day (yesscrday)
snch arc tLc Preliminary 1acts III the case. and
yesterday morning TRIBUNE repotter was do
tailed to Look into tile mattet. and find out, II
possible, who The party waA that forged tho Eo-
turla on tho writ.
Tho first thing Tue did WAS to examine the
paporg in tho caso OH record In tho Court aud
though not n1l expert in handwriting, 1t Wad
plain to him that certaia lotsers III th0 bill Of
complaint hora
ltENAnEAnLE AEeEMBLANcE
to certain !ottoEs in tho return ol tho writ. IiiA
next search Was for i1r. alctcatfo. lu ibis he
was disappointed. On calling At The Office. Of
that gantteman, Room No. 90 METROPOLITAN
panta al tho room thut tia object of blu Aesrch
waa not present. Tho reporter explained ha
business. when tho gentleman volunteered tho
following information On Alr. Metcalfo'H bohalf:
uy Lis account. Mr. afetcaIfo had not accepted
Judge Mooro'H invitation to appear before him
yesterday morning personally, hut lad inBtcal
sent friend who mAdo his explanation to tho
Court, who continued tho mattor until Saturday
morning.
THE Rxr1ANAr1oN
madu by atr. Metealfe'a friend to tho Court wna
su tho effect that, after procuriag the writ from
tllu supreme Court, b1r. hle.caite lad gos to tho
shorinH office TO hayc It served. tlese lie saw
, ~ m4n "stan1!ng IN tho o!lieu whom be . cot,- y,
gave the writ, will! Instructions to hand It to
Deputy dalpln to have 1t assYet. 4 few days
aftor tnl4. while walking .along tie street, Mr.
Metcnlfo met tho "man" h0 saw In the star-
aorsetl. and who accepted tho customary ii foe
aud departed.
II Is not stated whether on hearing tho ssate-
mont ths Court closed Qua eyo slowly and smiled
record the fact Of tie contuuance Of al inquiry
lnto tho singular affair until to-tnor-
ti's .diltion.i l|sht Which Tnr TnlnUsx viii have
thrown upon tue matter will facilitate further
investigation.
Tim next peraon whom tho reporter wished to
get 1t was the defendant In tho case.
lii, CHARLES FOX.
After dlllKent search ho discovered that MI. Fox
was Qua ct tue psis,uatio aud principal lghts Of
tue Adelphl ssago-iu aAost, the gentleman wlio
hgutes In tue clio aud stamps to and fro thu
stage With hls wooden aioes In the attractive
role Of uornAn comedian. 1t was . difficult
matter to dud 1lr. Fox. aud, attor Whiting Ut tho
Theatre couple OF hollss, tho reporter was CD
the point Of giving up his search when tta object
came iu yisw, aud Ia ! quiet cosaer Of the Adol.
phi cato they sAs down aid discussed divorce
m.tters 10 she following rather startling n1Anues.
upon pr1vste family matters. but, insatnueh -
yours hsyo become public IN ths courts. you WI
had little trouble late|y with Mrs. -
HI, fox-Oh, my trouble an that limo IA all
over now, thank God. I'm divorced.
Roposter-Nu, you Amt.
Mr., Rox-Yes / an.
ltsrorter-I an afraid not.
3tr. Fox-I know bottor, am. Mrs. Moore
s3a.nas to!d me so last Saturday I tell you sm
neportas~Excuse my again contradicti1z you.
There Was = setious aav In your xits's proceed,