The Cheyenne daily leader. [volume] (Cheyenne, Wyo.) 1870-1884, 1877-08-16
A Washington Scandal.

washington Scanuai.
A correspondence of the Hartford
Times writes as follows from the
national capital, Aug 10th:
The gossips in the treasury depart
ment are all agog over some scandalous
developments that have just been made
in the divorce case Of Martha G.
Thompson VS.. John @. Thompson,
which has been before the equity court
of this District off and on since May
last. The fair plaintiff is well-known
and handsome "clerkess' in the treasu-
ry department, who has been general
favorite with male and female in that
department. She is very stylish and
attractive. Some years since, in an
evil moment, it appears, she married
one John @. Thompson, who is pretty
well known in the west as a newspaper
correspondent. At present he is run
ming an anti-railroad paper in Indiana
polls, Indiana. He also got into
prominence as correspondent of the
New York Herald and Cincinncti Com
mercial. This man Thompson was not
the kind of man she thought he was,
says the plaintiff, and the defendant
responds by saying that she beat the
devil. Several years since Mrs. Thomp-
son came to this city. She soon made
many friends, and without much diff
Guilty secured a clerkship in the treasu-
ry department. After that she secured
positions for several of her relatives.
Her husbands business kept him in the
west. According to her showing, he
turned out to be a very worthless kind
of a fellow. They have repeatedly had
quarrels and as last resort she went
to Indianapolis, about year ago or
less, and filed an application for a
divorce. The case came up and was
dismissed on the ground that she was
not a resident of that state, which it
appears is necessary before divorce
can be secured in that state since its
very free divorce laws have been
changed. Mrs. Thompson then came
to this city and by her attorney filed
another application. Notice was served
on Thompson, but nothing was heard
from him. The case then proceeded as
in default. Evidence of the marriage
was taken, as also the evidence of the
plaintiff telling the bad way in which
she had been treated by Thompson. A
couple of weeks ago Judge Wylle, hold
ing the equity court, which in this
District has jurisdiction in such cases,
granted the divorce, giving the plaintiff
the right to resume her maiden name,
and the custody of the two small child
rem. The matter was kept very quiet,
and until yesterday but few of her
fellow clerks knew anything of her
difficulties. Mrs. Thompson was just
about thanking her stars that her
troubles with the bad Thompson were
over, when she was notified that he had
sent to the court an answer to her
charges, and his objections as demur-
to her receiving the asked for divorce.
rer Judge Wylie, on theapplicationo ofthe
counsel for the absent defendant, re-
cinded the order granting the divorce,
and thus left the case open again. 1t is
this answer that has kicked up the row.
In it he charges her with adultery with
numerous clerks in the treasury depart
ment, giving names and details, charg-
ing that the acts referred to were
committed in several of our most fash
ionable boarding-houses. He also
swears that she has frequently held
criminal intercourse with the Hon.
Nathaniel P. Banks, of Massachusetts,,
in the st. Cloud Hotel, of this city.
Then, again, he gives the names of
witnesses to prove every one of the
Charges, WHICH DuU duuS luel W tut
flame. Some of General Banks friends
called at the courthouse, to-day, and,
after reading the answer of Thompson,
telegraphed him the portions of it that
implicate him. The answer of the general,
it is expected, will be received very soon,
and it is very probable that he will give
his evidence in full. All the other par
ties (male and female) implicated will
be given an opportunity to have their
say, and, as result, the case promises
to raise the biggest social sensation
that we have had for a long time. The
several boarding-house keepers are
violent in the defence of the reputation
of their houses, and demand that they
shall have their say. 1t may be added
that the courts of this District are be-
coming more famous for granting
divorces than even the divorce courts
of Indiana in their palmiest days. To-
day, two divorces were granted, and
one applied for; but it frequently
happens that four or five divorces are
granted in one day and as many applied
for.