Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1883-09-29
HI KEYES DIVORCE
An Eccentric Application for Hymeneal
Separation That is Agitating San
Francisco Society Circles.
Matrimonial Disturbances Caused by an
ARte-Nuptial COntract-The De.
PENDANTS Sensational Story.

SAN Francisco, September 25.-With
the exception of Illinois, California has
the reputation of being more prolific in
divorces than m other State in the
Union, and for eccentric application for
hymeneal separation this State certainly
takes the lead. Some time since a pros
perous citizen, who resided in one of the
counties bordering the bay, became in
fatuated with a dashing San Francisco
lady, highly cultivated, and moving inthe
most exclusive circles. He loved her so
fondly that his wife was finally persuaded
into allowing him to obtain a divorce. As
soon as he was f~oot-loose he married the
accomplished young beauty. The union
profitable, and its dissolution is now
sought.
In the Superior Court there is a suit
pending wherein Gen. Winfield S. Reyes,
son of Gen. Keyes, who resides at 1904
Van Ness avenue, prays for a divorce from
"Flora A. Kelley, known as Flora A.
Reyes, formerly Flora A. Hastings" The
defendant in the suit is highly connected.
Mrs. Reyes was on the point of departing
for the East on the evening of the 18th OF
July last, when the suit, apparently to her
great establishment. was filed and the pa
pers served Upon her. The soldier-hus-
band of the cultivated wife complained
that Flora had been married in the East
to James O'Brien Kelley, and thought il
to be sufficient grounds for a separation.
The plaintiff PRAYED that the marriage be
declared a nullity and h custody OF the
daughter, Azalia, be awarded to him.
Mrs. Keyes's answer to h complaint
was filed recently. She denies that hel
real name is or eyer was Flora A. Kelley,
or that she was ever married to any man
named Kelley, or to anybody except Win.
field Scott Keyes, with whom she has lived
as his wife and to whom she bore a female
child on July 10, 1880, whose name is Aza
liza Caroline Reyes. Capitalization ceased
in the month of June, 1883, by mutua
consent, by reason of false information re
ceived by Gen. Reyes, to the effect thai
she Mrs. keyes) was i'll fact the wife o
Kelley; and she says that cohabitatioI
will not be resumed until the ialsity o
those assertions shall be established.
She denies that she practiced any trauc
upon Gen. Reyes in the marriage, or thai
there was any legal objection to the cere
mony. The defendant has allowed tn,
plaintiff to retain possession OF thec child
although the mother has ~relinquisheC
none OF her rights over it.
A friend of Mrs. Reyes tells the follow
ing story of the defendants relations will
Kelley: Before the year 1876, she accom-
panied her mother NOW dead to a place
OF resort for invalids in Virginia, calleC
the Sweet Chalybeate Springs, and passed
some time there at a hotel kept by thu
father of the James O'Brien Kelley refer
red to in Gen. Keyes's complaint. Sh'
made the acquaintance of young kelle,
and other members of the family of tn
proprietor of the hotel, and they were al
very kind and attentive TO Mrs. Hastings
then in delicate health, and to herself
Subsequently Mrs. Reyes then Mis-
Hastings) and her mother left for Europe
where Mrs. Hastings died. Mrs. Keye
then returned to America and to Viz
ginia, and to the Sweet Chalybeate Springs
to give to the members of the Kelley fam
lily certain presents she had purchased 70
themin Europe. During this visit youni
Kelley paid his addresses to her, proposes
to her, and obtained a qualified promis'
of marriage"
When she was leaving for Californii
some members of the Kelley family, in
Guiding James 0'Brien and his sister, pro
ceeded with her to a place called ALE
gheny Station, where she was to take tn
train. While there young Kelley per
suaded her to repeat her conditional prom
Use of marriage in the presence OF his sis
ter and a person whom she has sine
learned was a priest. The promise, a
she understood it, was that, if she contin
ued to think well of Kelley, she would
at some future time, marry him. TIL
next moment the train she was to go upol
drew up at the station, and she proceeds
upon it to New York, and thence came t
California. She received some letter
from Kelley and members of his family
but subsequently met Gen. Reyes in 50
ciety, received an offer of marriage iron
him and accepted 1t.
Before marrying him h maintains tina
she told all about her acquaintance witt
and engagement to Kelley. Gen. keye
promised to look carefully into the matte
and see whether she was lawfully o
otherwise married to Kelley by her con
duct at that time. Afterward he had toll
her he had taken good legal advice an
that there was nothing to prevent he
marrying him. So, relyingo on Gen. keyes'
assurances, she married him and cohabite'
with him. She never cohabited witt
Kelley or admitted him to any MARTA
privileges, nor did she ever pretend to o
claim any. Her separation from Ger
Reyes is, she says, voluntary, but II wi
last until she is free from the annoyance
of Kelley. The case will be heard shortl
in the Superior Court of this city an
county, and viii doubtless attract som
attention,