Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1883-12-05
Chicago Divorce Lawyers and How They
Operate---Figures.


the lady with questions and commented
on her replies in insinuations as to her
husbands fidelity. After having thor
oughly worked on the woman's sus-
picions, the divorce lawyer suggested
that there was remedy, simple, con-
venient and without publicity. He,
slowly, and with many circumlocutions,
unfolded a scheme for securing a divorce
from the husband whom until now she
had scarcely thought even worthy o.
curtain lecture on account of marital
shortcomings, Tho divorce lawyer ex-
planned that he was engaged in the busi-
ness of securing divorces for people who
have tired of their life partners. He
was an adept at the business and if the
lady's husband had failed to turn up at
his home every one night in seven that
would furnish cause enough for investi-
CATION.
Mrs. Blank anxiously inquired wheth-
er her Fred need know anything about
it. "Not word" said the divorce law
yer. I'VE will put the case through for
you from beginning to end, secure you
a legal divorce, and no one will be the
wiser. So bene6cent is the law of di-
vorce in Illinois that it allows woman
to secure legal separation from her hus.
band without publicity"
The result of the visit of the divorce
lawyer was that thirty days later Mrs.
Blank. Of Calumet Avenue, possessed
legal document from her late husband,
Frederick J. Blank. The outcome of
this little episode was that the woman,
with woman's incapacity for keeping q
secret, gave herself away. The keen
attorney found an easy task in accom-
plishlng the desired result. By certain
representations to the husband he was
either frightened iuto silence, or was,
perhaps. not averse to legal separation
himself.
Now there is big house in the most
fashionable part of the city for rent.
The gossips in the vicinity are happy,
but the prospects and happiness Of q
most estimable couple are ruined for
life.
The above is only one of the many IL
Illustrations of the method in which d.
vorces are obtained in Chicago. The
divorce lawyer is believed to be indigen-
ous to this climate. He is new species
of legal scavenger that has arisen within
the past few years. He openly solicits
trade, visiting the houses of our best
citizens either in the morning or in the
afternoon at time when the husband is
not likely to be present. Once having
secured customer the business is rail-
roaded through and divorce secured
with very little delay. In many cases
the victim is shadowed by a detective,
who dogs the husbands footsteps until
something is discovered on which to base
claim for divorce. Frequently the
formality of securing evidence of bona
fde character is omitted entirely. Every
lawyer of this class has number of per-
sons in his service who are ready to
swear to anything. The petition goes
before the judge who turns it over to a
referee. The lawyer brings his manu-
factured evidence before this referee,
sometimes going so far as to have per-
son falsely personate the defendant
The referee reports in favor of the d.
vorce and the judge grants it. The fast
est time on record was made the other
day when q divorce was secured from the
superior court just forty minutes after
the papers had been filed.
As illustrating the wholesale charac-
ter of the divorce business in Chicago q
few figures taken from the court records
may be of interest. During the year
closing December 81, 1882, there were
748 divorces granted, whereas the mar
riage licenses issued were about 5000,
or one divorce to eight marriages.. No
other city in the United States can show
SO large proportion of divorces to mar
riages. During the last year, in the two
chancery courts presided over by Judges
Jameson and Gardner, 374 divorces
| were issued, and it is thought that as
many more were granted in the two cir
cult courts. OF the 374 divorces granted
in the chancery courts 266 were issued
on complaint of the wife, and 108 on
complaint of the husband, 343 cases
went by default and 81 were contested.
Divorces were granted on the following
grounds: Desertion, 100; Drunkenness,
46; adultery, 81; cruelty, 70; felony. 6;
bigamy, 4; void for fraud. Z; dismissed
by court, II.
From these figures it will be seen that
more than twice as many women ap-
piled for divorce as men, which indi-
Gates to certain extent that the divorce
lawyers of which Chicago boasts quite
q number, have been assiduously at
work. The fact that of 374 petitions
343 were granted on default, no defense
being entered. is considered especially
remarkable and can only be explained
on the ground that in many instances
the defendant knows nothing about the
case until after the affair is closed. The
deputy sheriff, who serves the necessary
notice is taken to some person in the
hire of the divorce attorney, who per.
sonates the defendant. Service is made
| in bona fde manner and certified to,
and that ends the matter. Meantime,
the uneuspecting husband is in blissfu]
ignorance that legal proceedings have
been instituted against him. The first
thing he knows of the affair, he finds
himself divorced man, his wife gone
and his home ruined, and then he
doesn't attempt to even investigate the
matter, but accepts the situation, and
perhaps murmurs, "what a lucky
escape"