New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1884-02-12
FORGED DIVORCES SECURED.
EXTENSIVE FRAUDS IN BROOKLYN.

EXTENSIVE FRAUDS IN bhoohLiN'
A DEPUTY CLERK OF THE SUPREME COURT AND
TWO coNFEpERATEs ARREsrED.
Startling revelations were made in BROOKLYN
yesterday in regard to the securing OF Ilu"'tb tins
divorces wholesale By lawyers sssur.a wth
Si' p mbI They had secured as their
tool deputy clerk Of the Kings County supreme
Court. who forged the name OF Judge ~ Na conntV
Dat End used a counterfeit seal OF inc county.
nw ,x;ae or far the scheme extended was not July
aso~rtsined' but enough was made known 10 snow
that large n%m? pc various ar parts of the country
Soon after lac assumed Office last month, District
Attorney Ridgvay was led 20 suspect Genuine He fol-
iawei mn his ciew, but unable to secure salts
factory proof IS to the way in which oPeratlG ns
were carr led on until last week. when the FOLLOWING
letter was received by County Clerk Thursby:
BOSTON 97la srArE-sr., Peb 5, 1884.
70 oers sg NIX Won kindly inform me II the inclosed
correct copy Of the record Of the divorce suit II Hngs
County and II the SIGNATURE Of RSney or i
meo'A'e an'"'' WIZ MRS. g. F. RUNDLETr.
Inclosed was a copy of what purported to be p. a
decree of absolute divorce granted Mrs. Rundlett
from Francis H. Rundlett, upon the report OF JS,h
g. Law, referee, made 10 Jnuge rrsT ~ "a ' The
divorce was said TO have been granted upon we
plication of John L. $. Clarke, lawyer oil no t3f
broadway this city, attorney TOR the pialn,l1n.
Denntv County Clerk Barnard searched the records
and found that no such decree OF divorces was ieu
there, and on comparing the sgnar opnty Clerk
MAS famnd 70 be forged. The seal of the county
was also forged 1t differed from the genuine seal
in lacking a period after the word county,,
~ T%e matter was at once laid before Mr.. Ridgway:
snsneion fell npon Law, who is deputy CLERK OF
the Supreme Court detailed 70 J1dge
cured Armed with the warrant Dnut -, 49,
Ridgwav. Assistant District-Attorney jerks, Pohce
Sunerinfendent Campbell and policeman went on
SatnrJav TO Laws house at Herkimer-st. and Troy
ave. BrooKlyn He at first denied any, particpa-
ton III any forgery and claimed that lhe ieco o
would show that all he had done was IN strlct con-
formity with law Confronted with the proofs OF
his crime he finally admitted his wrong,dolng ana
promised to aid the IN tne % See
Jnstice Massey Yesterday on a charge Of forgery.
y,ai was refused. His counsel then had him taken
before Judge Pratt who fxeG oS has az eleven
children. lie has held his present position iOr
several years NIL. ,oa 60
the arrest OF two other men yesterday and warrants
for several more were issued The men arrested are
Adrian Roberts. age thirty-hye OF No. $40 fourth-
is associated with Munro Adams at No. 234 Broad
Way; and Jacob Ii. Anderson, of No, $50 west
Fortythrd,st, coiorea man wno "a az C,or 10 a
Examination of the records in the Brooklyn SUI
preme Court showed that many fraudulent divorces
have been secured. All the bogus papers are "fIeh
in one hand that of Anderson e,,
Tie method of procedure is shown in the follow
ing sample case a @VSTT Ts Ts se g Barr An
afiidayit was drawn up by Anderson, under the
name of Robert White setting forth that he was ln-
formed that the defendant was resident Oh New
ION Mass receiving his information from Mrs.
Agnes White of Thrty-eighth ST., Brooklyn, ana
from Mrs Campbell, of Ihird-ave, between
Thirty-eighth and Thirty-ninthists. The plaintlh
made affidavit that he was a resident of Brooklyn
and then an order for service OF summons by pu0-
lcatlon was granted. When the necessary time
had elapsed, Law appointed himself referee IN the
case heard manufactured testimony, and made out
the necessary papers. forging the signature ana
seal In some cases the proceedings varied ana
reference was secured to referee appointed by
Jndce Pratt who heard the manufactured evidence
and upon it recommended decree, which was duly
ing to show any collision with the referee In one
such case Charles c. Brady. who is now dead was
The referee i'm the suit of Haddem versus Haddem.
As n rule however, Law forged an order appointing
himself aud then forged the decree. Upward OF
f,ftv such forged orders discovered yesterday
how MANY more there is not known. Judge
Pratt says that he had not appointed Law referee
In two wears In one Law forged an order as
clerk of the Special Term of the Supreme Court ap-
pointing himself. In manv cases probably, as III
That of Mrs. Rundett, forged copy OF the decree
was all that was drawn up, and no paper was filed.
After his arrest Roberts said that Law frequently
went TO Clarkes Office and they turned out divorces
rs fast as they were wanted. Law having promised
TO aid District-Attoney Wdgway, the latter con-
fronted him with Roberts, who had previously
stated what he knew, and Law, who did not know
This denied ever having seen Roberts before. -
, Ii is expected that several more arrests VIII pc
made TODAY. The arrest OF Law was a surprise 10
LAWYERS and Others doing business in the Supreme
Court. He had been for long time an attache OF
the court, and Judge Pratt had great confidence III
HIN.