The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1889-08-06
A New YORK Sensation.

The divorce law in New York is by no
meanso-e that lcOurages divorce. 1t per
mits an absolute divorce only for adultery,
and the adultery must be proven. Never
theless, it does not appear 70 be a difficult
matter for persons Of influence and wealth
to secure absolute divorces.
There is a good deal Of talk II New York
city about a divorce recently obtained by
Mr.. Flack, the sheriff Of New York county.
Mr.. Flack is very prominent politician,
and has a great many friends among the
judges and other officers of the courts. 1t
was published a day or two ago that
his wife had obtained a divorce
from him. When Mrs. Flack saw the pub
LEGATION she said that it was not true. She
also stated that she had never applied for
dive &c. This looked rather serious for
Sheriff Flack. and it was apparent that
there had been wrong doing Of some kind.
AL hough the newspapers do not generally
go into the details Of divorce cases, unless
they are of very senss 'ional character,
they took hold Of the Flack case al once,
and attempted 10 get the facts.
1t aupe ired from what could be learned
from Mrs. Flack, that she and her husband
had not been getting along very well to-
gether lately, and that she had agreed TO a
legal separation. A lawyer visited her for
the purpose of getting her to sign separation
papers. She read the papers and signed
them. / hen her son. who was present with
the lawyer, asked her to sign a paper
which, he said, related TO some property
which Mr.. Flack deired to sell Having
confidence in her son, she signed the paper
with ut reading it. 1t is now thought that
this paper was declaration in a suit for a
divorce.
Anyway a suit for absolue divorce was
begun in the name Of Mrs. Flac<, and was
filed in the court Of comm IN pleas. 1t was
referred TO a referee to take testimony, and
he reported in favor of granting the divorce
on the ground that Mr.. Flack had virtually
admitted the charge Of adultery by not ap
pearing to deny it when summoned to tes-
tify. The court confirmed the report of the
referee aud Judgment of divorce in favor
of Mrs Fiack was rendered.
There are several rather curious things in
connection with the case One of them is
that Mr. Flack should have taken advan-
tage of mis- own wrong, if, in fact, he COM
United any wrong. Another is that the
Judgment was granted without any positive
testimony Of the truth Of the allegation
upon which the ldgment was based. Still
another is, that in one of the principal
courts of New York case of such import
ance could have BEEN begun and carried to
a termination without the knowledge Of the
plai lIiR, and without any inquiry for the
plaintiff being made by the court, or any
officer OF the court.
The only explanation is that Mr.. Flack.
being the sheriff, and being we'll and favor
ably known, neither the judge, clerk nor
referee doubted that everything was all
right, that Mrs Flack desired to obtain a
divorce as quietly as possible, and that her
husband had consented to the divorce suit
1t can hardly be possible that the Judge and
the referee knew that a fraud was being
perpetrated, and that the sheriff was the
real party seeking divorce.
This case shows how important it is that
courts should follow the law closely, and
insist upon having all of its provisions
complied with. Mrs. Flack ca !, of course.
have the Judgment opened and the decree
set aside. That is the course she threatens
to pursue, and ought to pursue Steps
should be taken at once to declare the office
of sheriff in New YORK county vacant. A
man who would be guilty of doing what it
is alleged Mr. Flack has done is unfit to
hold an office of trust