Fort Worth weekly gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1890-12-25
This New York Factory Seems to
Have Had EN- Cornered.
Lawyer Hughes Is Not a Saint, and
Worked the Rabbits Foot On
His Partners in Business.
He Makes 1t Point to Be 'out Of Town" When
Gazette Man Called, But a CORNER
Associate Talks.
THE PLOT THICKESs.

New YORK, Dec. 23.-The exposure Of
the broadway divorce mill which was
run by Mr.. William Duryea Hughes,
brother-iu-law of Landaulet Williams,
once attorney general of the United
states, has brought to light another OF
the fraudulent divorces Issued from the
mill. The victim this time was o
woman. Mrs. Susan Miller of Brooklyn
paid hughes, or some one connected with
the mill, 500 for au alleged decree re-
leasing her from matrimonial bonds with
William Miller.
The exposure caused sudden disap-
uearance of Mr.. w. Duryee Hughes,
and kept ex-partner Patrick A. Camp
leiI explaining all day. MIR. Hughes
loft his house early in the morning. He
did not appear at his office, and reporters
who hunted for him could not find him.
lucidentlv another lawyer was pulled
into the net, but he, OF course, protests
his innocence. The other lawyer is Will
lam II. Buttner, who is not unknown TO
The people OF New York. Hughes was
Puttner's partner when be (Hughes)
had
COUNTERFEIT SEAL
q
with which fraudulent divorces are
stamped, made by Seal Maker Vancourt,
Of Fulton street. Buttner appears on
some fraudulent divorces as attorney OF
record. lie said this mornings:
81 know very little about Hughes.
lie was only in partnership from June IA
70 September 90, 1885,
"Mr. Buttner,' said your reporter.
"vour name appears on the fraudulent
divorces sold By Hughes. -
"Well, know nothing of it, said
Buttner.
'were you and Hughes in the divorce
business, - asked your reporter.
we were in the law business said
Ruttner. 81 don't think we did any
divorce business at all. -
"You advertised TO DO it, did you
not?" asked your reporter.
"No. sir. We never advertised, re-
oled Buttner.
"Did you know that Hughes has
counterfeit die of the seal of the superior
court of Cook county, Ill 90 your re-
Porter next asked.
Buttner raised his hand above his head
and answered: "Before God, didu -
"Weil, your name appears on some of
the divorces rs attorney of record,
whether you knew anything about il or
not, - said your reporter.
Butler jumped up from the chair
where he was sitting aud paced up
aud down the room rapidly. 1t was evil
dent conflict was going on in the law
ser 3 mind. Finally he said, fiercely:
- Does my name appear on any of the
livorces-tell ma honestlv2'
at does, - said your reporter,
tell nll and protect myself III the matter.
tuluE of the frauds before, and l never
got
ONE CENT FOR THEM
lie said this with u dramatic effect.
Ask any questions you wish, =" he
added, lyon shall know all.
'Tell me all you know, said the re-
lorter. -
- will, - said Buttner, friendly. 81
feel sorry for Bill Hughes. but he has
brought il nu himself. lie shall not
drag me down with him. I'll show you
one case That l fixed for him. There's
one OF the devices he issued-look at 1t.
] never got O cent of it, but | heard
there would be trouble about 1t, and /
old not want my name connected with |
such business. went 10 Brooklyn and
asked the woman how much she paid for |
e. She said 500. 'WilI you take 500 |
iur III? She said she would. and | paid |
the money. ] told Hughes about it, and |
lr said, 'lt's all up The envelope con-
tanned divorce on II blank similar to |
The one that EX-Mayor Pendleton $ was |
written on. 1t purpOrted TO divorce Susan !
Ad,er from William Miller. The hand |
writing in the body of the divorce was |
totally different from the handwriting of |
FENDLEroN 5 DIVORCE.
ButtneT' 5 name was On the title and |
CT the face of the paper as attorney of |
record. The forged signature of Clerk |
+. NcGrath was III the same hand rs the |
Prndleton divorce, and the seal was the |
same
Whose handwriting Is that in the |
body of the divorce?' asked your re-
porter.
Hughes l suppose.
did Hughes ever confess to you that |
- forged that divorce:'
"What use was il for him to confess?'
replied Buttuer. 1.-The correspondence
with Flannery Etyes him away. Now,
Us true as God lives, l didn't know any
thing of that divorce till heard it would
cause trouble, and as soon as did l paid
the woman and got it back. -
WAS Hughes in this business when !
lie was in partnership with your" your
reporter asked.
II don't think he was,'' replied
Buttuer.
He was in partnership with me only
from June TO September. I'll prove to
You 1 couldn't have had anything TO do
with these divorces on which my name
appears as
ATTORNEY OF RECORD.
"Since Hughes aud l separated we
have not been on speaking terms. He
owes me $500 or $500. We had per-
soual, physical encounter. We have not
ueen friends.
Buttner then told little of Hughes
alleged history during the partnership.
1--WE had case,' he said, "of
Brooklyn woman who was getting $50
week simony. The money was sent 10
Us as her attorneys. When / got the
check l would lndorse 1t and turn it over
10 her. When Hughes got 1t he would
!ldorse it, get il eashed, and blow it in.
3ir. Flanuery, the Brooklyn lawyer, got
out an order of arrest for him, and !
aid out OF my pocket S72 TO keep him
cut of jail. He owed me 5000 or $500
Y zen we quit, and after that paid bills