The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1890-11-28
bogus DIVORCE MILL.
Startling Developments in a
New York City Court,
GROSS FRAUD PERPETRA1ED
by n Firm OF Alleged Imwycrs..Dl.
v0rccs Ground Out without tho
knowledge OF tho Courts by
Gray \ White, "ittorncys." Ha

New YoRK, Nov. 27.-Judge Trux, oi
the Superior Court, heard on Monday
some OF tho evidence on the application
OF William Copperamith, n jewcler Of
Maiden lane, for absolute divorce from
his wife, Mary He)msr. August J.
Fechter, the proprietor OF stuyvesant
hall, $50 East Seventeenth street, was
named as correspondent Mr.. Copper.
smith Is about thirty.ive years old and
his wife, IN attractive woman, is somc-
what younger. They were married in
1871 Mrs. Coppersmith left her hus.
band In May OF last year, and last spring
he learned that she was living with
Fechter. In May he applied for di.
vorce.
The defendant did not appear on Mon.
day, and 1t was said that che was i'll.
Fechter, however, appeared, and was
called to the witness stand. His answer
TO the frat question, "Do you know
Mrs. CoppcrsmithF" astonished the
court. .... .,..a-.. t..
~ did know Mre. Ceppersmith," he
said, "but that ia not her name now.
She is my wife, Mrs. Fechter."
do you mean to say that you have
married the woman?"
"Certainly. We were married last
March. She obtained divorce from
Mr.. Coppersmith in January"
Judge Truax took hand in the ex.
animation at this point and demanded
TO know what evidence the witness had
had OF divorce having been granted.
"Why, have the decree at home"
was the confident reply. Judge Truax
ordered the witness to produce the paper
in court the next morning and adjourned
the case.
Fechter was on hand yesterday morn.
ing with his paper, and strange docu.
nent it proved to be. 1t is entirely in
manuscript, and written upon an ordin-
ary sheet OF paper. In the upper LETT
hand corner were the words "SUpreme
Court, Cook county," in the other cor.
ner was MARY Coppevsmith against
William Coppersnith."
Then followed what purporled to be a
decree Of divorce, containing more or
less lega! verbiage, but setting forth no
cause for the granting Of the decree.
Below, in one corner, was an immense
red seal stamped Supreme Court"
Written diagonally across the lower part
OF the page was a blind scrawl Which
might be interpreted as "W. W. Ball."
or any other name resembling that, and
the word Judge" in fine script appeared
close to the lower margin. Nowhere in
the document did the name OF the State
wherein the alleged divorce wgs granted
appear, neither were there names OF
counsel upon it. Fcchter handed the
document to Judge Truax and the court
examined it with amazcment.
"Don't you know that this is fraud
and not worth the paper it is written
on % said the judge TO Fechter.
..No, don't. l supposed it was all
right" said the witness, in evident sur
priac. "Thcn am not married to her
after all?" u.
Certainly you are not. Where did
you get this paper?"
Fechter produced some letters which
he said Mrs. Coppsrsmith had received
from time to time while the action was
pending from the attorney who repre-.
scented her. They were written upon
with Robert NJ. White, attorney at law,
l45 Broadway, New York." printed at
the top and signedby the same name.
They were notes which were written in
Il period ofa few weeks and which de-
scribed tho progress of her suit, until
finally White wrote that decree had
been granted in her favor. Fechter said
he knew nothing more about the mat
ter except that he understood that
White had received Sl50 for securing
the divorce.
"Do you know whether Mrs. Copper.
smith went TO Chicago last January or
whether she lived in Illinois any part Of
last year?" asked Judge Truax.
II knew that she did not. She was in
New York MI tho time" was the reply.
Judge Truax quickly filled out sub.
pena ard handed it TO lawyer. Cop
persmith's counsel eaiL:
ut is evident that gross fraud has
been perpetrated here. AS an attorney
of this court think it ia your duty to
help ferret it out. i wish you would cn.
deavor to serve this summons personally
upon this alleged lawyer and III suspend
the bearing OF the case until your re-
turn"
Mr.. Levy accepted the commission
and FASTENED in search OF tho man de.
scribed. At l45 Broadway no learned
that White 10 longer had an office there.
The janitor said that Robert NJ. White
had nominal!y had an ollics in the
building with mcn named Grey preyi.
ous to last 3lay. The janitor had seen
but one mpn in the office and did not
know whether that individual was Grev
or White. He had the impression that
White was Grey and Grey was White.
He remembered that, a great, many
women called on Grey or White. He
believed that White or Grey had moved
to So Broadway.
Mr.. Levy went to the latter address
and found upon the fourth floor q slite
OF rooms occupied, as the names upon
the outer door indicated, by "Grey &
Co., lawyers and collection agents." A
middle eyed man, with beard streaketl
with grey, in the inner Office. Mr.. Levy
asked for Mr.. Wbite.
"Alr. White is notin," said the mqn at
the desk. yas5
"But isn't your name White?. want
to see Mr.. White very much"
mo. My name is Grey. Mr.. White
is out Of town, and will not return until
Wednesday or Thursday. What do you
want to zee him aboutW 4