Evening journal., 1890-12-27
SOME PECULIAR METHODS
How the Fraudulent Divorce
Lawyers Managed 1t.
EXPLAINED BY LAWYER BUTNER.

He Acknowledges His Share in the Crook.
ed transactions and Says He Deserve.
Punishment-Bu Butner Did the Interview,
ing and Hughes the Forging.
New YORK, Dec es-Detective Won Ger
ichten, of the district attorneys Office
yesterday took Lawyer William H. Butner
TO the Jefferson market police court,
where he was charged with forgery in the
second degree. William ID. Hughes, the
alleged head Of the fraudulent law office
on Broadway, accompanied the detective
aud wanted to make statement against
Butner. This was not permitted.
Butner demanded the right Of being
bailed. He was informed that complaint
would be made out against him, and that
if he waived examination he could 60 OF
his own accord to the central office and be
remanded without foymality. After some
deliberation Butner decided TO waive ex-
animation and 20 back.
At first Bntner put on the bold front OF
injured innocence, but last evening he ad-
mitted himself guilty Of larceny and said
that be ought to be sent to prison By his
confession Butner threw additional light
on the way the successful bogus divorce
mill was run, and also implicated others
in the crooked work.
Divorce laws Explained.
Butner and Hughes entered iuto copart-
nership on Jan. IA, 1888, and opened an or
flee at No S22 Broadway. They advertised
extensively that they were able to secure
divorces without publicity" and were
soon overrun with clients. They also cir
culated a pamphlet entitled an abstract
Of the Latest Divorce Laws OF All the
States IL says: New YORK permits po-
lygamy and polyandry in certain cases
Desertion for five years, without knowl-
edge that the deserter is living, permits
the one deserted to marry again, and the
second marriage is valid, though the de-
serter returns
THE second marriage may be declared
void, but only from the date of the decree.
by court OF competent jurisdiction upon
proper petition, but If no such petition is
made and all parties are satisfied one hus-
band may live in lawful wedlock with two
or more wives or one wife with two or
more husbands. The children will inherit,
and both wives will be entitled to dover.
In New York no residence is required, and
the party aggrieved may commence suit at
any time In Illinois no residence is re-
Quired If the offense was committed while
one Of the parties was n resident OF the
state OF when both agree TO the separation -
Butner Kept the Hooks.
butner told Inspector Byrnes yesterday
that be kept the books and that Hughes
took charge Of the hand stamp with seal
and the blank divorce decree form. In
some instances, where the client was
ignorant, they gave him simply type
written copy. All their clients they bied
from 500 TO $500 for the bogus divorce
papers. He remembered that Charles e
Finkef, Caesar Bogia, Thomas Mcdonald.
Susan Miller and Simon o. lIarpar. a
colored clergyman Of Jersey City, were
some OF his clients, besides ex-Mayor
Pendleton.
All the callers at the Broadway Office
were interviewed by Butner. who also set
the price and collected the money. Hughes,
share 10 the running OF the fraudulent es.
tablishment was to manufacture the bogus
decrees and use the forged court statnp.
Butner remained in the partnership uptil
Dec. 20, 1883, when they dissolved. but
afterward continued to transact business
at che Office Of Patrick A. Campbell
Robbed Their CIienta.
The pair did not devote all their time TO
divorce cases, but also prosecuted civil
suits, and by deceit and forgery robbed
their poor clients. A case has come 70 lirht
ia which they were engaged by two injured
laborers to sue Clark s. O'Brien for $40 OO0
which illustrates their duplicity. The law.
yers were hard pressed for ready money one
day and decided 20 settle the suit against
Clark & 0'Brien for $500 without the con
sent Of their poor clients. They arranged
matters satisfactorily with the LAWYERS
representing the contractors, and the labor
ers who had begun the suit for damages are
still expecting it to come up in the courts
BURNER and Hughes forged the names of
their clients to the settlement papers.
Says He Deserves Punishment.
After making his confession Butnor
said in the presence Of Inspector Byrnes:
II realize that | have committed crime
against the laws Of New York for which |
should be punished / am willing to make
what reparation ! can, but do not think
that ! am guilty Of forgery, but larceny.
because ! Obtained money by false repre-
sentation. | do not dcNire 60 put the peo
pie 70 trouble, and will 60 before the grand
jury and tell all know. ! am also will
ing 70 take my punishment like a man.
and hope it will be as light as possible"
Butner is "a years old and is married.
and resides at No. 26O West Seventeenth
street. He followed the sea for years, and
afterward studied law at the Office Of a
United States judge Of Cook county, Ills.
He afterward went to Chicago, where lie
was arrested for conspiracy with two de-
tectives IA the case OF an old Norwegian.
who was under arrest for assaulting a
child. He escaped conviction, and later on
was arrested for assault In 1887 he came
70 this city.
The stamp which Hughes had hidden
was found yesterday Ia a trunk in the
basement Of the Hotel Monopole, together
with On htany hntruc Aarvaas