Evening journal., 1890-03-22
ReEst,ee MeeNa amonN.
he Explains His Peculiar Legal Method
- The Mn. Ii..nr... f...a

he Explains His Peculiar Legal Methods
in the flacS Divorce Case.
New Y,RK, March p Joseph Meeks, the
referee in the Flack divorce suit. was the
principal witness in the conspiracy trial be-
fore Judge Barrett yesterday. Judge Ful-
lerton made an opening argument for the
defense 1t was in the main an appeal 70
the sympathy Of the jury for the domestic
suffering ana sorrow Of the indicted sheriff,
as related in his statement before the grand
jury read tho previous day. He lauded
Flack and insisted that it would be proven
that Mrs. Flack desired and assenied to
divorce, and that she was amply provided
for.
IL would be shown, he added that no de-
pendence whatever could be placed on Mrs
Flackss testimony, as she had contradicted
herself ana committed perjury on the stand
Susan NJ. Gibbs testified that there never
was better man than Sheriff Flack She
had seen Mrs Flack drink like fish,
Tredwell Cleveland, a member OF the firm
OF Evarts. Choate 81 Beaman and counsel
for Mrs. Flack in her present suit against
the sheriff for divorce, testified that Beuji-
min Wright had informed him that he had
signed The complaint and affidavit Of regu-
larity on the same day As their dates were
legally improper the statement was consid-
cred important He identified the signatures
to the papers in the new action for divorce
Of Mrs. Flnck which were put in evidence
for comparison with signatures she denied
Morris Wassell, notary, testified to
swearing Mrs. Fack TO the complaint in the
original suit drawn up by Judge Mcneil.
Joseph Meeks, the defendant, was then
called and admitted writing the referees
oath Of office and the depositions Of Mrs
Flack on June "a, and had afterwardssworn
Mrs Smith and Mrs Cannon. Subsequently
he drew up in his own handwriting his
referees report dated June %. All the pa
pers were then given 10 Judge Mcneil. On
June 20 Mcneil brought him his oath Of
office, the testimony report and proposed
decree, and asked witness TO present the pa
pers to Boolstnver, He did not have the
summons, complaint, affidavit OF service,
affidavit OF regularity or the order Of refer
ence Bookstaver had said Monell's name
must not appear; it would be irregular, as
| he was then the sherlf1s counsel
Witness then saw Wright, and after get
ting his consent to appear, borrowed
| Wright's eraser and erased the name Of
| Ambrose Mcneil from the complaint He
asked Wright for a summons and tearing
the old summons from the complaint, he
placed a new one on which he got from
Wright He had then drawn up the aiii-
davit Of regularity in Wright's presence,
and Wright had sworn to the affidavit.
| In answer to a question, witness said not
more than twenty minutes had elapsed from
/ the time the summons was served until il
was sworn to by Wright Witness then
turned all the papers over to Bodkstayer,
who said: This order Of reference is made
on motion Of Ambrose Mcneil; draw up q
new order, leaving blank for the referees
name
Meoks had gone out and prepared a new
order. The old one was dated June 10
When shown this new order Of reference
witness said the words ''thirdn preceding
June, as well as Meeks' name aud the judge,
signature, were not In his handwriting He
took all the papers back 10 Judge Book
shaver on July 3 and in Meeks' presence the
Judge had signed the decree. He did not
consider the papers court records in milking
the changes, as they had been filed. He un.
derstood that he was acting under the di
rection and order Of the court lie had not
tried to hide his handwriting. Adjourned