The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1890-12-25
THAT DIVORCE MILL.
One Of the New York Gang
Makes a Confession.
HE CHARGES HIS PATRONS
With Being tho Most Guilty-.liuEhcs
Very Pcnitcnt..lIc makes Il Clean
Breast OF tho Aflair..irrested
and In JniI...Fuli Details.

New YoRE, Dec. 24.-A reporter hos
run down William Durvee Hughes and
obtained from him n confession OF his
connection with the fraudulent divorce
mill which has recently been exposed.
Hughes hiding place is in q little room
OF m old tenement up town. The re.
porter was allowed an interview on the
condition that Hughes hiding place
should not be made public.
Hughes was very penitent and made a
clean breast OF the affair. He said he in.
tended to 20 the Recorder and tell all,
and that he would plead guilty and take
his punishment like man. When
asked how many OF the fraudulent
papers had been issued, he said he could
not give the exact number, but he did
not think there were more than six or
eight.
They are all Chicago papers," snid
Hughes, "but ! think all the parties ex.
cept pendeton ure New Workers. That's
my recollection. It's little strange that
the one that was 1900 miles away was
the ono that settled me, wasn't it?
! will tell you this, though. You
have been deceived in pendleton
Pcndleton knew that that divorce was
fraudulent. We told him, right in
our Office, and Campbell was present
at the time, that We could not get
him court divorce, but We could get
him something that would answer him
Just the same, provided there was
no woman in the case. This is Gods
truth. said to him: 'Peudleton, is
there any woman behind this? Are
yon going to marry someone" No. he
said, Pm not Then l said to him: If
your wife is satisfied, as you say, can
give you this paper and you can separate
and keep away from each other two
years, then you can marry il you want
to- He said: That's all right lie
knew very we'll that he would not get
good divorce in the time we dill that
work, even il he did not understand it
from what we said to him. lie did not
make an affidavit Of any kind, and he
got the papers ten days after We got the
job"
The paper in Perdleton's case was
written by Campbell, Hughes says. but
the others, aud all the forgeres in Clerk
McGrath's name, were executed by him.
self. Looking straight down at the floor,
Hughes went on: "To think OF it. a
man OF intelligence to be in a fix like
this. Il wouldn't be go bad il it had
been big thing, something that there
was money in; but here I've gone and
ruined my own life aud ruined my sons
lie for paltry sum. did not get more
than 800 out OF the whole business.
I've got intelligence enough 10 be a good
crook. | could rob bank or steal a lot
OF mouey, but I'm not OF that kind. |
was led into this thing, and see what
I've lost by it. Evervthing-goodn name
and all. Never mind, I'll take my med.
ic!ne like maa. That's all that there's
left for me to do. By the way, the pa.
pcrs were wrong about this thing beirg
forgery in the second degree. LIS for
gerry in the first degree, the forgery OF
the SEAL"
"The penal code makes it forgery in
the second degree only" said the re.
porter.
"No," said Hughes, "it's first degree,
the forging OF q seal; not less than u
years nor more than life. I've looked i.
up in the code. You are Mistaken"
Hughes said that Butner was also con.
nected with the mill and 20: some OF tie
cash for all the divorces that were issued.
Campbell and Butner, when called upon
by the reporter, denied that they were
connected in any way with the affair,
aud denounced Hughes story as totally
false.