Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-12-23
BADLY SCARED GANG.
One Bogus Divorce Sharp Makes a
Sudden Disappearance
AND THE REST ARE TREMBLING.
Pendleton's Exposure Turns Up Another
Victim of the Mill.
SOME VERY INTERESTING SIDE LIGHTS

the Broadway divorce mill, which was run
by William Duryee Hughes. brought to
light another of The fraudulent divorces
issued from the mill, The victim this time
was woman. Mrs. Susan Miller, of Brook
lyn, paid Hughes, or someone connected
with the mill, 500 for an alleged decree re-
leasing her from matrimonial bonds with
William Miller. The exposure also caused
the sudden disappearance of W. Du ryee
Hughes, and kept ex-partner Patrick A.
Campbell explaining all day.
| Incidentally another lawyer was pulled
into the net but he. of course, protests his
innocence. Hughes is the only man who
has not protested. The other lawyer is
William 81. Buttner, who is not unknown
to the people of New York. Hughes was
Buttner's partner when he (Hughes) had
the counterfeit seal of the Superior Court
OF Cook county, ILL.,, with which the
fraudulent divorces are stamped, made by
Seal Maker Vancourt, of Fulton street.
Buttner appears on some of the fraudulent
divorces as the attorney of record.
Buttner Solemnly Denies 1t.
A DISPATCH reporter called on him to-
day at his office, 243 Broadway. 81 know
very little about Hughes" said Buttner.
He was only in partnership with me from
June IA to September 26, 1885," "Mr.
Buttner," said the reporter, "your name ap-
pears on fraudulent divorces sold by
Hughes" 'Well, 1 know nothing about
it," said Buttner. "Were you and Hughes
in the divorce business?" 1--WE were in the
law business" said Buttner. 81 don't think
we did any divorce business at ALL"
| did you know that Hughes had coun-
terfeit die of the seal of the Superior Court
of Cook county, Illinois 2" the reporter
next asked. Buttner raised his hand above
his head and answered: Before God 1
didn't. "Well, your name appears on some
| OF the divorces as Attorney of record,
whether you know anything about it or
not?"
Buttner jumped up from the chair where
he was sitting and paced up and down the
room rapidly. 1t was evident that con-
hict was going on in the lawyers mind.
| Finally Le said fercely: "Does nv name
appear on any of the divorces? Tell me
honestly" 'It does," said the reporter.
well, then, 1 will tell all and protect my
self In the matter"
The Lawyer Unbosoms Himself.
There's one of the divorces be issued.
l.
| heard there would be trouble about it, and
rather than have my name appear in con-
nection with any such business 1 went to
Brooklyn and asked the woman how much
| she paid for it. She told me 500. 1 said,
Will you take 500 for it?' She said she
would, and I paid the money. 1 told
Hughes about it and he said, 1t is all up
The envelope contained "divorce" on
blank similar to the one that Mayor Pendle-
toms was written on. 1t purported to di-
vorce Susan Miller from William Miller.
The handwriting in the body of the divorce
was totally different from the handwriting
| in the body Of the Pendleton divorce.
Buttner's name appeared on the title and on
| the face of the paper as attorney of record.
| The forged signature of Clerk F. McGrath
| was in the same hand as on the PendIeton
divorce and the seal was the same.
Whose handwriting is that in the body.
| of the divorce?" asked the reporter.
Hughes. l suppose" was the reply.
"And the clerks signature?" Hughes,
1 suppose"
Campbell Pleads Absolute Innocence.
Campbell was found in his office at 200
| Broadway. His countenance was unusually
pallId and his hands trembled perceptibly.
''This whole story" said Campbell, "Is
| complete surprise to me, for 1 know abso-
"Who is John A. Wade and how much
work did he do for your firm 90 asked the
| reporter. John A. Wade's name appears
| on the forged divorce as the name of the
| Chicago solicitor. ~ never heard of him."
replied Campbell. Campbell also denied
ever having seen the forged Cook county
seal, which was made for Hughes. He had
not seen any Chicago divorce blanks about
the Office. "Look here" said Campbell, as
the reporter retired, ''that story about my
| talking with Hughes on Nassau street after
Pendleton had been here is not true. Ihaye
not seen Hughes for several months"
Richard A. Wade, the attorney with
whom Hughes had an Office on the fourth
floor of the Pulitzer building, said to-day:
Campbell whom l know very we'll, came
| to my Office between ard o'clock Sstur-
day afternoon and had long conversation
with Hughes. I learned from Hughes att
erward that man had come on from Texas
about divorce decree, and was going to
make trouble about it. Until this morning
had no idea that the decree was forged"
Strong Testimony Against Campbell.
Two of Wades clerks also told The DIS
PATCH reporter that they had seen Camp
! bell and Hughes talking together on Satur-
day. Campbell persisted in his denial.
''It's all nonsense for Campbell to deny that
l6 WAS ucIe, Sdlu w due ldseT. w nv. the
| three of us went out and had drink to.
gether after Campbell had been here
| awhile"
SIS there any significance in the similar
ity between your name and that of the
solicitor who acted for Hughes and Camp
hell in Chicago?" Wade was asked.
The lawyer was at a loss to understand
this similarity. He had himself practiced
in Chicago up to four years ago, and he had
never heard up to that time of any other
lawyer in the Windy City answering to the
name Of Wade. He brought out his certif-
cate of admission to the Illinois Bar and his
decree. to prove that he had never been
anything but Richard A. Wade, and not
John A. Wade.
The interesting fact came out to-day that
Mr.. Wade is now awaiting trial under an
indictment under the name of Robert A.
Wade and not Richard, charged specifically
with having deirauded Osias Getter, an old
German client of his, out of $1,000. Wade
was examined in September before Justice
Duffy. and w. D. Hughes appeared in his
defense. One OF Wade's witnesses was P.
A. Campbell, who testified that Getter had
called on him and told him that he had lent
~ fo