The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-05-08
HER DIVORCE INVALID
STRANGE AND SAD CASE OIL ThE
WOMAN WHO MARRIED. NATHAN ROE
The Impeachment of u Colorado
Judge Responsible for Her Pres
ent U~nhappiness.

A slender, tastefully dressed woman with
a pretty face that showed traces of recent
tears sat before Judge Harvey. of Room 2,
Superior Court, yesterday morning. She
seemed 10 be somewhere between thirty and
thirty-hve years of age Just back of her
sat a well-dressed man of mature years.
His hair was slightly tinged with gray.
and he looked as if he had seen stormy
days. He was an ex-s0ldier and his name
was Nathan b. Roe. The complaint which
attorney Hanna handed up 20 the court
gave the name of the woman as Cora b.
Roe, but in truth she was Cora b. Lab
man" She was the plaintiff in a suit to
annul a marriage contract entered into
with Nathan Roe, Dec. IL, 1894. The de-
PENDANT was not in court to protest against
the proceedings because it was by mutual
consent that the suit to set aside the ordi-
nance of marriage was brought.
The story related by the woman was
singularly romantic. For twenty days she
lived will Roe as his wife, and then
learned that she was bound to another
man. Her strange domestic experience
dates back nearly ten years. When a girl
scarcely out of her teens she met Roscoe
ID. Lahman at Franklin Grove, ILL.,, and
was married to him there. BY him she
had a child, a boy now aged about eight
years. Her life with Lahman was not
happy. She did not discover what was
amiss until she learned from her husband
that he, too, was unsatisfied. After living
together two or three years they decided
to separate. There had been no violent
quarreis between them. but both decided
that their marriage had been hasty and
that they were untitled for each other.
Lahman suggested that he refer their
troubles to a Chicago attorney and posted
off 10 that city. lie readily found a law
yer who would get a divorce for them and
ask no questions. The matter was readily
settled and Lahman returned home. In a
few weeks he received a large official-look-
ing envelope from his Chicago lawyer. 1t
the seal of the State of Colorado and the
attestations of the judge of the Circuit
Court and the clerk of Wells county, that
State. The Lahmans congratulated them
selves upon the simplicity OF the whole
proceedings, and bidding each other fare
well separated for life.
vorce decree which had been secured in
her name as the plaintiff. She returned 10
her parents at Greenville. o., and remained
in seclusion for several years. Two years
ago she came to indianapolis to visit some
relatives, and while in this State became
acquainted with Nathan Roe, who is many
years her senior. Roe lived at Portland,
where he is well connected. Her acquaint-
ance with him resulted in a matrimonial
match and at her home in Greenville the
affair culmipated. The date of Mrs. Lab
mans second marriage was Dec. IL, 1894.
Roe was familiar with his wife'S unfortu-
nate first marriage, she having shown him
the decree of divorce. With no other
thought than that all was regular about
their marriage, they settled down TO a
their happiness was dispelled. One MORN
ing Mrs. Roe picked up a daily newspaper
and while scanning the telegraphic page
saw a paragraph that sent the blood TO
her cheek. The startling news proclaimed
her the wife of two men. She read of a
great scandal i'm one of the Colorado coun-
ties whore the iudpp of the court had hppO
impeached and had resigned his office.
Startling Irregularities in the divorce de-
partment of the court had been exposed
and the result was that a great many
separations were declared invalid. Among
them was the divorce granted Mrs. Lah-
man from her husband. rhe decree she
held was absolutely worthless, and she was
not the wife of the man she had married
twenty days before. n further inyestiga-
ton revealed the fact that there had been
no suit in Wells county. Mrs. Roe and
her husband talked the matter over, and
the very day on which the former had
read the news in the paper they separated
and the woman again became Mrs. Lab
man. In the last year her parents have
moved to indianapolis. Their daughter
ment of the marriage contract yesterday
both parties to the unfortunate suit shook
hands and left the court room separately.
They will not attempt to marry again and
Mrs. Lahman says she will not try 10 get
a divorce from her husband! Attorney
Hanna says that the woman is highly
connected in this city, but declined to talk
of her relatives.
THE less said about this matter the
BETTER he said. Mrs. Lahman has plans
for the future and any publication of this
case will spoil them. / can't tell you her
maiden name because her relatives would
then hear of this affair. They are among
the wealthiest people in Indianapolis. Her
parents know all about it,"
w. l.. Taylor. who represented Roe, also
refused to discuss the case. He said: 1T
is one of the most unfortunate affairs that
ever came under my notice as an attorney,
and / don't want to talk about it,"