The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1896-11-17
lax code. and was well as the author Of

anomalous conditions IN the couHly oi-
ten demanded arbitrary conduct on the
part of a court. but that these alleged
arbitrary acts of his were frequently ex-
aggerated, and. while il was true, as L
had heard, that he he'd been published,
pIacarded and denounced as car. 1t
was also true that much OF the abuse
was inspired by a lawless and factionai
element.
In the course Of one of the subsequent
interviews which / have had with Judge
Scott I handed him Blanks card. upon
which was written the postmaster
recommendation 1 asked him how he
explained that
well, suppose that the postmaster
thought the firm reliable" he replied,
land did not hesitate TO give them the
ference when he found an opportunity 10
get client for some Of his friends in the
legal profession
But what has always puzzled me,
said, SIS how Blank gained possession or
the court seal, for that certainly was
bona fide. I submitted the papers 10
several competent lawyers and they pro-
nounced them genuine"
II am certain" the judge affirmed.
that Mr.. Rucker. the clerk of the court
of Tecumseh. would have nothing TO do
with matter of that kind. He is az
honest as the day is long. He is an
old man, however, and would be easily
imposed upon. member Of the bar
could be in the clerks Office for the osten-
sible purpose of looking over documents
or papers, and when the old gentleman's
back was turned quickly slip the paper
under the seal, and the work would be
done"
The longer talked to the Judge the
palmer it became to me that Blank was
guilty of more crimes than the one OF
forging his name, and upon my mention
ing this conviction to him he agreed,
saying:
Yes, if we are to compute the offenses
they would quickly multiply. To' emu
merate and define the different Offenses
of Blank and his accomplices, If he had
any, would take some time and space.
can see at once that the forging of the
clerks name and my own would be two.
and the use of the mails for fraudulent
purposes would be three, any one of
which would send him TO the penitentiary
If he were prosecuted"
in the course of the investigation
which was made last spring., / asked,
twas your attention called to the act of
Mr.. Eby's name being on the decree with
yours?''
Yes; when this fact was called to my
attention last spring I was considerably
exercised about it, and I at once sent for
Mr.. Ely who fully investigated the court
records, and found that the entire mat
ter was fabrication and forgery. 1
was very much occupied>in court, and
Mr. Ely took the matter up, but re-
ported later that the gentleman VINO had
been investigating had vanished with all
of ho
could be done to bring it to a hand until
I was called upon the other day by
Herald reporter.
II am glad now to be able to have this
thing cleared up, as it was of such Il
disappearance of the nevsgatherer kept
me in a state of nervous expectation as
to when and where 1t would break on:
in a new place.
zone last word in justification Of my
self. From beginning to end my object
has been to expose the frauds an divorce
scandals which we hear limited at, but
which so far have never been proved as
conclusively as my story proves them.
never for moment entertained the idea
of utilizing the decree / obtained from
Blank Tin fact, l had no ned of iD, and
when started on my self imposed task
had no conception of the lengths 10
which 1 afterward went"
SCOTT MAKES AN APPEAL.
To the Editor Of the New York Herald.
I am in receipt Of your request to fur
nish you paper for the Sunday Herald
supporting the doctrine that there should
be a general reform in our divorce laws
and to corroborate a particular instance
of the fraud and forgery practiced In a
recent case which you mention.
The fraudulent decree in this case was
first brought to my attention by Her
aid reporter detailed for that purpose
along the first part of last March. while
7 was vet on the bench in the Territory
Of Oklahoma.
After full examination into the matter
1 pronounce the decree a forseryt ana
fully recognize the work Of the forger.
At the same time I asked your reporter
to have the original papers in the case
brought on from New York and turned
over to the prosecuting officers for judi
cial investigation and appropriate action.
This request was not complied with, and
there was no power within my reach or
the reach of the prosecuting officers to do
anything whatever in the premises.
At that time also had completed ar
rangements to resign my position on the
bench to accept a law partnership in
New York City with ex-Judge George N.
Curtis Of 90 Nassau street, which l did
few months later This is the last L
heard of the matter until few days
ego. when your representative called
again on me at my office in this city,
when reaffirmed all that had previous
" stated upon the subject. the facts or
which I have detailed at some length ii
an interview for the Herald.
7 have examined with much care and
patience all the papers pertaining to the
case. especially the correspondence OF the
parties, including the original documents,
Photographic copies OF letters. drafts,
signatures. etc, and there can be no
doubt whatever that you have concin-
sive case of fraud and forgery 10 present
10 the public exemplifying the audacity
md criminality often adopted in divorce
proceedings by counsel or htgants.
especially in countries where the la>tity
OF the laws Is so great that glaring frauds
NAV be fostered and perpetu2ted IN the
shadow, If not in the very temple, o.
justice itself.
The abuses that have grown up and
that will continue to thrive so long as We
have in force in the various states OF the
Union lax and often imperfect ana con-
f,icting laws on one hand and stringent
and almost prohibitive laws on the other,
NAV we'll excite the deepest concern and
awaken all the great forces OF moral re-
form that exist in this country
II all the frauds practiced IN OBTAINING
divorces in the United States and the
consequent misery and suffering OF inno-
cent and helpless victims should De pub
ushed il would shock the moral sensioii-
ties OF all Chrsiiendom-
The reform movement you propose up
on this great social question IS indeed
praiseworthy and in fun consonance
with the weil-known high plane o, nor
al progression upheld BY the Herald -oT
more than a quarter OF a century
Pint why should The reform movement