Evening journal., 1897-05-25
MRS. ACKLAN is FREE.
House Passes the Bill Divorc-
ing Her From Her Husband.
SHE WAS OVERCOME WITH JOY

SHE SATISFIED THE MEMBERS
SHE is A BONA FIDE RESIDENT
OF DELAWARE. AND PROPOSES
TO MAKE HER HOME HERE IN
DEFINITELY.
staff Correspondence Evening Journal.
Dover, May 25.-Mrs. Laura c. Ack-
Ian, OF Cleveland, Ohio, is a single wo-
man once more, for yesterday after
noon the House, by vote OF 6 to 3.
passed the Senate bill divorcing her
from her husband, William II. Acklan,
OF Washington, ID. c. The bill had
been here for several weeks, and was
once killed by the House and then res
urrected, only to be passed when II was
next reported to that body.
Mrs. Acklan spent the latter part OF
last week making q personal canvass
OF the doubtful members from New
Castle county She called at the home
OF Representative Dempsey at Brandy
wine Springs, converted him, and then
went to see Representative Cheairs. at
Delaware City, and captured his vote.
Next she went to Smyrna and hauled
| Representative HAZEL over the Goals
for calling her an adventures on the
floor Of the House, but her visit there
did not avail her, for Il only made Mr..
Hazell the more pronounced In his op-
position to the bill.
Mrs Acklan came to Dover yester-
day morning. She was accompanied
| by Horace G. Knowles and Josiah Mar
viii her attorneys. She wore a pink and
white shirt waist. a skirt OF mixed
goods, white straw hat aud black silk
| gloves After her arrival she went to
the Capitol Hotel and remained there
until she was summoned to appeal be-
fore the members OF the House In the
State House parlor about O'Clock In
the afternoon. Her coming was known,
and the lobby was crowded with per-
sons who wished to see the plaintiff in
the most sensational divorce case OF
the session.
All OF the members OF the House and
nearly all of the Senate members were
present when she entered the parlof
with her lawyers The hearing lasted
nearly an hour, and then she went out
and back to the hotel having satisfied
a majority OF the members that she
was bona fde resident OF the State Of
Delaware, and proposed to make her
home here indefinitely.
Newspaper men as well as the pub
lie were excluded from the room, and
no extended statement as to the de-
tails OF the hearing was given out.
A few minutes before o'clock, when
4 the members from the upper part Of
the state were anxious to adjourn to
8 catch the 5.13 train, Representative
q Mccullough. chairman Of the House,
= Committee on Divirce succeeded IN
J. fighting on sundry motions to adjourn
y and reported the bill and called It up
for final action.
81 Mr. HAZEL renewed his opposition TO
A the measure. He said that while he
/ was sitting in his office at Smyrna on
: Saturday he was surprised by receiv-
ing a call from Mrs. Acklan, who call
4 ed him to account for speaking OF her
as an adventures. He said that he ex-
. planned to her that he knew nothing
{ about her case except what he had
d seen In tho newspapers and heard from
d others. He said that he had spoken OF
b her aB being much of an adventures
4 as j. Edward Addicks was an adven-
turer, and explained that ne did so be-
G cause Addicks came here TO secure the
United States senatorship while she
came here to obtain a divorce. He
/, apologized. however, and thereby clear
; ed his skirts. He explained to the
/, House that he had learned from her
!, that she had been inducd to come here
and apply for divorce by one OF the
G shining lights of the Delaware bar, the
Il gentleman who represented the United
l. States at one time at Bordeaux and
II that he was responsible for her being in
n this state. He said that while he had
e apOligized to her. his mind had not
n changed in the least In regard to the d.
e vOrce bill, and he should certainly re-
cord his vote against II.
Mr. Mccullough stated the grounds
for divorce, and said that Mrs. Acklan
n had under oath, Informed the mem
Il bers that she was a bona-fde resident
v of Delaware and he was convinced that
a. size was entitled to a divorce.
Mr.. Dempsey said that when a man
commits a wrong he should do what
p. he could to right it. He was satisfied
that he was wrong in the first instance
in connection with this bill, and that
he owed Mrs. Acklan an apology and
that he felt it his duty to emphasize
that apology by voting for the bill
Is He also said that Mrs. Acklan called
m at his house on Friday night and con-
as vinced him that she was better entitled
to a divorce than some people whose
Nv divorces have been granted at this ses-
We sion.
r. All this speech-making occupied but
very few minutes, and part Of the
time several persons were talking al
N the same time, thus rendering it i'm.
~ possible to hear just what everyone
p" was saying.
The following members left thu
"a room before the vote was taken,
as Messrs. Adams, Davis, ]. II. Hopkins
lis Donaldson Wilson and Eliason-6
When the news was communicated
Id to Mr.. Acklan she was overcome will
nd Joy. Word was Immediately telegraph
he ed to her father at Cleveland o., ant
~ to other relatives.