The evening times., 1897-05-01
.DELAWARE'S DIVORCE MILL
1t Is Operated Chiefly by the
Legislative Assembly.
SEP 4RATION MADE QUITE EASY
No Service of Papers Upon TIE Re-
spondent and No Publication Of
Petitioner Resides-Process More
Difficult in the Courts.

Dover, Del, May 1.-The manner in
! which divorces are obtained in Delaware
is attracting considerable interest among
! those who have been drawn into the
| legislative maclstrom and emerged sin
| gle and alone The investigation of re
| ports Of brihery IN connection with the
granting of divorces by the legislature
! viii begin on Monday, and may be Of
more note than at first expected
There is another divorce recently
| granted in which the husband charges
| coercion. He is George ShrOm, of New
| port, Pa. Mrs Mary L Shrom is "A
Bali-sister TO George Massey Jones, a
Dover attorney, who acted as counsel
for her. The grounds alleged before the
committee, when the testimony was Civ IN,
were brutality and cruelty Mrs ShrOm
was the second wife, aud it was stated
that the first wifes children made her
life unbearahle, treating their stepmother
with the utmost contempt, aud almost as
uSurper, because the property in which the
family resided belonged to the mother Of
the children. The hearing in the case was
somewhat secret, being held at night be-
fore a small committee.
Regarding tie case, MI Shrom says:
"On January my wife, Mary K Smom,
left Newport for her hone in Dover. Del
where her father and friends reside. She
went away with the intention Of final
separation. Both of us regretted the
separation, and a correspondence was be-
gun, lasting until March 10, WHEN we met
in Philadelphia in tie hope CT leounoiling
- ii I s1sV-
that we would go together again, she 20
return to ne about June / She returned
to her home in Dover on the Afternoon of
the sane day, and our parting was of a
most affeationate nature In less than
a month after, April :, a Till GivoIcing her
from me passed the senate, and On the 9th
it passed the house and was approved hy
the governor. No notice was ever served
on me Of her application, and l only
learned Of the divorce through Dover
paper
The law under which the legislature
grants divorces would rival the Chicago
system i'm its Talmiest days. A petitioner
must first acquire residence in the State,
which, according To the letter of the law,
takes year. Notice to the defendant rs
a very simple matter. All that the law
requires : that the petitioner shall pup
lish for one month in a newspaper in
the county in which he or she resides
a notice OF the application II the defend
ant sees ii he is fortunate: if he does not
the law has been obeyed.
It is very difficult to obtain any infOr-
nation as to the testimony in divorce pro-
ceedings before the legislature, a the
members OF the committee are not dis
posed to divulge any OF the testimony. even
Gil the floor at the request of mcmbc.s.
In divorce petitions before the superior
court the requirements are much more
severe and vastly more just. The peti-
toner must file an affidavit with the pro-
thOnotaTy of the county verifying the cause
of complaint. A summons is then issued
for the appearance of the defendant be-
fore a commissioner appointed by the
court. If service cannot be made the
sheriff then publishes it in as many pa
pers as he thinks necessary to reach the
defendant This is why so many people
go TO the legislature for divorce. In this
matter OF divorce the Legislature is a
transcendent power and made the law
governing divorces to suit itself