Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1897-05-27
MRS. ACELAN'S BILL PASSED
The House of Representatives
g Grants Her Divorce
VOTE, NINE YEAS TO SIX NAYS
Some of the Members Make Ex-
plantations.
Reasons That Induced Them to Change
Their Minds and Vote for the Bill Rep
resentative Hazeli Apologies To Mrs.
Acklau, but Votes Against Granting the
Divorce, -Ft m.

resentattve Hazen Apologies To Mrs.
Acklau, but Votes Against Granting the
Divorce. .st
STAFF Correspondence of Gazette and Journal
Dover, May 25. The Senate bill to
divorce Laura G. and William II. Ack-
Ian, over which there has been SO much
adverse criticism, passed the House OF
Representatives last evening on the eve
of adjournment, nine members voting
for it, six against it and six being out
of the room at the time.
Mrs. Acklan took the case in her own
hands last Friday and Saturday. and
by her pleadings succeeded in capturing
at least two votes, without which the
bill would not have passed. She called
at Representative Dempsey's house on
Friday night and saw Messrs, Cheairs
and Hazel on Saturday. She converted
Messrs. De mpsey and Cheairs but failed
to make sufficient impression on Mr.
Hazell TO get his vote
She came down from Wilmington
| yesterday morning, and while IN town
her welfare was looked after by her at
| torneys, Horace g. Knowles and Josiah
| Marvel. She was an object of consider
| able curiosity and her every movement
| was watched.
| Between and o'clock in the after.
noon, by appointment, she appeared
before the members of the House, sitting
as committee of the whole, in the
State House parlor. Several of the
members refused, however, to attend
the hearing. Contrary to expectation,
newspaper representatives were eS-
cluded from the room. 1t was learned,
however, that Mrs. Acklan informed
the members that when she was mar
ried, naturally losing the residence OF
her parents, in Cleveland, O., and her
husband having no fixed residence. she
came to Delaware. She declared that
she would never again live in Cleve.
i land, neither had she any intention OF
residing in New York or Washington.
She preferred Delaware and came here
with the intention of living in this
State indefinitely. For that reason she
claimed Delaware as her residence, and
succeeded in convincing some OF tho
members that she had bona fide resi-
dence here. She also reviewed her case
and made quito an impression on
, majority of those present.
, Ii was then and there apparent that
tbere would be no trouble about pass
, ing the bill, and It's friends were deter
| mined to call it up without delay. Ac-
| O'Clock, whom several members were
: making an effort to adjourn 10 order to
/ catch the 5. 13 northbound train, Rep
/ resentative Mccullough, chairman or
! the House committee on divorce, re.
\ ported the bill favorahly and asked that
Z il by given third reading and voted on.
1 The Sneaker ordered the bill read,
/ and when the reading clerk had finished
Mr.. HAZEL spoke in opposition to the
a bill. He said that Mrs. Aoklan had
. called on him at his Office in Smyrna on
9 Saturday, and asked him why he had
L called her an adventuress to which he
a replied that he had said she was as
It much of an adventurous as j.. Edward
i Addicks was an adyenturer, as Addieks
t had come here to be made United
d States Senator and she had come mere
to obtain a divorce. He informed the
members however, that he had apollo
!. aized and said that he would publicly
n offer l, 900 apologies. He said he bad
learned from her that she was induced
10 come here by member of the Della
ware bar, a gentleman who once repre-
sented the United States at Bordeaul
y and he inferred that she came here fol
the sole purpose of obtaining tht
! divorce. He had not changed his minf
:, in regard to the bill, however, ant
y should certainly vote against it.
10 Mr.. Mccullough gave the grounds
~ for the application and said he though
10 the bill was meritorious.g Mrs. Acklal
o. had informed the committee. undee
10 oath, that sns had bona tide resi-
:, lence here and intended to live here
OF and that she said she would never liv'
70 70 in Cleveland. He did not see wner'
8. there could be any ground for opposing
a. the bill.
q Mr.. Dempsey said that when a mai
y had committed a wrong he should d
:, something to right it. Mrs. Ackla
~ mad called on him at his home at
~ O'Clock Friday night, and then am
o, there convinced him that she was NOR
a. entitled to a divorce than some peopl
ng who had been divorced at this session
es He felt that he had done her grea
OF wrong in the first place and that b
a. owed her an apology. He thought b
at could not do better than to emphasiz
'rs the apology by voting for the bill Il
o. knew that he would be criticised b
y, the press for his action, but he coui
at better stand the criticism than
i.is know that he had wronged an innocen
u woman.
ed The bill was voted upon and the re
" ~: cult was as follows:
10 Ayes-Messrs. Dempsey, Cheair'
70, Mccoy, Mccullough, Short, Taylol
ne Thompson, Whitney aud the Speaker
ne Nuyg-Messrs Dukes, HAZEL, L. S
as HOPKINS. johnson, Martin and Smith, I
ne Msssrs Adams, Davis. Donaldson, ]
10. III. Hopgins, Eiiaaon and Wilson wer
no not in the room when the vote wa
iieo taken. ,.,
is, When the Speaker voted for the bill
eu he explained that he had been col
OF vinced that Mrs. Acklan was as muo
ru entitled to a divorce as many othel
iso which had been granted.
10 chapter of Accidents.
ror Clarence Wright, employed in I'll
sre car shops of the Harlan g. Holling
lrt worth Co., had portion of fing'
IRE severed Monday while at work at
ie- wood working machine. The injul