The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-12-25
DIVORCED In ONE DAY.
How Marital Relations Were Severed
in Colorado in the SOS.
Washington Post.

Washington Post.
'They say that the Dakotas and Okla
homa are the places for quick divorces"
said young lawyer recently returned from
the West, but l know of an instance where
a Colorado court granted a divorce to
man who was in the State on a stop-over
ticket This divorce on a stop-over ticket is
an actually, and the records of the Ara
pahoe County Court at Denver will bear
the story cut.
'It was back in the SOS, before Den
yer was hardened down to the conserva-
tive principles of doing business. If there
was anything to be done it was done with
out wasting any more words than were
necessary, and the county judge who pre-
sided over this case acted more upon the
rules of common sense than upon legal
presidents. But to my story.
Several years prior to the time of which
1 speak there was a couple living in Brook
Ign, of the class that would be termed
ordinary people That is to say, the
husband was a man who worked as
best he might here, there and at any
thing he could find to do that paid him
well. His wife was frugal and Industrious,
and together they eked out a comfortable
existence. But the time came when work
was scarce. and the husband determined
that it was time to go into green pastures
West to Chicago, where so many thou
sands were hocKing hoping to find a city
where the streets were lined with money
and where employment went begging for
the employe He left his wife in their
humble abode in Brooklyn, promising to
write her upon his arrival, the understand
ing being that soon he found work
and was able she was to join him in the
Windy City.
and, like thousands before him, discovered
that the giittering promises of work and
prosperity had been greatly magnifed.
1T was two weeks before he had the cour-
age to even write his better half, and in that
time changes had GENE to her also. The
larder had gotten lower in those two weeks
and, hearing nothing of her husband she
found it necessary to seek employment for
her own Sustenance. She moved to New
York, and in the next few months worked
from place to place, each change making the
possibility OF communication with her hus-
band more remote.
His letters did not reach her, and the
years rolled by, until she finally gave him up
as dead. In the course of time she met a
hardy German brewer, and the opportunity
The couple removed to Denver where the
husband was employed in one of the large
breweries of that city.
1T was some years after their marriage
that husband No. l, who had long since
given his wife up for dead, was moved again
by that FESTIVE spirit which guides wealth.
seekers in the path pointed out by Horace
Greeley, and No. l gathered together his
belongings and started for the promising
West. Seattle was the objective point this
time, and with much the same visions that
had accompanied him on his last Western
move, he settled down on the seat of
Burlington smoker bound for Denver. From
there he was to take the Denver & Rio
Grande over the divide, and to the glorious
Pacific.
1 engaged in conversation with another
smoker in adjoining seat, and pretty
soon the two were exchanging courtesies
like old friends. The stranger was from
Denver. and when husband No l mentioned
his name it brought to the strangers mind
faint thread of recollection. He was sure
he had heard it before, but where? All, one
of his co-workers in the Denver brewery
had married a woman of that name. Yes,
she was from the East. Indeed; SAID nus
band No. land had she previously been
married.? Quite sure of it was the stranger,
for his acquaintance with her and her hus-
band was quite intimate and he had heard
her say that her first husband was dead:
'"The occurrence set No. to thinking
hard and without revealing his purpose, he
of the strangers friend, determined to in
vestigate the matter when he reached Den
yer. Now 1t happens that trains from the
East arrive in Denver in the morning and
West-bound trains usually leave in the even
ing The ticket held by husband No. would
permit him to stop over until $40 that even
Upon reaching Denver he at once sought
out the man who had married woman
bearing the same HdI16 DIS HILlSell. TIC
found him at work in the brewery ex-
planned his business. and in about three
minutes was convinced that he had located
his wife He explained the situation to nus
band No 2, and they concluded to go to his
home and see the wife, They did so. Con-
trary to all established rules of feminine
etiquette the wife refused to throw up her
arms and faint at the sight of her husband
but calmly put her arms akimbo and asked
her two husbands what they proposed to do
T thought YOU were dead said she to
No l. And thought you Were said he
We'll, let US go to lawyer said No.
g hoping that among the maze of legal i'm
tricacies could be found path leading out
of the dilemma. State Senator Oscar
Reuter-, distinguished Denver lawyer, was
which employed husband No 2. who guild
ed his wife and her other husband to the
lawyers office. The matter was explained
to Lawyer Rueter, and to him the solution
Of the puzzle was left.
but who is to have the wife?' asked
husband No g. addressing the new-found
husband. But I don't want her. replied
No 1; you have had her for years. and
Well then proposed the lawyer, why
not have husband No. 1 obtain divorce
from his wife? Tnen she will be legally
both agreed to this. but there was a
hitch on the expense Who was to bear
It? No -disclaimed all responsibility and
No 2 hardly thought it right to make him
take the wife and bear the expense, too.
Again the valued legal counsel prevented
pense be shared equally was readily ac-
But said No 1, I must go away to-
night My ticket is only good until $40
o'clock
"Now the lawyer was puzzled. How
could he get the divorce through by Q
O'Clock? His visitors were invited to wait
for a little time, and he fastened to the
courthouse and conferred with the county
Judge. The whole matter was explained to
him. with the result that he consented to
have the papers filed and the case heard
the same day.
'sBy O'Clock the lawyer had the papers
on file but it was near s O'Clock before
the bailiff had got a jury together and
the court was ready to proceed with the
case BY o'clock the jury had heard the
issues, and incidentally all the facts in the
case and few moments later returned
decree separating husband No. l from his
former wife. Husband No. l was at the
Union Depot by $40 o'clock. and continued
his journey westward, having. obtained a