The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1898-05-19

MATRIMONIAL PUZZLE.
Vice Chancellor Stevens
Hears the Complicated
Hickey Divorce Case.
MAX sAIINGER GROWS VRATHY
He Denounces a Man Who
Claims to Represent One
of the Many Wives.
MAX SALINGER GROWS WRATHY


Chambers this noon during hearing IN
one of the most complicated matrimonial
cases ever aired in the New Jersey courts.
that OF the various wives of William
| Hickey, retired roundsman on the New
/ York police force On April 2S last, Vice
Chancellor Stevens heard evidence In a.
suit for divorce brought by Mrs. Mary
Hickey against William Hickey. The
complainant charged that her husband
had been intimate with another woman
and lived with her as her husband.
Hickey did not appear to defend the suit
and the Vice Chancellor after hearing the
testimony of Mrs. Hickey, who produced
proof that she was married to Hickey by
the Rev. ]. C. r. Luhrs, in this city, re-
served his decision.
The understanding was that he would
grant the decree asked for and fix the
amount of alimony to be paid by Hickey,
who is drawing a considerable pension
from the New. York Police Department.
Mrs. Mary Hickey was the keeper of a
disorderly house in New York. Hickey
while a policeman protected her, in con-
sideration of which she permitted him 10
invest large sums of her money, which he
lost. She was married to him on Sep
tember %, 1898. Mrs. Hickey was repre-
sented at the divorce suit hearing oy
Lawyer Max Salinger
This morning Lawyer James Northrop
made application on behalf of jeanette
Hickey to have the divorce case reopen
ed to give his client an opportunity to
prove that she and not Mary Hickey is
the lawful wife of the ex-roundsman.
His client is the woman who was named
by Mary Hickey as the correspondent in
her petition for divorce. Mr.. Northrop
submitted to Vice Chancellor Stevens an
affidavit made by his client in which she
says that her maiden name was jeanette
Herequa; that she was married to Will
lam Hickey on June 2, 1883, and that she
has lived with him continuously since
that date. She is living with him at
present in Philadelphia. She declares
that although she was made a party to
the divorce suit brought by Mary Hickey
she was never notified when the case
came to trial and that she had no OPP
portunity of presenting her claims or to
refute the statements made against her
character by Mary Hickey She asked
| for an opportunity to prove to the Court
| her claim to the name of Hickey.
Lawyer Salinger opposed the admission
/ OIL lIlt dllludFVl LIE AcOPShiAi5- ~ tAfS
case in any manner He said it had been
proven beyond doubt that Hickey was a
scoundrel and bigamist, but there was
not the slightest proof that jeanette was
| his legal wife. He admitted that Hickey
married her ON that date alleg,
ed in the affidavit, but claimed
that the marriage was a big
amous one He admitted that his client,
his lawful wife. He explained this by say
| ing that prior to Hickey's. marriage to
jeanette Hereoua he married woman
named Oliver. The Oliver woman was liv-
ing when he married the second time,
therefore his second marriage was big
amy and no legal marriage at all. Be-
tween Hickey's marriage to lean
cite and his marriage to Mary,
however the Oliver woman died
Salfnger contended that that made the
marriage to Mary legal despite Hickey's
previous marriage to Jeanette.
| He argued therefore, that Jeanette
should not be recognized by the Court
| Mr.. Saiinger alleged that her petition was
conspiracy to rob his client. George
,Spann New York lawyer and friend
| yer Northrop and advised him as the case
proceeded. Mr.. Northrop took the case
at Mr.. Spann's solicitation, It appears
4 hat when Mr.. Spann asked Mr. North
rop's advice in the matter, before the
divorce case came to trial, Mr.. North
rop referred him to Max Salinger, saying
| THAT he Woulu ue d Soou oiiS ~ tsthc Lis
case. Mr.. Spann went to him and not
| until after he had stated the object of his
visit did he learn that Mr.. Salinger had
been retained by the other side. Mr..
Salinger in court this morning alleged
that Mr. Spann was at the bottom of the
conspiracy to rob his client of her rights.
Turning to him he shook his first in his
face and said
you scoundrel, you lied to me- When
you called at my office you told ME that
you were that womans Jeanslte,s)7
| brother. 1t was a lie. You are at the
bottom of this whole business. You ana
Hickey are both Scoundrels. If you ever
come to my office again I'll kick you
out
Mr.. Salinger became so violent in his
language toward Mr.. Spann that Mr..
Northrop was obliged to protest.
After nearing arguments on both sides
of the case Vice Chancellor Stevens
granted Mrs. Jeanette Hickey's petition
and set the case down for hearing ON
June II He said that there were good
reasons why she should be given an OPP
Eortunity to prove that she is Hickey'ss
| wife One reason he gave was that
should he grant Mrs. Mary Hickey a
divorce he would be obliged to fix ali
mony and that if Hickey was forced to
vide for the wife who is living with him
I it might deprive the latter of a consider
able portion of her income. Again, the
wife of retired police officer in New
York is entitled on his death to one
half his pension. On the death of Hick-
| ey, in the event OF a decree pe1ng grant
ed serious legal complication might
arise
| DANGEROUS SIREN HELD FOR TRIAL