Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1898-03-31
IS DIVORCE A DlsEAsEa
Publications. Of a Mania Which May Re
Inherited.

"
Publications. Of Mania Which May Re
Inherited.
Benson Eggers of Daaville, Ind, was
recently remarked to his third wife, who
thus become his fourth. Eggers is only
10 years old. The young man has figured
considerably In the press and courts 70
Gently. He married at the age of IS and
his wife secured o divorce. he married
again, and wife No. 9 left him. Thinking
she was dead, be married third time
Then wife No. 2 arrived and sued for di-
vorce, and the third marriage was declared
void, it being understood that be would
marry No. again when he was legally
separated from No. :, which he has pAyy
done.
A study Of the last Indiana report on
marriages and divorces brings out the fact
that In certain sections divorce seems to
be a disease tha. is epidemic, while in
other counties there is hardly trace Of it.
Two Indiana counties for last year may be
taken to show this-Marion and Clark. In
the former there were but three marriages
to every one divorce: in the latter there
was but one divorce to every $50 mar
riages, or three in tho entire county. In
the state there was an average Of one d.
vorce for every seven marriages. during
the year. II Is noticed that in the counties
where there arc no railroads-three in In
diana-tho divorce record is very low,
Clark county leading, while in the coun-
ties where there are many railroads there
| are many divorces, Marion county lead
ing.
In court at Anderson. Ind. Allen
Lemon has been granted divorce from
Minnie Lemon. Some six months ago,
after she had been a bride less than six
months, she brought suit for divorce, but
| because Of the fact that she had not gained
residence in this county and state up to
that date tho case was thrown out OF court.
In her complaint she made the charge OF
incompatibility, due to cruelty and INIT.
tention. Allen Lemon, the husband, then
filed his suit, he having been a resident OF
this county for many years. Upon his up.
plication the decree was granted, but not
until o most extraordinary chain Of eyi.
denco had been presented. Tho court was
not inclined TO grant the decree upon the
usual grounds, probably considering then,
insufficient. Tie plaintiff and his attor.
| neys then took up tho family tree, and q
| most remarkable and interesting one i,
| was, with many broken branches that OF
| tracted attention.
The defendant, it was shown, was but
20 years OF age, yet she wanted divorce
after six months of married life. Going
back only to her great great grandmother
in order that the evidence in detail might
have limitation, ii was found that that
old lady had been divorced; that hel
mother had been divorced and probably
| her mothers mother, ard, tracing it bac,
| in general way ten generations, it wa:
found, had all been divorced. The great
| great grandmother sisters had been ti
vorccd. The defendant grest-srandmoth
or had been divorced, and her sisters hat
also acquired good divorce records, mum
boring from one to three. The defendant,
mother had been divorced three times, ant
her sisters, the defendant 6 aunts, had alsc
been divorced from one to three times
This brings the women folks down, every
one of them with q divorce record, to thu
present generation of Divorces. The de
fendants sister, who is but "a years O
age, was already an applicant and had an
other case on, and Minnie. the last Of thl
| generation Of IIarriagcablo age, had start
cd in at tho gentle age Of 20 to mako
record for herself, with indications of &C
curing good string Of DEGREES.