The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-03-08
ONLY FIVE TOTAL DIVORCES
THE DIVORCE RECORD NOT QUITE
so BAD AS 1T SEEMS.

Twice as Many Suits Dismissed as
There Were Divorces Granted.
GeOrgia's Divorce System-Eight to
Ten Months the Shortest Time in
Which n Divorce Can Be Gotten
Through Under Favorable Circum-
without Opposition.
Yesterday was divorce day in the SUI
perior Court, and the docket was nearly
cleared of this class of cases. While there
were a number of cases on the docket
only five total divorces were granted.
The record is not nearly so bad as would
seem to be the case from a casual glance
at the clerks docket. A number of the
cases filed are never pushed. and more are
withdrawn at the instance of the parties
themselves or are transferred to the dead
docket, than receive decrees of total di-
showed only five verdietg for total divorce
granted while ten cases were dismissed
First verdicts were granted, however, in
ten other cases.
Georgia occupies middle ground on the
divorce question between South Carolina,
where no divorces are granted, and the
| Dakotas, where divorces are ground out
| like grist from mill Under favorable
circumstances a divorce can be secured
| in Georgia in about eight months. Inc
petition for divorce must first be hied at
least twenty days before the appearance
| term that is, the term of the court IN
which it is first placed on the docket. The
other party to the divorce is notified dur
| ing this term and the case comes up Tor
| trial at the succeeding term Supposlng
! first verdict TO be granted, then the case
! goes over to the succeeding term, when
| means wait of at least three months. II
a second verdict is given at the ensuing
term an order decreelng a total divorce Is
| granted by the court at once.
For instance, a suit for divorce hied the
| early part of last month would be placed
upon the docket for the present term oil
| the court and notice served upon the OPP
! posing party to appear at the June term.
Surprising first verdict to be granted at
the June term, the case would then have
/ to go over to the December term, when a
second verdict and total divorce could be
obtained This would require about ten
months Had the case been filed for the
December term, however. the divorce could
have been obtained in less than eight
months.
The Georgia law recognizes several
grounds of divorce besides the scriptura
| ground of adultery, among them being de-
| sertion, cruelty and i'll treatment, constant
drunkenness and failure to support. The
chief reason why divorces are so easily OBJ
tanned, however, is that there Is seldom
any opposition made, both parties usually
being apparently willing to a legal sepa'
rn ton.
Second verdicis and total divorces were
| granted in the following cases:
Mollie Saunders vs. Robert Saunders
Richard H. Turner VS.. Augustus l.
Turner Natalie NJ. Scotland vs., Johr
c. Scotland, Laura ]. White VS. Hardy
White. Effie ]. Voss VS.. John E. Voss
First verdicts were granted in the fol
lowing cases: Emma Bacon VS.. p. H. Ba-
con, Harriet w. Mcintosh VS.. Moses NJ
Mcintosh, Sarah Joseph We. Mitchell Jo-
seph, B. A. Strong VS.. Lena Strong, Eliz.
abeth Gaffney VS.. Frank Gaffney, Lavills
Humphrles VS. Alexander HUMPHREYS
William H. Mitchell VS. Ida A. Mitchell
Shadwell Wilson VS.. Maggie Wilson, Jane.
Smith VS.. Elizabeth Smith, James Nelson
VS.. Sophie Nelson.
The following cases were dismissed from
the docket: Joseph c. Johnston VS.. Geor
gia Johnston, Charles C. Beebe VS.. Heller
y. Bebee, Elizabeth Houston vs. Benja
min Houston, Joseph F. Freeman VS.. Jan,
E. Freeman, Ella Bacon VS.. r. H. Bacon
p. D. Hubbard VS.. Mary E. Hubbard An
derson c. Murray VS.. lilly Murray, Julie
Smith VS.. Andrew Smith, Emma E. Henry
VS.. Charles A. Henry, Eva Rich VS.. Jane;
S. Rich, Josephine Jones vs. Harry Jones
Only a few of these cases now remain
upon the docket for the present term.
|