Connecticut western news., 1900-11-15
DIVORCE FRAUDS GROW
District Attorneys Office Making
 Rigid Investigation.
LAWYER zEIMER's OLAIM TO FAME
Formerly Interested In . Bogus Arti- hcial Flower Factory Which Made SI00,oOO . Year Out of ConAding Men and Women.

Formerly Interested I'm . Bogus Arti- nciaI Flower Factory Which Made sI00,oo . Year Out of Conading
 Men and Women.
 New York, Nov. 14.-Although the grand jury on Monday night ordered in- dictments against w. Waldo Maison,
 Henry Zeimer and Frank Wilson, who are charged with being the principal con spirators in the operation of the bogus di- vorce mill which was run at 239 Broad way, the true bills were not filed yester- day. Further evidence of the shameless practices of the gang was, however, heard by the grand jury yesterday, and 1t is understood that as a result of the addi- tional testimony which was heard that
 body has ordered the indictment of Mrs.
 Byrde c. Herrick.
 Mary Thompson was again taken be-
 fore the grand jury yesterday morning. Through her the district attorney hopes to prove that other advertising lawyers
 who make a speciality of divorce cases have also been engaged in questionable practices. Just how far the woman's evi- | dence went In the implication of others for whom she is supposed to have work ed neither Assistant District Attorney | Henry w. Unger nor James Lindsay | Gordon would divulge yesterday, but the report was current in the Criminal Courts building that discriminating testimony had been given against a lawyer of large practice in divorce litigation and who, like Maison, is in the habit of advertising | in the daily newspapers. The district at torney has instituted investigations which | 1t Is thought may disclose 6 lamentable | state of affairs in this city and which | may lead to proof that several gangs | have been making money out of fraudu- | lent divorce schemes. | Zeimer's Past Record.
 The Times says that the postoffice au- | thorities were acquainted with Henry i Zeimer two years ago, when he was the
 chief witness in the proceedings against | the Fairfield Floral company of Fairfield,
 Me-, one of the largest mail order swim i dles ever run down by the inspectors. The company's ostensible business was
 the manufacture and sale of artificial | flowers, and he was the manager of the concern In the beginning of Its brief ca reer. He purported then to be a lawyer
 and showed that he had at least a smat- | tering of law. He escaped indictment. | The concern was taking in money at the
 rate of $100,000 year.
 | The scheme was in the first place to
 advertise for persons to send two stamps | and learn how to make from SIP to SIS | week by pleasant. easy work at their
 homes. The plan was to make artificial
 flowers, and the applicant was informed
 that a course of instruction by mail was | necessary. This was worth S25, it was I said. but was sent to applicants for S2
 cents. The next step was to recommend
 that the applicant purchase samples of
 the flowers most in demand. Thousands sent the 8 only to receive letter stating
 that the business had grown to such mag
 nitude that mail lots could not be han.
 dled, and the applicant was asked to buy
 materials for 50 dozen lots, which would
 cost S110.50. This staggered most of the
 applicants and caused them to drop out
 of the matter, as 1t was intended that il
 should. but still few did send the largs
 amount demanded.
 When Postoffice Inspector James D
 King reached Fairfield. he found letters
 coming In at the rate of 5000 a day, C
 great many of them inclosing the $2 and
 more the 32 cents. Six were indicted
 among them being a woman, Viola Ray
 her mother, Mrs. Wing, and W. k. Skin
 ner, who was looked upon as the head oi
 the concern. Zeimer, after testifying fol
 the government, was subpPnaed by tn,
 defense. The trial was held in Portland
 and all were convicted, but none was eyel
 sent to the penitentiary.