The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1902-11-30
SIOUX FALLS, DIVORCE TOWN,
WHERE MRS. ROLAND u. WOLF
NEIN HAS GONE FOR 4 DECREE.
Some az the Notable Gases Decided There
and the Methods That Are tollowed
Not 80 Much NOtOricty Now A.
In the Divorce Niii's Palny Days.

Not 80 Nuch NOt0rictt NOW NJ
In the Divorce Miii's Palm, Days.
SIOUX FALLS. :. D.. Nov. 2.--1le arrival
Of Mrs Roland B. MolineuX IN Sioux Falls
n few days ago created renewed interest IN
the divorce colony in this city, and in tho
cases If widely known PERSONS who have
availed themselves of the opportunity 10
secure divorces under the laws OF South
Dakota. Recently there has been d largo
/ increase in the number of these i'isons
from Eastern S,atcs, and from furoi@.
In examining some OF the records In
famous divorce cases Of past years IN the
Office of the Clerk Of Courts for the purpose
of obtaining material for this article. the
discovery was MADE that in sfveral cases IN
! which prominent people ale involved. the
! papers have not been xeC,.;ed in accordance
with the law. aud the divorce Gecrees are
| therefore illegal When this information
/ reaches the parties concerned, who have
! since married in the belief that their South
| Dakota divorces We're legal, sensation VIII
| DC created and some Interesting complica-
| tons are certain TO result.
| Originally the divorce laws OF South
| Dakota required residence OF Only three
months in order that misnated couples
might have their matrimonial bonds sew
cred. The leniency Of the law, and the infiux
Of divorce applicants from all corners OF the
| earth finally resulted in strong deInahd
,ha, the .awe be made more stringent The
leader in this movement was the St. Rev.
W. H. Hare Episcopal Bishop Of South
, Dakota, and the agitation resulted in the
three months residence feature being in
| creased TO six months, which law Is still in
force.
The bulk of the divorce business then
went to North Dakota, where only three
| months residence was required. The peo-
pie there also protested against the lax!'y
Of the law, and the Legislature fixed the
| period Of residence al six months. Since
then South Dakota has succeeded in win
ming back its share Of the divorce business.
In the days of easy divorces various
| per,ous who were not averse to notoriety
permitted the newspapers TO print de-
tailed stories Of their lives in the divorce
colony ~ Sioux Falls. Some timid people,
who were opposed TO publicity, were thus
prevented from coming TO IN" then ac-
knowledRed divorce. Mecca Of lho country,
and went elsewhere, where their presence
would not attract any particular attention,
At present Eastern people who come TO
the state are almost wholly Of GLASS VINO
live in fear lest the newspapers give them
! and their cases write-ups, such as many
| of the earliest "colonist . courted, There
fore every effort Il made by their attorneys
| TO keen the cases out OF the newspapers.
The attorneys, who reap rich harvest
from such cases, are, from their stand-
| point, justified perhaps In eludlng the
| Vigilance OF the newspaper men, Tor. were
! all the divorce cases brought IN Sioux all,
or other South Dakota towns TO be aired
| in the newspapers, II would speedily re-
suit in driving to other and more remote
LOCALITIES pract ically the whole Of this
| lucrative business.
When a divorce case il started the papers
are sometimes filed at some small county
seat town. The applicant may, for instance,
take up his or her residence In Sioux FALL,
while the papers in the divorce case may
be filed with the clerk Of courts OF any
J county in the State other than that in which
the applicant resides. Another method
of eludng the vigilance of the newspaper
men is for the attorneys 10 retain pos
> session OF the papers in a case, the COM
plaint, a., after they have been taken
10 the Office Of the clerk of courts and have
had the filing time noted upon them by
that official. This Is permitted under
the South Dakota statutes, the attorneys
being required simply 10 furnish the clerk
Of courts with a receipt t1t mo Paper ',
desire to examine the papers, which are
found TO I've in the possession Of the plaintiff
tho clerk Of courts Will procure them Tor
him, or he may 60 to the attorney for the
J .
, The usual practice is for copies Of the papers
to he served on the opposing attorney.
In many cases, in which the applicants
for divorces have resided az Sioux Falls.
the final hearings have been held IN some
remote point in the State, where term
of State circuit court was in session, and
where the papers in the case had previously
! been filed.
> One of the most celebrated divorce cases
disposed of in Sioux Falls during the palmy
Iay -
Margaret l.. De Steuers VI Alphonse Il. L.
= De Steuers. The plaintiff, before marriage,
was a Miss Cary. and WAS closely connected
with the Astors. Her husband was prom,
nent in French politics affairs, and had
9 been Minister from France 10 both Spain
and Belgium. The decree In the case was
granted Feb. s, 1892
When Nine DE Steuers arrived here to
| establish a residence she was accompanied
by man who went under the name OF Will
liam Elliott, and pretended to be her private
secretary. The couple spent money Law
a ishlv virtually throwing II broadcast. Dur
ing their stay Affairs in the divorce colony
u, here we're not permit ed 10 lag for moment
q While a resident Of Sioux Falls, Nine
De Steuers gave to the Episcopal Church
Of this city the sum Of $i,5oo. which she
. wished expended for the purchase Of a
e memorial window in honor OF her mother
k The Right Rev. ", H. Hare, Episcops
Bishop Of Souh Dakota, declined TO &C
cept the money. and IL was returned TO the
donor.
After Nine DE Steuers secured decree
OF divorce. her private secretary dis
carded his assumed name and stood re
vealed as Count Elicit Zoboroski. The
- day after the degree " as granted the couple
were married aud departed for the East
IL was said that the minister who per
formed the marriage ceremony received
u a fee Of $500.
= One of Count Ioboroski's peculiaritis,
:. WAS to have a large deposit In bank a
II anv place where he was even tenfporaril,
stopping This was the case in Siou,
= Falls, and when he departed for the Eas
v with his bride, he apparently gave M
+! thought to his balance in one of the loca
-, banks When the bank failed several YEAR
u later, the books still showed large de
post to his credit.
Another case famous in divorce snnal
was that o { Edward T.. Pollock W. Elsi
- Pollock The plaintiffs father wac
wealthy ship chandler IN New York cit,
with a residence at Nvack. The testi
monv in the case showed that Mrs. Polloc
l. had been servant in the Pollock family
" BY threats Of prosecution, II was alego,
e she had compelled the son Of her employer