The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1903-01-04
FOR EVERY TEN MARRIAGES IN
ST. PAUL There is A DIVORCE

Fifteen hundred couples are married
in st. Paul each year. More than
tenth of these eventually find their way
to the divorce courts. A few weeks ago
a modest appearing young woman was
admiring the interior of ST. PauPs
court house, while waiting for her oil
vorce case to be called.
Its the second time l was ever in
the building" she remarked to her
companion. 81 was here three years
ago when we came for a marriage Ii
cenSe."
st. Paul has one of the speediest di-
VOrce mills in the country. If dis
satisfied wife has her evidence ready,
and a good case, she will not have to
wait much longer for her divorce than
she did for a marriage license on the
floor below. In some cases, mismated
couples have been freed in less than
five minutes. During the regular terms
of court, one judges time is given al
most entirely to the divorce cases. At
some of the sessions, the sOon-to-be
divorces, nearly all of whom are wOm-
en-, fill a comfortable portion of the
room. Some march to the witness
stand asking only that their maiden
name be restored. Others want ali
mony, and they generally get it. 1t
is an exceptional case where the appli-
cant for a divorce does not ask for
the custody of the children, if there
be any.
The whole proceeding is as quiet as
shopping tour, unless the case be a
contested one, and divorce cases are
seldom contested. OF the 1876 divorces
granted during the past year, less than
half a dozen were contested. More
frequently the application for alimony
is contested, but these matters are
disposed Of before the case comes to
trial, and there is little left for the
divorce judge to do other than grant
ing the decree asked for.
Attracts the Morbid.
The divorce courts always attract
the curious, and seldom is case called
but there are a number of spectators
present, and they will sit through the
proceedings, though they may never
have heard Of the litigants in their
lives. These people generally go away
disguised, for they have heard very
little to repay them for their trouble,
and the sensations anticipated were not
forthcoming. The proceedings are gem
orally hurried. The judge mumbles
the names of the litigants. No one I'M
derStandS what he says except the
woman and her attorney A few per-
functory questions follow and the ap-
plicant is dismissed-freed.
Nine divorces in one day is the record
of one judge, and half a dozen DEGREES
are frequently granted between the
hours of and II o'clock. Some morn
1ngs the judge in the divorce court
upstairs is much buster than the mar
rage license clerk On the first floor
of the county building. While not a
Mecca for non-residents the local di-
vOrce mills do the work quicker, with
less scandal, and just as completely as
the far-famed courts of Yankton and
Sioux Falls. Usually there is rush to
the divorce courts just before the holi-
days. Some say the lawyers crowd
the cases through to set little money
out of the fees. Others claim that the
applicant looks at a divorce decree as
a nice little Christmas present from the
judge.
Four fifths of the applicants are
women, and fifty per cent of the cases
are sequels Of youthful marriages.
While some of the applicants are
young, the greater part of them are on
the sunny side of thirty. Some are
pretty, others cannot be accused of be-
ing SO. Sometimes there is a poorly
dressed one, but the most of them
appear to be in comfortable circum-
stances, although the story told by
them to the judge would not bear out
the statement.
Sometimes They Fight.
Of course, all Of the divorces are not
granted in the "hurry-up'' fashion.
Sometimes there is a long drawn out
case which requires a day or more of
the courts time, and in which the de-
PENDANT makes a hard fight against the
granting Of the decree. It is in such
cases that the Htigants generally get
more or less notoriety out of their do
meStic troubles. But in the cases
where the DEGREES are granted with the
usual dispatch, there is little publicity
attached to the separation.
When the grind of ho diuoroo mill
begins there is little tarrying. The
questions, few and brief, fly fast. Some
times the cases come to a sudden and
unexpected termination, when the Judge
announces to the young attorney that
the papers in the case are at fault, and
that the case is stricken from the dock
ct for this reason. Then the attorney.
who is probably getting his first ex-
perience, holds a whispered conversa-
ton With his client, assures her that
the matter will be promptly disposed
OF at the next term of court and the
party leaves the room, with the appIi-
cant very disappointed woman.
Ihere are more divorce cases strick-
en- on account of faulty papers than
all others together" remarked Judge
Otis one day. after he had disposed of
three cases in this manner. "And
sometimes the papers are drawn up by
good attorneys, too"
In securing a divorce the evidence
OF the applicant and one witness will
suffice on a pinch; but very seldom
is corroborating testimony required of
more than two witnesses aside from
the applicant.
Had No Grounds.
During the last term of court. a
woman anxious tc secure divorce