The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1904-12-30

habit from 1901 20 the present time
Ia shown by this years statistics.
Happily married men and women
and preachers call IL q rapid IN
crease In the divorce evil
But those who realize that they
have chosen their life partners with
lndlneretlon probably think Of II a.
blessing and. N they are wise, say
nothing. Out Of 74g eases filed dur
ing 1904. DEGREES have been granted
in bI7 instances. This means that
the family troubles 81 TAG families
have been laid bare before the pub
lie. go.
When hundreds Of little children
grow up ~ they want 20 look up
their family history they can 90
To the court house. call for the NUM-
Der Of their parents divorce SUIT
and know for certainty how many
times papa got tight aud beat
mamma during the year 1904, ana
how many times mamma slappsa
papa in the face with dishrag or
threw articles Of furniture ana
dishes al him. thereby badly bruiE-
ing said plaintiff and causing him
great humiliation and pain.
or they can know for sure thai
they may have suspected that pa,
although earning n munifieent sal
airy. did positively and insolently re
fuse To ante up 70 ma when SIT
pleaded for money With which 10
I'm their little stOmaehB during TIT
cold winter Of 1904
Then. too and this o. the saddest
story Of all-duzenH and dozens OF
shameful stories Of lnfldelity are
told 10 be- read by the coming gen
Grafton that need not have been
told Attorneys are constantly de-
plorius the fact that many Of their
divorce clients viii not agree 10
quiet divorces. but. when they have
been outraged. insist on their d.
xorce complaint setting forth all
their troubles and are very wrathy
should one sensational allegation be
omitted
4 want 90 show her mp 10 her
friends for what she ls." an angry
husband protested. and I want
folks to know Just how he has treat
ed me and that ! am justified IN
getting "A divorce. a deceived wife
slll Insist
In af least 30 OF the most sensa-
tlonal divorce suits Of the year. de
erees could have been obtained
without washing a stitch Of dirty
linen In court had the parties to
the suit agreed 90 their attorneys
suggestions and gotten the decree
on ground Of neampauhility OF
temperament or deHeftion.
on the other hand In many cases
allegations Of desertion and non
support on which ground about 50
per cent Of the divorces are granted.
cover a multitude Of sins.
II n estimated by the lawyers and
Judges that about u per cent OF the
divorces granted Ia this county are
uuconteHtcd In - per cent Of the
suits tried. the defendants contest
if and nearly always file counter
charges which go the plaintiffs
about six better. 80 far as sensation
and diserhcofnl allegations are con
earned
Every Saturday. rain or shine. the
unrantested cases are heard. Dep
nty Prosecutor Murphy. who repre-
sents the state In the default cases.
appears In court. his Eood-natured
face aglow With smiles aud carry
INK iu one arm the papers In from
eight To twenty divorce suits and
followed by bevy Of frustrated
men and women. about To be IN
married together with their wit
nesscs and attorneys.
Are you ready for the default
divorce cases. Mr. Murphy asks
the Judge
we are your honor" answers
Mr.. Murphy. and then the fun be
gins That's just figure of speech.
however. FOR 1t isn't always funny
stories that are told. Sometimes
they are without particular inter
est. but frequently they are fun Of
sadness and real pathos. Some
times the spectators cant help
laughing. because the tales OF do.
nestle infelicity told are so much
like the funny Sunday supplement
yarns Maybe a little shriveled man
will tell how he has been bullicd by
compound wife. and that he had
"a take care OF the babies and wash
the dishes while she gossiped over
the back fence An unhappy hus-
band will tell sometimes how his
wife insists on making his clothes
and cutting his hair herself and, by
doing so. makes him feel queer
when Obliged TO be around with his
tailor-made and barbercd friends.
Sometimes a woman will tell fun
ny stories. too. but not often. All
the tears shed in the divorce court
this year. at a small estimate. ought
to fill a good sized rain barrel II
they could be collected, The adage.
Men must work aud women must
weep" doesn't seem TO flt IN the
divorce court. There the women
weep because the men won't work.
Sometimes refined looking women
with a aroop to their Inns ana lines
around their eyes that verify the
story they tell. narrato how they
have supported their families for
ten years by washing and scrub
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