The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1908-03-18
AFTER SHE MARRIED
FORMER HUSBAND SUED
Only Question of Validity OF
Order OF Separation Hinges on
Publication Of Notice as
Legal Service, Which
Justice Dowling
Questions.
y NEW YORK, March 1.-THE
N Sun to-day prints the fol-
lowing story, which is Of spe-
i Y cial interest to Virginia peo-


a divorce case Of more than ordinar.
regal and human interest is now occu
pylng the attention of the Appeliat [,
Division of tho Supreme Court In th;.
department.. Lawyers who make {
study OF matrimonial litigation are
deeply interested in the outcom, o
this suit. which will probably be car.
ried to tic United States Supreme
court, no matter which way the State
courts pass on It.
This action is entitled Porte V
Ransom vs. Eva B. hill Ransom" ana
its present stage is an appeal by TIL,
defendant from a decree OF divorce
granted to the plaintiff by Justice Vic.
tor j. Dowling, sitting in special tern
OF the Supreme Court. Mrs. SAMSON
as she is known legally in this State
is actually Mrs. George L. Browning
OF Madison. Va. having married. law
yer of that name well known in Wash
ington as the law partner of Rcpre-
sentative James Hay, OF Virginia.
Is Now Mrs. Browning.
Mrs. Ransom became Mrs. Browning
five years after she had obtained Il
divorce from Ransom in the Circuit
Court Of Virginia, Madison county.
Ransom is son of former Surrogate
Rastus S. Ransom, and at the time of
the Virginia divorce was partner with
his father in the firm of Ransom q,
Ransom, at 200 Broadway. Since then
he has maintained q separate office
at 3s Park Row. while the Surrogate
has his office at 128 Broadway. Ran
som did not do. and the Virginia ac-
tion, as no service was made on him
except by publication. under the vir-
ginia statutes. and here lies the crux
of the legal question now before the
Appellate Division.
The Virginia decree was granted to q
bona fide resident of the State, Madi-
son being Mrs. Ransom's native place.
and she having returned 10 her home
relatives there. Also it was granted
after a full hearing and in conformity
with the Virginia statutes for the only
cause which the State of New York
in suit for divorce, adul-
terry. And furthermore, though he
went to tho trouble of procuring a
copy of the decree shortly after 1t was
Ransom took no steps. as the
decree itself gave him an absolute
right to do. to intervene and have the
action reopened within three years.
Het Marriage.
Two years after the elapse of this
statutory period, Knowing that Ran
som had received a copy OF the decree
four years before and had made no
move except to demand from her the
return of her wedding and engagement
rings and some other trinkets, Mrs.
Ransom became the wife of George T..
the ceremony taking place
at the Madison Courthouse on Febru-
Try 81. 1905. Less than two months af-
.er, on April "a, 1906, Porte V. Ran
som began an action for divorce in
he Supreme Court here on the ground
II her marriage to George l.. Browning.
Some months before Mrs. Ransom be-
IAN her suit In Virginia, Ransom had
written to her suggesting that there
hould be a perminant separation be
ween them, and 1t was on the strength
# this letter that she began the suit
'here is child OF the Browning mar
iage whose legitimacy Is attacked by
he decree of divorce which Ransom
low holds.
Eva Byrd Hill, and Porte V. Ransom
we're married in New York on June 4th,
500. She was born in 1869 in Culpeper,
"a. her parents being Frank I. Hill
nd Mariette Byrd Miller Hill, both OF
yhom died before she was fourteen
months old. Miss Hill was adopted by
Ter grandaunt. Lucy r. Saunders. and
er husband, Carter a Saunders with
phim she moved to New York in 1881.
lie attended the school kept by the
Iisses Graham at 63 Fifth Avenue, and
was while she was there that she be-
ame engaged to Ransom. The mar.
iage was celebrated in New York in
tead OF at the old home in Culpeper,
ecause of the sudden death OF her
nce Major Hill.
For some years the Ransoms lived
apply together and she became the
lother of two children. a daughter !
Elizabeth Miller Ransom, now four
cen years old and a son, Carter
aunders Ransom. who is ten.
Left Her Husband.
Shortly after the birth OF the son the |
onduct OF Ransom began to change.
lr. and Mrs. Ransom used to spend
heir summers at Glendalough. Va, the
ONE place of the Hills. The testi-
owling is embraced in the findings of |
let made by the Justice on which the
ccree IS based, and the fifteenth find
,g of fact reads as follows:
In May, 1898, tho defendant, on ac-
cunt of the PLAINTIFFS conduct and
abits of life and cruel and inhuman
reatment OF her, left the plaintiff and
'ent to Glendalough. Madison county,
a., with the intention of never re-
lrning to the plaintiff before she
ut the plaintiffs father advised her
, stay With her relatives In Virginia.
In the course OF the other thirty
I've findings of fact made by Justice
'owling he sets forth that Ransom in
uced his Wife to return to New York
y his promises of better behavior. but
ailed to keep his promises, and she
,as obliged to so South again with
he children. On one OCCASION. in 1899,
.arsom is quoted as having said to
lrs Nellie Bispham, a relative Of Mrs.
Nellie, Eva has been the truest, best
life n man ever had, and have been