The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1909-05-22
DIVORCES SHOW
UNUSUAL SLUMP
New Law Has Effect of Largely
Cutting Down the
Demand.
ONLY TWO CASES HEARD
AT THE FRIDAY MATINEE
Sophia MelIcn Is Granted DE
cree on Ground of Non
Support. q

Divorces are showing fearful sluun|
since the new law requiring divorcee,
10 wait a year before remarryiug went
into effect, Only two applicants for
membership in the divorce colony an,
peared before Judge Morse mt the di.
vorcc matinee Friday, one a man and
the other woman. aud only one Of
these, the woman, secured single bless
cducss.
Sophia MclIcn was ibc lone success
ful applicant Mrs. Mclcn was granted
a divorce from Harry l.. Mclen on the
grounds of nonsuppor5. dating since
their marriage al Minneapolis Mimi.
February %. 1902, and desertion mt
Great Falls. Mont. 2 Year ago. Mrs.
Mcllcn, a middIc-agcd woman. was also
restored TO the name Of her former hus-
band, johnson, by whom she has a son.
Logan L. Johnson. who is a deaf mutp..
The sou was the corroborating witness.
Mrs, NelIcn asked for no aiinlony. Mel
len is 4 platter by occupation.
John ". Barrett. 2 railroad man. was
the unsuccessful applicant for di-
vorcc. Barrett charged Flora C. Bar
rott with nageinc aud fault finding COW
cTing a period of two wears. aud said
that she also objected In his national.
ity, irish, of which he. he asserted, is
proud. Mrs. Barrett also refused TO
sustain the relation of wife 10 him, he
said. and did not show the proper APP
probation of his taking her to thea.
tcrs and other places Of amusement.
seeking The scclusion of her room in
preference to such. When he provided
her with a return trip ticket to Denver
several months ago she did not stop
Nc, l.,,s s.I Il
Grove. O., her old home, and hasu e
come back yet, Barrett said. In ad d.
ton. she accused him, before she left,
Of in6dclty,
Under Advisement.
Mrs. MaIlssa Hansen. proprietor Of
the roomipg house nj 30 South First
West street, at which Barrett STAYS,
was the corroborating witness, hut
there rs some doubt in the mind of the
court as to whether the testimony sub
stantiated the allegations Of tho com-
plant aud tho case was taken under
consideration. The couple was married
al Ottawa, o., August II, 1896. There
arc no children.
Charles Smithson. whom Anna Smith
son, an attractive brunette, is suing for
separate maintenance on the grounds of
cruelty. failed to appear in response TO
W
not pay temporary alimony, but when
IT WAS shown that notice Of the order
was not served upon Smithson at Mil
ford. Beaver county. until Tuesday. the
court declined TO Issue an order for tenn
porary alimony in SmithsonFs S absence,
and continued The hearing until next
Friday. This action was. taken on the
grounds that the necessities of the
plaintiff were not shown 10 be sufficient
I, nf IA Of ,r1n
Mrs, Smithson says that Smithson,
on or about March ] of tins year. locked
her in the house at Milford. choked her
and then wrapped her up in blanket
and tried to burn her alive by setting
the blanket on ire. Then he ordered
her TO leave the house, packed her
trunk and carried ii over to the rail-
way depot and placed it and her on the
train for Salt Lake City, where she has
been since, while he remains at Mil
ford carrying on his saloon business
there.
The couple was married at Los An.
gelcs November 2s. 1908. Smithson in
said to be worth $4,000 OF $4,000
Decree Is Modified.
The court entered an order modifying
the decree in the case of Melissa Joha-
ston against D. G. Johuston of Murray.
On February D, this year, Mrs. John.
ston was granted divorce on the
ground of cruelty, awarded one-half the
property. consisting of two pieces OF
ground at Murray, and Sl5 month ali-'
mony. AS she is a cripple and wishes to
60 to relatives in the east and spend
the rest of her life, she asked that the
monthly .alimony be converted into a.
lump sum to avoid the difficulty OF coll
lccting it incident to her absence from
Utah, and to this Johnston agreed
Through \. Richter, real estate agent,
the property has been sold for $3.50,
and Mrs. Johnston was gwen one-half
that amount in lump sum, less 5000.
expenses, and lump alimouy. amounting
IN all to $1,000.
A son testified that The father had
declared that he would see Mrs. john
ston IN the poor house before he would
give her any of his money, 10 wmch
Johnston rctaliated with tho charga
that the son had told him that he in-
tended to beat his mother out of the
money paid her as alimony. Johnston,
Mrs, Johnston testified, is afflicted with
wapderlust Frequently within the last
few years he has left home and wan
dcred about over the country in COW
cred wagon