The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1909-01-22
AN EPOCH IN DIVORCE
That Thirteenth Amendment Petition
Makes Lawyers Take Notice.

That Thirteenth Amendment Petition
Makes Lawyers Take Notice.
New York, Jan. 21.-Divorce by way
CT the thirteenth amendment to the
constitution of the United States, as
sought by Mrs. Jane Welsh-Strong, is
causing no end of comment among
New York attorneys. Nor were the
lawyers who make specially of d.
vorce cases the only ones interested
by the novel plea put forth by Mrs
Henrietta N. Johnscn-W Wood. the wo.
man lawyer in the. case. Practitioners
In the federal courts and grave cor.
poration attorneys discussed it Sc.
riously or laughed at it.
II Mrs. Welsh-Strong should win he1
case an entirely new means of break.
ing marital bonds will have been de.
veloped. The United States supreme
court will have become the ruling
power In cases of separation, annul.
ment or divorce. There will be nc
need of books on trial marriage, fol
all marriages will be on. trial and NAV
be ended just as soon, as husband OF
wife proves that he or she is q
slave"
Only a Woman Would Try II.
"No one except woman lawyer
would think of such a thing" was
the verdict of many men rivals al
the bar who heard of Mrs. Johnson
Woods action. Then they would not
be quoted for fear OF being charged
with lack of chivalry.
Mrs. .Johnson-Wood, the attorney
who brings this novel suit, was quite
ready to defend her idea today when
seen at her Wall street office.
OF course, know that slavery is
no ground for an amendment in New
York state and that there is no likeli.
hood Of the state courts giving my
client relief she. said. But what is
there to stop me from appealing tc
the United. States court, and there !
have the thirteenth amendment. which
draws no color nne, even though II
was originally intended to abolish
negro slavery"
From what did, the idea germin.
ate?" Mrs. Johnson Wood was asked
II have long had the idea in vague
form" she replied. s'but it centralized
last week when learned that a Unit.
ed States naval oficer had won di.
vorce in q California court. on the
ground Of social slavery He was
naval constructor, Holden e. Evans
and the decree was handed down BY
Judge Delvin, sitting at Fairfield. i,
gave him the custody Of his three
children. The naval officer swore thai
he could not attend to his official
duties because: his; wife insisted or
his going to balis, card parties and
receptions" ~
-. Ars. ca.., ~ js.ryts..d.
Mrs. Carrie Chapman Gait. the pres
ktent OF the IntSrnational Suffrage
association, believed 1t opened up
big question-the question of the lawl
Of the United States. :.
Il cannot predict the outcome .oi
such a contest: said Mrs. Gait, "but
certainly our instructive good sense
would tell us that 1t would mean a
deep look into the laws and more
perfect understanding of the thir.
teenth amendment. admit that was
amazed when first heard of this new
reason for securing a divorce" :
Mrs. Rebecca Ravenhill. who, with
Mrs. Carlotte Wilbour, is the only
New York woman who wears the
charter membership badge of the
Sorosis in New York, was astounded
she said at Mrs. Welsh -Strong's peti-
tion.
This is clearly the result of the
suffrage movement" said Mrs. Raven
hill, "and 1t is almost too new for me.
1 was a new woman with Lucy Stone
Blackwell, Elizabeth Cady Stanton,
Susan B. Anthony, Jennie Nune and
several more of the dear old girls, but
/ believe that not one of them have
advocated radical and exciting
measure like that. It is too extreme
for me and I have never been noted
for moderation in my views"
Mrs. Blatch Sets Little Hope.
Mrs. Harriet Stanton Blatch said.
1T would take long time to con-
slider all this petition means and
claims. And surely l would have to
be good lawyer even to attempt to
tell you l understand it. hope this
woman who is making the thirteenth
amendment reason for divorce
knows that she must inevitably open
up a discussion, with the chances, it
would seem. very much against her."
The Rev. Anna Shaw said that the
thirteenth amendment. as defined by
Mrs. Strong, was outside of serious
consideration.