Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1911-11-09
DIVORCE PROCTOR
FOR !! KANSAS CITY.
NEW OFFICIAL PROVIDED BY
JUDGES, WILL SEEK TO
REDUCE PRESENT EVIL
HAS WIDE POWERS
Official Will Have Authority to Sum
mon Witnesses, Go Out Of State
s's For Evidence and Gross
Examine All Parties 4

1
Kansas City. Mo-, Now S.-A "di-
vorce proctor" whose salary is to be
paid from fund raised by the reform
Organisation of Kansas City to cope
with the divorce evil" is to be in
stalled here November 49, X
t. This office was created as result
OF criticism of the divorce machinery
of this country. Mis-mated persons
taking advantage of, it, have come to
Kansas City from various points and
have been granted separation on slight
pretexts and short residence. So,
The proctor will have the power to
summon witnesses, to go into other
states and take dispositions and to
cross examine witnesses at the trial OF
persons who seek legal separations.
Judges, attorneys and the reform lead
ers interested predict that the new
office Will become generally estab-
lished. The Kansas state bar assOcia-
ton has under consideration plan
to appoint proctors in the larger cities
OF that state
The creation of the office was sug-
gested by Judge Thomas ]. Seaborn,
and approved by the other seven cir
cult judges of Jackson county, Mo-, be-
fore whom divorce trials are held here
When an effort to name proctor was
made, however, tho county councillor
held that the court could not legally
make the appointment. Outside forces
then took the matter in hand.
One Out Of Four Marriages Fail
I'm the last year the ratio of di:
vorces to marriages in this city was
one to four. During the twenty-three
court days of October, 1911, eighty-six
divorce suits were filed here as com
pared with twenty-four suits brought
in the corresponding time last year.
Fifty divorces were granted in one day
at the last term of court and seventy
four suits we're filed on another day.
OF the suits tried here in the last
year, about eighty per cent were not
contested: OF the default cases one
third we're filed by non-residents Of
the state, Notwithstanding that the law
requires persons from other states to
live here a year to establish resi-
dence.
H.. ,, How Evil Has Grown
Personal service on the defendant
IS not obligatory. Many of the suits
are. filed at, Independence and notice
to the defendant published in COM
paratively inconspicious way. After the
publication most of the suits are trans.
ferred to Kansas City for trial. If the
alleged provocation occurs within the
state. resldense Of one year is not
required.
A Canadian couple, for instance,
agreed to separate after two weeks of
married life. They came here together
Upon their arrival in Kansas City the
husband slapped his wife. He then
caught the next train for Texas. His
wife got the names of witnesses to
the "slapping' and after remaining
here few weeks obtained divorce
The judges have agreed to postpone
hearing divorce proceedings until the
proctor can get first hand evidence in
all suspected cases. He will see that
defendants are notified of the suits
filed against Them that the plaintiffs
grounds for divorce are really tangible
and, by cross questioning, will seek to
minimize collusion.
What we need most is better mar.
riage laws" sail Judge E. E. Porter
field of the Juvenile court. about one
half Of the delinquent children brought
before me have divorced parents"