Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1918-01-05
REGISTRAR nj
MAKES WIFE
SIGN PAPER
Non-supporting Husband
Claims Exemption to
Support Family. !.

That you must know what you sub
scribe to when you sign an affidavit
in connection with the war depart
ment QUESTIONABLE is the moral to be
drawn from an incident which oc-
Cured here yesterday. People have
a habit of signing papers without OBJ
tanning full and accurate knowledge
of the contents of the document to
which they, afiix their signatures. n
this habit may not only lead them in
to trouble ed embarrassment. but
may even, where the affidavit is sworn
to, cause the signer to be held on a
charge of perjury.
The story, as told by one of the
state authorities in this city, is. as
follows:
A registrant from Grand Forks had
not been on the best of terms with
his wife. in act. had absented him.
self from the home for some time
mast and had only now and then sent
small amounts for the support OF his
family.
Iniconsequence of this. h wife ap-
realed to States ATTORNEY sTheo r.
Elton, chairman of the legal advisory
board. asking him 10 dc something
money from her husband with which
to supper, herself: she also asked. for
a warrant to have him arrested for
~non-suppor'-
Meanwhile. the resiS,yane met his
wife and spent the greater part of
Thursday in her company finally per-
suading her TO accompany hin. TO the
Office Of a law firm where he present.
ed to her for her signature an affi-
davi, in which was set forth that the
registrar, had supported his wife
regularly during the past year. and
hat his wife had received no income
from any other source.
The regis,rant's wife who had just
received a ten dollar bill from her
husband. signed the affidavit without
looking it over: the quesrlonnalre.
with afRdavits. etc. was duly filed.
and then the registrant went to st.
Paul. MINI.
The fact of the matter. however.
was that the registrant had habitual-
ly failed in supporting his wife. and
that whatever money she had re-
ceived for some time past had come
to her from the parents Of her hus-
band.
When these facts. together with
the fact of signing the affidavit, were
called to the attention of Mr.. Elton,
he pointed out to her that she had in
volved herself in serious ~self-contra-
dictions by first demanding the arrest
of her husband for non-support. and
then signing a document in which she
swore that he was her supporter. >
To make matters a little less un.
| pleasant to her. MIR. Elton suggested
that she sign another affidavit 'decfar'
ing under oath that she was led into
her unintentional offense by misun'
derstanding. Mr.. Elton also empha'
tically pointed but that people WHIT
sign dependency and other affidavit!
in connection with the questionable
should be extremely careful. ant
should know exactly and completed,
the nature Of the affidavit which the,
sign.
The registrant who has departed
has not been heard from yet. n hi!
exact status has not been determined
1t is not entirely improbable that III
who had wanted to be assigned t.
service classes where his enlistmen
might not be insisted upon. will b.
placed in Glass One. and that if he j!
let off that easily. he will have rea
sons to praise himself very lucky
That exemption will be granted hin
upon n claim, appears extremel!
unlikely.