The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1920-04-17

FAIRBANKS INCLUDED
Owen Moore Charged With Entering
Into Conspiracy With His
Wife to Secure Sep
aration.

limited Press Leased Wire Service j
MINDEN, New, April 17.-With the
filing Of a suit to set aside Mary
Pickford's divorce from Owen E.
Moore, the long awaited legal battle
over the little picture stars right to
freedom from her former husband
was officially begun late yesterday.
The complaint charging her, Moore
and Douglas Fairbanks with fraud
and collusion was filed by Attorney
General Leonard B. Fowler "in the
interest of the state of Nevada"
Before the decree of divorce was
granted by Judge Langan on March
2. Fowler's complaint alleges, Miss
Pickford and Fairbanks had agreed
to marry as soon as she shoald be
come free to do SO. Another allega'
ton is that she is not bona fide
resident of the state of Nevada and
that she committed perjury when she
testified that she intended to make
the state her permanent home.
Moore is charged with coming to
Minden for the sole purpose OF being
served with papers in the divorce
suit. thus enabling the then Mrs.
Moore to obtain a decree.
An unusual feature Of the attorney
generals complaint is the import
ance attached to the alleged evasion
of the California laws, under whose
jurisdiction both the defendants live
The complaint concludes by ask
ing that the divorce be set aside and
that the defendants "be returned to
the status of husband and wife,
Both Mary Pickford and her former
as defendants in the suit filed by the
state of Nevada which seeks to set
aside the, divorce decree granted the
famous picture star, from Moore.
Allegations Of fraud, perjury and
collusion, involving not only the de-
PENDANTS named, but which include
Douglas Fairbanks, present husband
of Miss Pickford, are contained in
the complaint, which isN entitled: The
state of Nevada on relation OF Leon
ard B. Fowler, attorney general,
plaintiff, versus Gladys NJ. Moore,
known as Gladys M. Fairbanks, and
Owen E.. Moore.
The complaint, which covers nearly
sixty pages of typewritten' document,
charges that Fairbanks and Miss
Pickford had, prior to the granting
of the divorce on March 2, entered
into an agreement whereby they did
mutually promise to intermarry at
such time when Miss Pickford
should have obtained divorce from
Moore.
Moore is charged with entering
into a conspiracy with Fairbanks and
Miss Pickford, by means OF which
he willfully and wrongfully appeared
in Minden at the proper time to be
served with the divorce complaint.
The complaint is in part as fol-
lows:
! "That on June Z. 1911, at the city
of Jersey City, N. j., the defendants
intermarried and have, ever since
been husband and wife.
"That on February Is, 1920, and
for long time preceding, the de.
fendants were and are residents OF
Los Angeles, Calf, subject to be
regulated by the laws of that state
and the jurisdiction defined and i'm
Dosed thereby: and that during all
of said time their status OF husband
and wife was> not and is not now
governed. or controlled by the laws
Of Nevada.
"rThat some time prior to Febr1l-
arv *. 1920. one Douglas Fairbanks,
resident of California and Gladys
Moore entered into an agreemnt
whereby they did mutually promise
TO intermarry at such a time when
court issued decree dlvorcins the
defendants" " ~"
This is followed by allegations OF
the conspiracy entered into between
Fairbanks, Gladys Moore ana owen
Moore by means or which, when tnc
divorce was granted, the marriage OF
Fairbanks and Mrs. Moore could pe
solemnized.
The complaint charges that mrs.
tcpntinued on page %