The Washington times., 1920-05-18
RENOEXPERT SAYS
MARY WILL W|NOUT
Former State Senator Huskey
Predicts Pickford Divorce,
Decree Will Stand.
.ppen 20 Mary

whats going TO happen TO Mary
Pickford's diyoreer'
The folks out In Reno. where d.
vision 10 the best-known rule OF
mathematics, are as eager TO solve
the problem presented by THE Great
Divide" In which Mary Pickford and
owen Moore were the principal ng-
ures. and the addition which made
Douglas Fairbanks and Mary unit
in the cast OF a new drama. as they
are In Washington.
.sTha chances are about 2 to I
that Mary and Doug Will remain one,
and owen will continue 20 be frae-
tion. so far as the Minden decree Is
concerned" is the substance or the
calculation made today by the man
who wrote the present Nevada d.
vorce law. He Is II. w. Huskey.
Remote and former state senator
Senator Huskey has the proper ply
sique for his name. His Is sin-foot
ruddy-faced Westerner, who has come
to Washington to appear In case De
fore the United States Supreme Court.
While he has specialized in mining
and irrigation laws. Senator Huskey
has successfully conducted more than
600 divorce cases during the last SIX
teen years. He has also made spe-
cial study OF the effect OF Nevada d.
vorces In all civilized countries.
Thiaks Decree VIII stand.
Since leaving Nevada for a business
trip to many Eastern cities. Senator
Huskey said people everywhere have
asked, What's going to happen TO
Mary Pickford's divorce? In giving
his opinion, he first emphasized that
he had no connection with either side
OF the Pickford case. He was. how
ever, trying a case OF his own in
Judge Langan's court at Minden. New,
on the day that now famous divorce
suit was brought up.
Senator Huskey said that he Is con-
WINGED that the decree granted Miss
Pickford-or Mrs. Moore-will stand.
and that Mr.. and Mrs. Fairbanks will
be able to enjoy the seclusion OF their
sunny California bungalow undis-
turbed. However, the attorney gen.
eral OF Nevada has set In motion all
the legal machinery OF the State to
set aside the decree, and Senator
Huskey points out two fragrant
weaknesses" in the Pickford divorce.
weakness No. 1 Is this: Miss Pick
ford testified in court that she was
a bona-fide resident OF Nevada; that
Is, that she came to Nevada to liVe.'
said Senator Huskey. "She also tes-
titled in answer to questions that she
expected to continue to make NeVadP
her home, and had no intention or
going away. The fact that she LETT
the next day tends to show that the
testimony as to the bona-fide charac-
ter of her residence was false.
Mary Concealed Her Identity.
weakness No. 2 is this: II owen
Moore was in Nevada for the purpose
Of being served with papers and had
an understanding with his wife or
her lawyers that he would be served.
this constitutes collusion, and II 1t
can be proved the decree will be set
aside.
"BUT-the attorney general will be
up against 1t toJshow just what was
in Owen Moore's mind in coming to
Nevada. He also will have to prove
that Mary Pickford, at the time she
testified, had no intention Of remain
ing In Nevada. The State law per-
mits only one kind Of divorce-abso-
Lutte. If it were possible to cancel
the Judgment in the Pickford case it
would, of course. mean that Mary's
marriage to Douglas, would be void
and that she would still be Moore's
legal wife," -.- -
Senator Huskey said that Judge
Langan did not know who the plain
tiff was until he was part way
through taking the evidence. Mary
Pickford's mother and Mary had been
introduced to the Judge as Mrs. Smith
and her daughter, he said.
MARY had on very short skirts and
the Judge thought she was a child
of sixteen years. and that her moth
er wast the plaintiff When he no
ticed the curious little mouth that
she frequently made the thought
struck him that he had seen that ac-
ton before. He asked her IL she had
been a moving picture actress, and
she replied that she was.
MARY was very high strung and
wept piteously when she was giving
her evidence. / might also say that
the tears she shed in the courtroom
were not the kind d. w. Griffith
taught her to shed. They were real
tears. When in Minden Miss Pick
ford was a nervous. distressed little
woman and had everybodys sym
pathy."