Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1920-04-17
FILE SUIT TO ANNUL
P|CKFORD DIVORCE.
State of Nevada Charges Fraud
and Purjury in Obtainment
of Decree.
CASE HAS NOVEL FEATURES
First Litigation of It's Kind in
Any Court in United
States.
CASE HAS NOVEL FEATURE!
Ipy univcrsal s-rytcc.l /

CARSON. NEW. April lG.-The SEN
sattonal circumstances surrounding
the divorce secured by Mary Pickford
from owen Moore in the district courr
at Mindcn several weeks ago. and her
subsequent marriage to Douglas Fair
banks at Los Angeles, together with
the charges OF fraud. collusion and
perjury which Immediately followed
and have been agitatcd ever since. all
crystallizcd today in the filing OF q
suit TO secure annulmcnt of the de-
cree OF divorce.
The action. brought on behalf OF
the state OF Nevada by Attorney
General Leonard B. Fowler. was re-
corded shortly after p. NJ. in the
court at Minden. Douglas County, the
tribunal before which the little NOV
ing picture actress had appeared 70
obtain her separation from Owen
Moore. The complaint contains more
than fifty typewritten pages. The al
legation is made Of fraudulent
plan, scheme and undertaking Con
cocted by Gladys NJ. Moore CMary
pickford). Owen L. Moore and Doug
las Fairbanks TO defeat the laws OF
both California and Nevada in their
desire to annul the marriage OF the
Moores and facilitate the wedding OF
Mary Pickford and Dousias Fair
banks pursuant to "A nrearrangcd
contract. Th- Intervening of Fair
banks in the alleged fraud. as we'll
as the Importance attached to the
alleged fraudulent evasion o. the
laws OF California constitute novel
Features in this suit. the first of ITS
Kind, so far as divorce Is concerned,
10 be brought in any court in the
United States.
Attorney General Fowler makes
charges OF wilful fraud and collusion,
as well as of perjury against the
defendants, declaring that they i'm
posed upon the court and induced 1t
through Ignorance o: the facts To
grant the divorce.
Shorn of the profuse verbiasc ami
almost endless repetition necessitateL
TO guard the action from successful
attack, the complaint sets forth the
following alleged facts:
That the defendants, Gladys Moor.
AN dOwenF Moore were married Juns
=. 1911. In Jersey City. and that At
the time OF the Hing OF tho complaint
they still arc husband and wife
That they are. and for u long time
have been bonafide residents OF tho
state of California and therefore their
married status. as any question of it's
dissolution, comes under the juris-
diction OF the laws and courts OF
California and never was subject to
the delay imposed by ar interiocutory
decree.
That Douglas Fairbanks. at the
time Mary Pickford came to Nevada
February Is, 100. was, and long had
been. a resident OF Los Angelica
County and that, while the moving
picture actress still WAS the wife Of
owen Moore. she and Fairbanks had
entered into an agreement to marry
AZ quickly as her divorce could nc
obtained and that this agreement stul
is in full force, and effect.
That thereafter the defendants, to-
Gether with Douglas Fairbanks fully
knowing all of the above allegations
to be- true, did wilfuiiy and wrong
fully concoct and enter into !, GER
tain fraudulent scheme.
Mary Pickford and Owen Moore. un-
der the laws OF Nevada. have forty
days in which 10 answer.