Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1922-03-09
M0NCURE DEFENDS
i DIVORCE POSITION
Hereafter Judge viii Have
], Residential Records Kept
by Clerk.
Special Dispatch to The Star.

Special Dispatch TO Ihe STAR.
ALEXANDRIA, Va. March 9.-The
special committee of lawyers inves-
tigating the alleged divorce evil here
will meet again at 10 o'clock tomor-
row morning. The committee adj
journed at o'clock yesterday after
noon, and Judge Robinson Moncure
had not at that time quite completed
his testimony. although he was on
the stand all day. The Judge ex-
planned that he had a few other mat
ters he wished to tell the committee
before he finished.
At the afternoon session yesterday
Judge Moncure described, in detafl.
the method of obtaining divorce in
Virginia. For the party not living
defendant simply was notlhed
through publication in a local paper,
and he said when he became MEM
Der of the legislature he introduced
a bill. which was passed, provldlng
that the defendant also be notified by
registered mail that a divorce SUIT
had been entered.
Judge Praises Mrs. BnEEett.
Commenting on the number of peo-
ple living at the home of Mrs. Mary
j.. Baggett. the judge declared he
knew Mrs. Baggett to be an honest
and sincere woman. He said that be.
fore he became judge he had several
clients who roomed with her. and II
they did not actually live at her place
he did not know it.
Continuing, Judge Moncure declared
that if it develops at the grand jury
investigation that she has done wrong
and in indicted, he would ask
Il am not charging the woman with
crime" he said. Il don't think any
one occupying a judicial position
should charge her with crime. The
firm of Moncure, Davis & BudweSky,
Judge Moncure explained. had thirty
six divorce cases from 1918 to May.
1920, and the judge said that when he
was told there had been 8O0-odd di
vorceS granted since he went on the
bench and that Mrs. BagGett had tes-
titled in 152 cases he was surprised at
the report of the committee. His firm.
he said, had an average of eighteen
divorce cases a year, before he went
on the bench. which, he declared, was
not great number.
Referring to the 152 cases in which
Mrs. Baggett is reported to have tes-
titled, Judge Moncure said that frank
~ he did not know whether the per-
sons lived at Mrs. Baggett'S or not.
He said that in divorce cases the pa
pers come TO him, and if found to be
in due form they are approved He
court to keep a record of the people
seeking divorce concerning where
they live.
VIII Change Divorce Methods.
Judge Moncure did. however, state
that hereafter he will have the clerk
of the court keep a record. and he add
ed that he will order cases hea in
open court where only one witness
testities.
in explaining at length the process
of getting a divorce the judge said
that he always required some local
party to be witness. and if possib BILE
he said he required not only a local
witness, but also a rooming house
keeper. There is no obligation on the
part OF the court. he said, to keep
a list Of the boarding house or room
ing house keepers.
He said he knew Mrs. Baggett kept
a! rooming house and he never knew
such a large number of persons were
there. but he thought they probably
would average thirty or forty year.
Most of the attorneys, he declared.
are reputable men and he added that
the records are examined and acted on
carefully.
Wants Ministers to Watch.
The Judge stated that he would be
glad to have the Ministerial Associa-