The Washington times., 1922-01-23
Hundreds Of Homes Ruined
Through illegal Methods
Practiced.
BY HARvERY L. COBB.

District Of Columbia, and Maryland,
but other nearby States. In fact, the
records show that divorces have
been granted disgruntled mates, on
grounds of desertion, residing in
practically every State In the Union
| Come From Washington.
The majority Of the cases. however
are from Washington. 49,
After DEGREES have been granted
and the divorce is learned OF. by the
innocent wife or husband, other law.
yers in Alexandria are retained to re-
open the cases. ....
Lawyers OF Alexandria and other
nearby places make a practice of
hunting up the defendants in the suit,
when they can be found, but In the
vast majority of cases the records are
SO disguised that the real address Of
the defendant is known only to the
person who obtained the divorce.
| 1t was through the vigil of a
Colonial Beach lawyer that Theophilus
| Honour, an official Of the United
| States Bureau Of Education, received
his first information that Mrs. Honour
had sued him for a divorce and gone
to England. ..' -"
Under the methods and practice of
the Alexandria divorce ring the party
to the suit Is called the defendant, but
the records show that they are seldom
given an opportunity to defend the
charges made against them.
The divorce records are replete with
hundreds Of cases in which wives are
divorced from husbands, families
broken up, children made homeless
all made possible under the system"
Of the Alexandria divorce ring. of
which Budwesky & Davis are the un.
challenged kings.
| To such an extent have those
lawyers prospered, feeding the divorce
hoppers with men and women who
have never actually lived, even for one
day, I'm the State OF Virginia. that to
cuy the divorce mill OF Alexandria 10
the city.
/ During the war the Little Reno al
the East prospered as did many other
communities busy with war activities.
In those days shipbuilding probably
ranked foremost as it's industry. To
day, however, the ,-shipbuilding has
ceased, and instead there has arisen
q more lucrative enterprise, which
might properly be called Alexandria,
divorce mill. .r.
So widespread has become the fame
of the Alexandria divorce ring thai
divorces are being issued to persons
residing from Maine to Oregon who
have never resided in the State. These
divorces have been obtained on pay
ment of a heavy fee.
In almost none of these cases In the
defendant given an opportunity t.
answer the allegations as set forth In
the divorce proceedings.
How IL Works.
i A typical instance Of how the ring
operates Is revealed in the "confes
sions" Of Edward M. Colbert. detective
who acts as Washington feeder" for
Budwesky & Davis, divorce kings
of Virginia
In referring to the Confessions" Of
Colbert, the divorce salesman. it may
be said that the confessions" were
not intended for print, but were made
unknowingly to q Times reporter
who had gone to him as q prospective
client.
| Representing himself as Mr.. Bor
den," with a Mrs. Borden and three
little Bordens depending on him for
support, Mr.. Borden" was particu'
larry apprehensive that In the secur'
ing of his divorce some word Of II
might reach his wife, who would take
steps to block the suit.
Gould 1t be done so that she would
have no knowledge Of it," the detec'
tive was asked. II understand that
the law says that notice Of the suit
must be mailed to the defendant"
EASY, easy" the divorce kings
Washington pienipotentiary and min
lister extraordinary came back; well
mail 1t to where you think they are"
But I know where Mrs. Borden re
Sides" the truthful mr.. Borden" in
nocently admitted.
mo you don't" Colbert replied
with a wink, you just think you do"
"Oh, see." came from the reporter
| Sounds Reasonable.
You see." explained the aggres
sive divorce salesman, IF she should
receive a written notice through the
mails that you had filed suit for q
divorce, she would then know abou,
it."
This did seem reasonable. and
Mr. Borden" acquiesced, concedina
the point.
"The purpose of the law is served
Just as well by registering the letter
to any address as the right ad
dress" Mr.. Colbert added. with q
sudden regard for the law.
1.-THE letter, registered, Of course
is sent out by the clerk Of the Cor
poration Court. Newell s. Green
away, in a perfectly legal way, with
his return address. 1t will go tc
the address, be refused, Of course
and be returned to the clerk Of the
court and become part of the
record as proof of service to the last
known address,
Then how long will II take for
me to get my divorce under the
publication method?" he was asked
THE notice must appear once o
week for four consecutive weeks IN
I the Alexandria paper, after which II
will take possibly a week or ten days
before the final decree Is granted. Al
told, Il should take about six to eight
weeks.
| Better Than Reno.
This" he ybeamed, you know is
much better than they can do even