Evening star., 1922-02-18
DIVORCE GR|ST 800,
. ESQ CASES PEND IN
ALEXANDRIA COURT
Report of Probers Shows
Wholesale Separations in
Past 18 Months.
R00MING HOUSE OWNER
FIGURES IN 140 CASES
One Law Firm Said to Have
Handled 210 Suits-Sensational
Disclosures Made.
From a Staff Correspondent.


From Staff Correspondent.
ALEXANDRIA, Va, February IS
Approximately 500 divorce decrees
were granted in the corporation court
of this city during the past eighteen
months, and at the present time there
are more than $50 suits pending in
the court.
That the divorce practice Of .his city
has assumed such large proportions
during this period will DE shown
when the committee of lawyers in
vestigating the alleged divorce evil
here meets. late this afternoon ard
receives the final report from the SUBJ
committee which has made COM
plete tabulation of every divorce case
in the files of the court from May,
1920. 1t was during this period that
Judge Robinson Moncure presiied
over the corporation court and when.
it is charged, the divorce practice IN
Alexandra had its greatest boom.
The report and tabulation Will con-
tain the figures above mentioned, as
well as many others of more or less
detailed nature, but of signlncant
bearing upon the subject.
"
For instance, the figures will show
that the name of Mrs. Mary L. Bag
gett, who conducts a rooming house at
1I9ia Royal street, and for whom a
warrant was issued by Judge Duvall of
the police court, charging the making
of false affidavit in connection with
divorce suit, appears in 40 of the
total number of cases granted. in
other words, l40 applicants for divorces
during the past eighteen months lived
at Mrs. Baggett'S house, according to
her sworn testimony as shown by the
record.
The name of Mrs. Stella Bensel, who
conducts a rooming house onSouth Pitt
etreet, appears IN twenty-seven cases
as swearing TO the residence require
ment of that many applicants. and that
c Robert Luckett appears on twenty
one affidavits.
Many Have Same Lawyers.
1t will be shown further by the
subcommittee's tabulations that
Davis and Budwesky, local attorneys
with Offices in South Royal street,
represented more than one-fourth of
the total number of applicants in the
asses examined by the committee. In
the tabulation, according TO the re-
port, this law firm is shown to have
appeared IN 2l0 cases. r. y. Wash
ington, another attorney, appeared in
1872 cases and Charles Henry Smith.
still another attorney, and also a del
egate from this district to the house
of delegates in Richmond, appeared
in SiXty-eight cases.
Another interesting feature divulged
by the tabulation is that the subcom-
mittee will call special attention to
the facts in at least thirty cases.
which they consider as being on their
face suspicious and deserving of fur
ther investigation"
Also it will be shown that of the
total number of suits granted. more
of the State of Virginia and that
large percentage of these non-resi-
dents were residents Of Washington,
D. c. Besides these facts the tabula-
ton will set forth that approximately
81 per cent of those persons being
sued for divorce, never received any
notice or publication that the suit was
being filed and that the latter was
necessarily uncontested.
Few Cases Dismissed.
1t will be shown also that of the
total number of suits filed only 51G per
cent were dismissed by the court
There are some attorneys and others
in this community who are ready to
dispute Judge Moncure's authority and
judgment in ordering the recent rule
for his court regarding divorce practice.
but in this connection It is pointed out
by others that no one can dispute the
effectiveness and good results which are
being experienced as a result of this
ruling. That the courts rule placing
certain barriers about the court has
tended to check the practice is shown
by the fact that during the four days
the rule has been in effect not one
single divorce suit has been filed.
Divorce Evil Checked.
According to one old attorney who
has kept abreast with the divorce sit
uation and who is watching keenly
its developments. the divorce evil has
been checked beyond any doubt, and
will continue so just SO long as Judge
Moncure's rule remains the order OF
his court.
Judge Moncure yesterday afternoon
appointed r. w. Stumpsa a local attor-
ney, as guardian ad litem to represent
the commonwealth in the case of
Campbell VS.. Campbell, which soon is
to be heard, on motion for tempo
rary alimony and counsel fees.
This is the first appointment OF such
a representative of the commonwealth
by Judge Moncure since he adopted,
early this week, the stringent rule of
his court providing a guardian to
divorce suits. However, the suit in
question is an old one and was pend
ing when the courts recent rule went
into effect. j. r. Y.