Evening star., 1922-02-07
IRREGUAMTY SEEN
/ IN DIVORCE CASES
Alexandra Lawyers Com
mittee Will Make Further
Disclosures in Scandal.
From a STAFF Correspondent.

FROM stan Correspondent.
ALEXANDRIA,, Va, February =
Further disclosures suggesting the
existence of evils in connection with
the divorce practice here are prom
ised by the committee appointed by
the local bar association to investi-
gate the divorce conditions when it
meets next Saturday.
They will be contained in the re-
port the subcommittee which is con-
Quoting the examination will submit
to the full committee Saturday.
AS was in the case of its first re-
port made to the committee last Sat
urday this second report will pre-
sent figures and facts. according to
members of the committee. that
would suggest an irregularity in the
swearing to the residence require
ments of divorce applicants in a num-
Der of cases.
Such progress has been made by
this subcommittee in it's scrutiny of
the court records and in its tabula-
ton of the history of each case filed
for the last eighteen months that
members of the committee nricipated
today they would be in a position
next Saturday to make final and
full report of their findings. In this
event. it is pointed out, the investisa :
ton of notationS which have aroused
suspicion in individual cases will be
greatly expedited. and although it is
difficult to determine at this tlme'
members of the committee believe
they will be in a position to make a
final report of the entire situation to
the Bar Association within the next
month six weeks.
Not to Express Opinion.
Members of the subcommittee ex-
planned today that there win be no
opinion expressed in their final report
regarding the contents of the divorce
records, nor will there be any recon-
mendation. These will come later.
"Our figures will speak for them
selves" one member of the subcom-
mittee said today Il personally think
each member of the investigating
committee will be fully convinced
from the disclosures made by our
figures and the information accom-
panyinS. EN- that there is an exist
ent devil ard will decide immediately
upon, its next step toward bringing to
account those guilty of irregular or
fraudulent practice regarding the ob-
tanning or divorces and~in making an
remove the stain from the name OF
our fair city.
MIS-. BagEett Denies.
Mrs. Mary L. Baggett. VINO operates
a rooming house at 1l9 South Royal
street. according to the figures pre-
sented to the committee last Saturday.
signed eighty domicile affidavits in a
total of $40. as reported at that meet
ing. stated today to The Star reporter
that in all of her life she has never
committed. an illegal act. She ex-
planned that her house is of a size suf-
ficeint to hold at one time forty per-
sons, which would have been neces-
sary, according TO the information re
ported at last Saturdays meeting OF
the investigating fcommittee. Mrs
BagEett declared that while she has
rented rooms to many persons who
were applying for divorce she has
never failed to comply with the law
and has not knowingly" done any
thing that could be considered irres-
ulsr sjmiisr i,IGEa':eT exSsto r:S a,,; ss1semen,
was made ny Mrs Stella -Bensel. whose
rooming house is located at :33 South
Pitt street who. according to the fig
ures reported to the committee last Sat
urdav, had sworn to the aftldavits re-
gardlng thes reSluellce feVuii eHieh'S VI
divorce applicants in fifteen OF the $40
cases reported
Both MRS. Baggett and Mrs. Bensel
had no heSitancy in saying that the out
come of the investigation will prove
they have been innocent Of any false
swearing or other irregularities.
J. K. NJ. Norton. member of the in
vestigating committee, WAS appointed a
committee of one by the latter. to at
tend a hearing Thursday in Richmond.
Va, on the Hall bill. which proposes
TO amend the divorce law OF the state.
He will urge the Incorporation in the
Hall bill of several amendments drafted
by the local investigating committee.
which are intended to strengthen that
measure and which in the opinion of
the local committee will bring about a
much better situation regarding
divorces for the entire state.
r. r Y