Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1922-02-13
WITNESSES
DIVORCE PROBE
TO BE- HEARD
Committee Fixes Upon Feb
ruary % as Date For
Hearing
REPORT NOT COMPLETE
Sub Committee Has Investigated Sl2
Cases-Final Report Next Satur-
day Afternoon.

day Afternoon.
The examination of witnesses who
know anything concerning the al
leged divorce evil in this city will be-
gin at 10 o'clock the morAH"S of Feb
ruary % in the corporat!n courtroom.
This was decided upo1 Saturday
afternoon VII. il Il resolution 10 thar
effect Offered by judge j. l.. VI.
Norton, was adopted. The rnS1lu-
ton provides that Frank Stuart. 4
io:al attorney ard Harvey l.. Cobb.
reporter cor Washington news
paper and all other persons who may
have any information thlt may pe
o: assistance /" the committee IN
vrstigating the divorce conditions be
,euucsted to appear before this COM
mittee. and that Mrs. Mary i. Bag
gett, Mrs. Stella Benscl and Robert
I.uckett be requested to appear at
the same time and that all members
OF the bar of the city of Alexandra
are invited to attend.
The subcommittee "amed to 'nves-
ti.catc Inc records OF e" divorces
granted that thcv E, / lot competed
their work and 2vHcc."'i ~ >.:h,::t n
final rerort next Saturday afternoon
This committee is composed OF j.
Randall Cation. chairman. {. keith
Carlin and Howard W. Smith. Up to
date the committee has examined
total of ST. eases and there are 3Oll
cases now pending covering a nerlod
nf two wears according to Mr.. Cation.
Judge Norton requested that Harvey
L. Cobb. reporter for Washington
newspaper be not molested while IN
this city and upon motion of Judge
Barley safe convoy was assured
Cobb whelr he comes here.
Rcporis were submitted by Gard
ner l.. Boothe on, two specific cases
that he could find from the news
paper accounts published and ne re-
ported the circumstances attending
each case.
According to a report made by c.
Keith Carlin he examined l27 cases
in which 1913 final DEGREES were
granted. one case was placed on the
stet docket and three were dropped
J. Randall Cation reported he eX-
amined 352 cases and Howard W.
Smith reported he investigated 2O9
cases.
Mrs. Mary l.. Ba"ett Mrs. Stella
Bensel and Robert Luckett appeared
in number Of cases.
Judge Norton reported his visit
last Thursday to Richmond in the
interest of the bill presented bv him
to the legislature on behalf of the
bar association which will make di-
vorce more difficult to obtain in the
state and on motion the bill as sub
mitted hv him was adonted.
The following resolutions also were
adontcd by the special committee.
which was presided over by Howard
w. Smith.
RESOLVED:
7 That tn" hill introduced in the
Legislature on the OH day of Febru-
AIRY. 1922. and which was referred
to the Committee on Courts of JUS
tee and which was drafted on The
limos of the bill recommended by this
special committee. appointed by the
LAWYERS Of the hl"vanGria CITY bar,
eicctri in n meeting "f III" AleXan-
dria Bar. to crnsijc~ the divorce evil
evsting hrro and elsewhere in Eir-
~inia. will as near as can now he
forrscnn. correct the divorce evil in
VIRGINIA.
n. That "" are much cnnos"f to
The roncal Of section 5113 of the
Codo which prohibits marriage with
in six months of N" g"anting of n
divorce. as we regard this as most
IMPORTANT.
III. That we prefer III" name dos
i"natnd as guardian ad litem for
tho stato's representative in divorce
Suits. rs il is dcsi"nat:on well
known to the Virginia bar as ren"e-
Scating interests not otherwise rep
rcecHtcd
". That conv of these r"soIu-
tons be sen: to Hon. .Iohn Fl. Price.
Chairman Of the Committee or
Courts Of Justice with request that
ho present the same TO his commit
tee