Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1922-03-09
THINKS DIVORCE FIGURES
NOT SURPRISINGLY LARGE
Judge Moncure Continues on
Stand in Bar Probe
Entire Day.
WILL RESUME on FRIDAY
Alexandria Jurist Says lie Mns Sur
prlHcd When He Learned or Lnrxe
Snhber OF Divorce Applicants Iiv-
Ing at Mrs. BnExetts House
Especial to The Times-Dlspatch.I

Especial to The Times Dlspatchl
ALEXANDRIA. VA. March s.
branding the charges against him
as false Judge Robinson Moncurc, OF
the Corporation Court. whose con-
duct in regard TO divorces here is
being investigated by n special com
mittee OF the bar. completed his second
days testimony on the witness stand.
the Judge for six hours tcstifyinR.
and when the committee adjourned at
o'clock this evening TO resume It's
probe Friday morning. he stated he
would again take the stand TO finish
UP.
Quotes Legislative Record.
complete statement Of how di-
vorccs are obtained here was made
and he sa!d that while IA member Of
tho Legislature hc secured the pas
sage OF bill! requiring that the de-
PENDANT III the suit be notified by reg
Uttered mall. the old law only re-
uu!red ar order OF publication.
In regard to Mrs Mary l.. Baggctt.
rooming houss.kcepcr. whose name
mas been prominently mentioned In
connection with having many people
getting divorce domiciled with her.
the judge said he had always found
her honest and truthful. and II the
persons did no, live a, her place he
did not know 1t.
II II develops at the grand jury
Investigation abe has done wrong and
liz Indicted, n" said. he would ask
some other Judge 70 81 In the case.
He said he ala not ,hinh any one oc-
Al Ok t..,, g.. al
charge her with IL crime
WINS Surprised by Statement.
Regarding the report of the inveS-
iiGat!ng committee he said. when
he was told there were 500 odd cases
OF divorce. and 1872 81 tho persons II
WAS testified roomed at Mrs. Bag
retts, WAS surprised"
His !irm. bcfor" he went on the
bench. he said. had thirty-siy divorce
cases In Il period Of two years. 40
record, n" declared. IL kept ~ pcr-
sons testifyinE as 10 residence. there
heinz no obligation on the part Of the
cour, 10 keep such "a record. he said
he though, that Mrs Bngrctt possibly
might hay. had an average Of thirty
or forty cases year
Most of the attorneys. he said. ar"
reputable men. and their records
""re examined and acted on carefully.
The Judge told Of discussing the qucs-
ticn with Mrs Barge,t az persons
roum!ng at her house. aud she In =
formed she d,d not testify where
they lid not stop al her place. and
that she would not Not single III =
yorce case granted named by Frank
stuart, AN attorncy. or Washington
newspaper, h" declared, show any
irreGularity. and he added In reply to
a question Of his counsel. John &.
Harbour. that he Ind never issued
divorce degree on unsupported
testimony without a resident witness
tcstifying So far as he could rccol-
iect. The judy. declared that the
"ny-up- .hc-rrcck" element OF MIN
listers. lawyers and public Will crIti-
cszc no matter what YOU do.
Several Divorce Grounds.
In Virginia. tn. Judge said. there
are 1--WE or six grounds for divroCcs.
and In the District OF Columbia there
is only one. that being adultery. The
great bulk Of the cases. he said,
comes from Washington. aud those
people comply with the law. The
record he said comes To him com :
pletc and clean. He suggested that
Washington people clean their own
city before they begin in AleXan-
d-ia.
In the twcnty-onc months he mas
tc"n Oh the bench, he said. that $50
divorces had been gran;cd. and he
lid no; think IL unusually high. con-
sldaring its close proximity 10 Wash
inEtOn. The people that came here
complied with the Law as far az he
knew. he haitl. Tho Judge further
stated that in Washington. with only
one ground for divorce. he had been
reliably informed that 20 per cent OF
the chanccry suits were divorce
cases.