A NICE METHOD OF OBTAINING A DIVORCE.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 542, 14 February 1870, Page 3

A NICE METHOD OF OBTAINING A DIVORCE.

Some startling disclosures bare recently been made concerning tbe practice of the American courts in regard to divorce cases. In New York there is a class of disreputable attorneys who live by obtaining divorces for whoever may apply for them, without the slighest regard to the merits of the case. They announce their willingness to obtain " divorces for a\l " by means of advertisements, in which it is stated that "success is guaranteed;" that "no fee is reqired until the decree is obtained;" that intemperance, desertion, ill-treatment, incompatibility of temper, &c, "is a sufficient cause;" that there shall be " no publicity;" and that the divorce shall "be good in any state." A woman visits one of these men, gives him her husband's name and address, pays Him a fee, and in due time presents her astonished Bpouse with a decree of separation from his bed and board, which she has obtained without his even knowing that a suit for such a purpose had been instituted against him. The attorney does his work as follows: — He files his plea in one of the courts, and obtains a summons for service upon the defendant. To serve this summons a boy is called in from the street, and directed to take the paper to the residence of the defendant, and give it to him. Upon arriving at the designated place, the boy is met by a confederate of the lawyer, standing before the door. " What do you want ?" saya the confederate to the lad. "To see Mr ," says the boy. '' I am Mr ," replies the man, and the boy gives him the summons, returns to the lawyer, signs an affidavit that he has served the summons upon Mr in person, receives his pay, and departs. In the course of a few weeks a copy of the complaint of the injured wife is served in the same way, and in due time the case comes up for trial. The attorney - informs the court that the summons and complaints have been duly served, and that no response has been made by tbe defendant, and asks that the 'case may be sent to a referee to hear the testimony, and submit a copy thereof, with his decision, to the court for approval. This referee hears the evidence of two or three witnesses, men and women whom the attorney always has in his pay, but who have neither a local habitation nor a name other than the one which they assume for the special purpose of the time being. They are ready to swear to the story, whatever it may be, that the lawyer has given them to prove; they depose that they know the defendant, have seen him in improper places with improper persons, and that the plaintiff is a cruelly wronged. and injured wife. As there is no evidence to the contrary (the defendant being wholly ignorant of all these proceedings), the referee renders a report to the

judge in favour of the plaintiff ; the judge confirms this decision; arid a- decree of full divorce, in due and legal form, is made. The husband is astounded some: fine morning by finding that his wife has been married to somebody else, and that he is left to tase care of the children. Of course a decree of divorce thus fraudulently obtained can be set aside, but this costs a large sum of money, and in the majority of cases the husband or wife submits quietly to the loss. Occasionally, however, when the divorced husband or wife has plenty of money, a suit to annul the divorce is instituted, and is always successful. Such a case recently occurred, but as the wife had married again, the mischief was done beyond hope of reparation.