Divorce News and Records, Allen Co., Indiana

Some of the cases listed were dismissed and others resulted in divorce decrees.

1875

Fort Wayne Weekly Sentinel

• 10 Feb 1875 Jacob L. Wilson vs. Martha Jane Wilson.

• 07 Apr 1875 Rosetta Sellers vs. _____ Sellers, granted $300.00 alimony.
• [09 Apr 1875] John G. Grafton vs. Sophie E. Grafton, Circuit Court, Case File
• 14 Apr 1875 The divorce market begins to be a little livelier. The annual spring house cleaning is a most potent cause driving many a head of the family to reflecting on the beauties of single blessedness.
• [17 Apr 1875] Frances A. Guy vs. Martin Guy, Circuit Court, Case File
• [20 Apr 1875] Mary Ehinger vs. Felix Ehinger, Circuit Court, Case File
• [20 Apr 1875] Stephne Forche vs. August Forche, Circuit Court, Case File
• [30 Apr 1875] Glodine Denzel vs. Frank Denzel, Circuit court, Case File

• [21 May 1875] Milly Bolyard vs. Wesley C. Bolyard, Circuit Court, Case File

Fort Wayne Daily Sentinel

• 01 Jun 1875 Julia Chorpenning vs. Michael Chorpenning, Circuit Court, Case File
• [12 Jun 1879] Mary A. Dreibelbiss vs. Jacob Dreibelbiss, Circuit Court, Case File
• [29 Jun 1879] Mary Baley vs. Jerome Baley, Circuit Court, Case File

Fort Wayne Weekly Sentinel

• 07 Jul 1875 Simon Kayman vs. Dora E. Kayman.
• 21 Jul 1875
  • Lydia E. Hane vs. Frank A. Hane.
  • Emma R. Cherrington vs. James A. Cherrington. [02 Apr 1875, Circuit Court, Case File]
  • Margaret Kiser vs. Benjamin Kiser.
  • Arminta Jane Loney vs. Patrick Loney.

• 04 Aug 1875 Eliza C. Smith vs. William Smith.
• 04 Aug 1875 A large number of divorce cases will be tried at the next term of the criminal court.
• [11 Aug 1875] Elizabeth Brown vs. William Henry Brown, Circuit Court, Case File
• 18 Aug 1875 Mrs. John O. Williams is about to apply for a divorce in the Ohio courts.
• 25 Aug 1875 FREE AND EASY DIVORCE. Indiana has become famed as the land of free and easy divorce and has been the resort in times that are passed for large numbers of discontented benedicts and spouses who have resorted thither for the sundering of the irksome bonds by which they were fastened to one another. The last legislature passed a law on this subject which makes the divorce regulations of Indiana more stringent and the measure was enacted none too soon for the good name of the state. A case on point is the following; Robert Ogilvie, in 1869, obtained a decree of divorce from his wife in this city although both parties to the suit were residents of the state of New Jersey. At that time it was custom in this city to refer the petitions to a referee who had power to decide the case. The Ogilvie petition was thus referred; and the referee (a well known member of the Fort Wayne bar, since deceased), signed his name on the docket in this facetious style, "_____ _____, a hell of a referee". Ogilvie having obtained his divorce remained a single man until last July when he purchased another ticket in the matrimonial lottery and took a buxom Jersey lass named Ellen McElhedden to his bosom. A few days since Ogilvie's sense of fancied security was somewhat disturbed by his arrest on the charge of bigamy, which was preferred by the wife to whom he was married in 1839 and from whom he supposed he was divorced at Fort Wayne in 1869. At the conclusion of the first day's examination Ogilvie put in as a defense the divorce decree obtained at Fort Wayne. Of this decree the wife had no notice having never been served with any papers and the defendant acknowledged that he had obtained it through a New York lawyer; that he had never made any affidavits or signed any statement on which the decree could have been procured and that he had only been in Indiana a few days when it was issued. Justice Keese, before whom Ogilvie was examined decided that the decree was worthless and held Ogilvie for trial. In his decision the justice said it was well understood that one court had power to inquire into the judgement of another court and to determine if its decrees had been obtained fraudulently. In the present case the court had no jurisdiction over the parties to the suit and there was no doubt that fraud had been used in securing the divorce. Ogilvie then offered his son as his bondsman and Justice Keese refused to accept him on the ground that he would be interested in his father's escape and for the further reason that the property was not his but had only been transferred to him by his father a few days previous to enable him to become bondsman. There being no one present to furnish the necessary bail, the prisoner was remanded. Latter in the day Justice Keese decided to accept the bonds offered, raising the amount of bail to $3,000. A transcript of the proceedings in the divorce case has just been forwarded by County Clerk Wolke for use in Ogilvie's trial.
• [26 Aug 1875] Elizabeth Fredrickson vs. John P. Fredrickson, Circuit Court, Case File

• [13 Sep 1875] Mary E. Castle vs. Daniel W. Castle, Circuit Court, Case File

• 13 Oct 1875 Ellen Umbaugh vs. George Umbaugh.
• 27 Oct 1875 Caroline Diehm vs. Christian Diehm.
  [22 Sep 1875 Carolina Diem vs. Christian Diem, Circuit Court, Case File]

• [05 Nov 1875] William A. Eggeman vs. Caroline Eggeman, Circuit Court, Case File, Case File

• 01 Dec 1875 Bertha Ewart vs. John S. Ewart, charged with abandonment, failure to support, striking, beating, threatening and calling the plaintiff hard names and with attempted adultery with a married woman.
• 29 Dec 1875
  • Dora Wixon vs. William Wixon.
  • Josephene Adams vs. Milton M. Adams.
    [04 Dec 1875 Josephine Adams vs. Milton M. Adams, Circuit Court, Case File]
  • Lucy Powell vs. Lewis A. Powell.

Some of the cases listed were dismissed and others resulted in divorce decrees.