Rensselaer Gazette, Volume 3, Number 29, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 9 November 1859 — An Impontant Divorce Case Decided. [ARTICLE]

An Impo ntant Divorce Case Decided.

Last week, as we see from a report in the Howard County Tribune, an important case under our divorce law s was decided by Judge Buckles of that Circuit. Briefly the case was this: A Mr. Wm. Hoffman of New \ ork City came to Kokomo in April. 1857, filed a complaint, procured publication of notice to his wife Emma, and on the sth of June obtained a decree of divorce. On the 23d of October, 1858, his divorced wife filed a complaint demanding that the divorce be annulled on the ground that it had been fraudulently procured, her husband not being a resident of Howard county, but of New \ ork City, and that she had no information of the proceeding till long after the decree was made. Mr. O’Neal of this city for the lady, and C. I). Murray and J. Robinson of Kokomo for the defendant, were the counsel. After a long examination of testimony, and a very lull and able argument, Judge Buckles decided that Hoffman was not'’* resident of the county at the time of filing his divorce complaint, ancUset aside the decree granting it. Thus Mr. Hoffman found, himsell a married man in unpleasantly short metre. This case may give the public abroad to understand that divorces are not so easily obtained in this State ns they used to he. Linder the old law any non resident to commence a divorce suit and carry it tnrough, as in this case, without his wife ever knowing it, had only to swear to a lie, that is, to his bona fide residence here. Now the law requires the applicant to be a resident actually, and to have been Jor a year, before he can begin a suit at all. Non resident rebels against matrimonial laws will do well to cut this paragraph out, and save theunelve s the expense ola journy to Indiana to get a divorce. The good time forth that class ot people is over in this State.