The Attorhey-Geheral of Nevada s 7000-Word Statement in His Suit
to
Have the Divorce Annulled Because of the Alleged Conspiracy
by. "Our
ON February 15 last a demure little figure in r
black, vnth. big colored goggles to disguise !
her features, stepped off a train at Minden,
Nevada. ; She said she was "Miss Smith" and she f
drove to the Campoell Ranch, eight miles out In the
mountains.
It was Mary Pickford. She had arrived from Call-
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and Owen Moore to Deceive
Judge wiM False .liesti -
with Owen Moore since she married him, at the age of
seventeen, in Jerisey City, in 1911.-y
Judge Langanlgranted the divorce and Mary Pick
ford left the Courtroom commenting on how. quickly
and how easily te thing had been accomplished. She
packed her trunk; hurried away to her home in Los
Angeles, and a flw days later married Douglas Fair-
f ornia to seek, a divorce from her husband, Owen E. i banks, the popular movie star.
Mary Pickford and
Her. New Husband,
Douglas Fairbanks
(and "DougV biff
dog). If "Our Mary" Divorce
from Owen Moore Is Cancelled by
the Nevada Courts It Will Make a
v ery nmoarrasimg j uuauuu
the Newly Married Couple,' Mr.
and Mrs. Fairbanks.
MARY PICKFORiyS divorce! suit
against Owen E. Moore at Minden,
Nevada, ; was begun on' Monday,
March 1. ''Our Mary" sat in the witness
chair for half an hour next day, Tuesday,
and before sundown ehe had 'been granted
her divorce.
As Mary Pickford left the little court
room she remarked her surprise at the
quickness with which it had all been ac
complished -"begun on Monday, ended on
Tuesday," she said'. And somebody; In the
courtroom quoted the Old Mother Goose
rhyme of Solomon Grundy:
Solomon Grundy,
Born on a Monday,
Christened on Tuesday,
Married on 'Wednesday-
Took ill on Thursday,
Worse on Friday,
Died on Saturday,
Buried on Sunday.
This Is the end of
Solomon Grundy.
The Pickford divorce had, indeed, moved
swiftly- begun on Monday, ended, on Tues
day, and Miss Pickford ) leaves Nevada in
a day or two and hurries back to Los
Angeles, Cal. And on March 28 "Our Mary
married Douglas Fairbanks, the popular
movie star. .:",..(,,.. :j
But a cloud was gathering on the matri
monial horizon. The sweet honeymoon
was disturbed by rumors that the divorce
proceedings were being investigated. On
April 16 a piece of news came over the
wires from Nevada that shocked Mary
Pickford and drove the genial smile from
the face of Douglas Fairbanks the Attor
ney General of . that St&to had begun a suit
to annul the divorce I j ' "
Of course, everybody knows that .the
divorce laws of Nevada are extremely
liberal. Almost anything will do there as
an excuse for a divorce. The peculiar
Nevada law was passed many years ago
upon the theory that the binding together
of male and female in wedlock when love
and respect no longer existed was a situa
tion which ought to be made easy to bring
to an end. . x i . M
But there was one thing which the law
Insisted on: that the person bringing the
divorce action must be an "actual, bona
fide resident of the State and County for
more than six months or "where the plain
tiff being an actual resident pf thei County
the defendant can be ; found within the
County and personally served therein."
It is here that the whole trouble arises
for Mary Pickford.
Was Mary Pickford aa "actual, bona
Moore, under the very easy divorce laws of the State
of Nevada. '
One thing Nevada is insistent upon in a speedy
divorce that the defendant in a divorce action shall
either appear in court during: the trial or that it should I
btproved to the judge that notice of the divorce suit
had actually been served on " him in the State of i
Nevada to give him opportunity to appear in the
action. :
A few days after Mary Pickford Moore arrived in
Nevada, by quite an extraordinary coincidence Owen
Moore himself got off a train and spent a few hours
in a town just a few miles away from his famous wife.
Mr. Moore remained just long enough to let Mary
Pickford 's lawyers serve him with the necessary legal
notice of the suit; I : : j
That was on Monday, March 1. j
The next day, Tuesday, March 2, the same quietly
gowned little figure, wearing the same big colored
goggles, took a seat in the Douglass County Court
room at Minden. At five o'clock in the afternoon the
divorce suit of Gladys M. Moore against Owen Ei
Moore was called, and "Our Mary" slipped into the
witness chair, took oath to tell the truth, and then
gave the testimony which was printed on this page
last Sunday, detailing her wretched matrimonial life
But Mary Pickford 'a happy honeymoon as Mrs.
Douglas Fairbanks was rudely disturbed by the crush
ing news that the Attorney-General of the State of
Nevada had brought suit demanding that the decree
divorcing Mary Pickford from Owen Moore be an
nulled. ' '.. . f ' .
The assertions set forth under oath by Attorney.
General Fowler in his complaint are extraordinary.
Without mincing words the Attorney-General swears
that Mary Pickford has schemed and conspired to
mislead and trifle with the courts of Nevada, and thai
she is guilty of pllusion, fraud and false testimony.
Exactly what is charged against; her Is Uld in full
elsewhere on this page-to-day.
And if the divorce is upset? -
What a distressing mess it makes of her marrlagt
to Douglas Fairbanks ! ;
And if another little Mary Pickford should coma
into the world presently would its name legally b
Fairbanks, Pickford or Moore?
Next Sundajf on this page will be printed Mary
Pickford s answer to the charges made by Attorney
General Fowler a- explained by Miss Pickford's law
yer and what they are going to do about it.
Mary Pickford's Testimony Which
the Attorney General Says Is False
- QUESTION BY LAWYER M'CARRAN (Mary Pickford. Attorney)
Where do you, live? "
ANSWER BY MARY PICKF(RD MOORE At Genoa. Nevada.
Q When! did you first come here? v
A The 15th day of February. 4 ,
Q Have you any other residence? -
A No. . ; ' -,: :
Q It is your Intention to makef Nevada your residence?
A Yes. - .. . , . !i . ' V '
Q Mrs. Moore, did you by any means know of tho cominf of your husbanJ
into this State? I ;.
A No, sir.
Q uia you
View of the Only Street in the Little Town of Minden, Nevada. It Looks Like a Motion Picture
"Set? with the Only Hotel (A) in Town Where Mr. Moore Stopped a Few Hours, the
Courthouse (B) Planted at the End of the Street, and the Picturesque, Snow
' . ' - capped Range of Mountains in the Background.
fide" resident of Nevada? j alary Pickford
has sworn that she was then, and Intended
to remain permanently : a resident of
Nevada. ' ' '
The Attorney-General swears that he has
Information to prove that this Is not true
that Mary Pickford never, at any time, vras
an actual resident of Nevada and never la
tended to he.;. r;i.'
It has been pointed out that It was a
curious coincidence that Immediately fol
lowing the arrival of Mary Pickford In
Douglas County, Nevada, her husband,
Owen Moore, should ave happened to ar
rive In that same Douglas County, Nevada..
The clause In the law as 'quoted above per
mits a divorce action to move with great
speed "where the defendant (Owen Moore)
can be found within the county aad per
sonally served therein." 1 5
Did Owen Moore, by. a miraculous chance,
happen into Douglas County," Nevada, just
at that opportune moment without know
ing that his wife was there and that It was
vitally important for her lawyers to be able
to serve the papers In the suit "within the
county?" Or.waa It a prearranged scheme
to have Mr. Moore come and stay just
long enough to be served and satisfy the
legal requirements of the case?
Mary Pickford swears that she had
nothing to do with her husband's opportune
arrival and hadnt the slightest Idea that
he was coming to Nevada. -. ' '
The Attorney-General declares that it
was a put-up Job and that Mary Pickford
and Owen Moore arranged 1( all In advance
as a part of their conspiracy to go through
the hollow forms required by law.
In view of tho accusations made by the
Attorney-General against Mary Pickford, it
Is interesting to read her testimony. First
and last during her examination Miss Pick
ford was asked and answered 161 ques
tions.: - : ".
Her testimony on the question of
whether she intended to become an actual,
bonaflde resident of Nevada Is very-explicit.
And her sworn answers to the ques
tions as to how she happened to hear about
he husband's arrival In Nevada are also
perfectly clean cut and unequivocal.
It is interesting to note how Judge Lan.
gan gave special attention to those two
points whether Mary Pickford was a gen
uine resident of the State and how it hap
pened that the defendant, Owen Moore,
happened along so opportunely.
Judge Langan listened to Mary Pick
ford's answers to her lawyer and then the
Judge went over the . whole ground him
self with " great care and particularity.
Was Judge Langan suspicious? - Why
should His Honor, after Mary Pickford's
answers to her lawyer, lead her over the
same ground again and make her repeat
her flatfooted statements?
And if Mary Pickford on the movie
screen, is convincing so Mary Pickford
(O 1080. &ttMtloiial iMltn Barrio J
was thoroughly convincing in the part, she
. was playing as plaintiff in her divorce suit.:
After the most searching, questions Judge
Langan remarked: V" I
"I think I have gone Into these questions
pretty thoroughly. l feel that I should do
so In all of these matters in. view of the
fact that Our statute requires alx months
residence. Therefore we should look into
these mattvs thoroughly."
But Attorney General Fowler swears
that Mary Pickford was acting a part. Just
as the famous actress has played the part
of a naughty girl In short skirts, or an In
jured wife, In tears, so, the Attorney Gen
eral claims, the actress was on this oc
casion pretending to be what she really
was not a resident of the State of
Nevada. - m
The Attorney General asserts that Mary
Pickford has long been the owner of a
home and was an actual resident of Los
Angeles, California. He swears she came
to Nevada for the purpose of 'taking ad
vantage of the easy divorce laws and never
for a moment was an actual resident of the
etate and never had any intention of per-.
znanently residing in' Nevada.
Can the Attorney-General prove this .
or is he doing a great injustice to Mary
Pickford?
With equal posltlveness Attorney-General
SiMt BriUa BUfcts
make any arrangements whereby, he was to come Into this
Stater f ,8;:
. ANo, sir. -'j:.:'
Q When did you first learn thaji he was in this State?
A My manager told me Mr. Moore was coming to Nevada to look for
coal mine for one of his pictures. H
' Q And did he mention any plajre that your husband might be going to?
A Yes, rfe said something sbott Virginia City.
QUESTION BY JUDGE LANGAN Do you know where there are coal
mines in "irginia City? You mean gold mines. , J
ANSWER BY MARY PICKFpRD MOORE Yes, gold mines. j
QUESTION BY LAWYER MCARRAN What, if anything, did you do
on hearing that he might come into h State? (
ANSWER BY MARY PICKFORD MOORE Why, I telephoned you and
. Informed you.
Q Did you see Mr. Moore?
; ANr. Sr.
QUESTION BY THE JUDGE Did you have anything to do with ths
appearance of Mr. Moore in this vicinity? I
ANSWER BY MARY PICKFpRD MOORE No. sir 1
O I want to have you very clear on this. No arrangements were made be
tween yourself and your husband whjereby he was to come into this State?,
. . A No, sir. : I 5 ' - ';-: ': '
Q When! was It that you determined to stay In Nevada?
A Whenj the doctor told me thJtt I needed a change.
Q And when was that?
A That waa at Christmas, about 'two weeks after.
Q Have you ever, directly or ndirectlvf had any understanding with Mf.
Moore that you should tome into thf State of Nevada, and after being here, that
he should come into this State, andj.that you should institute divorce proceed
ings and have him served with papetfi?
A No. sir. . . , I
Q Is it your purpose and intention to remain in the State of Nevada as a
resident and particularly in the bounty or uougiasr
A Yes, sir. "1
Q Is it your purpose to build iere?
A Well, if I can find a nlace tc' suit me I will.
Q And you have given up Los Angeles as vour residence and your perma
nent residence is Genoa, Douglas County, Nevada? I
A Until I regain my health, but .this will be my home. j
Q Do I understand that you have come into this State in good faith, seek
ing health and nothing else? , ; -. ' .
A Yes, sir. ... ' . .
Q That you have not come Into the State of Nevada for the purpose of in
stituting divorce proceedings? ' L f
A No, sir.
Q That is absolutely so?
' AAhn1iit-1xr rt :
RY THE TUDGE I think I have rone into this question pretty thorough.
ly. I feel that I.should do sO in all of these matters in view of the fac t that our
.1
statute requires a six months residence
matters thoroughly,
Therefore we should look into these
That is al
Towler asserts
Mary Pickford's
Mrs. Moore.
that there Is no truth . In
'sworn statement that she
lid not know that her husband was coming
to Nevada. On the contrary, the Attorney
Seneral asserts that a conspiracy was
formed and that Owen Moore, by previous
irrangement and collusion with Mary Pick
ford. came to the State and the county for
iie purpose of assisting her in obtaining s
, divorce, contrary to the spirit and require
ments of the law of the State.
But Mary Pickford and Owen Moore are
not where. Attorney-General Fowler I can
get his hands on them. Tbey are in Cali
fornia, and the jurisdiction of the Attorney
General does not extend beyond tho bord
ers of the State of Nevada. When a law
suit 1 brought it is necessary to serve
notice of the suit on the party the suit 'is