The Six-Month Trap: A Seattle Divorce Scandal

Judge Lichtenberg was called upon yesterday in the divorce suit of Channell vs. Channell to deal with a case coming under the state law, which provides that a decree of divorce shall not be absolute until after the expiration of six months, in order to give the defeated party time to appeal to the supreme court. Frank Channell, the defendant, has been married since June 1888 in Cleveland to Laura M. Channell. On December 13, 1890, the wife was granted a divorce by Judge Lichtenberg. In May 1891, less than six months later, Channell induced Miss Sarah Isaacs of this city to elope with him, and they were married at Tacoma. He lived with his second bride about a month on funds borrowed from her sister, and then deserted her. In his cross-complaint, the defendant argued that because six months had not expired between his first divorce and second marriage, the second marriage was void. Judge Lichtenberg disagreed, ruling that the marriage was voidable rather than absolutely void. It would be a hardship, he noted, to declare the plaintiff a mistress rather than a wife when she was ignorant of the legal technicalities. The court granted her the decree and awarded $40 alimony per month. Channell did not appear in court, and his present whereabouts are unknown.