A Court Reporter’s Double Life
A prominent Seattle court stenographer is arrested for bigamy following a pursuit by his former wife from Wisconsin.
The story, cleaned up
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Loren M. Powers, a well-known court stenographer in Seattle, was arrested last night by a Deputy Sheriff from Ashland, Wisconsin, on charges of bigamy. Powers, who was living with his second wife and child at 1006 Pike Street, claims his first wife secured a divorce three years ago and is now blackmailing him. He alleges he fled the Midwest to avoid scandal but was tracked down by his first wife. Powers was a respected figure in legal circles and had previously worked in law offices in Ashland, where his second marriage took place. He was taken into custody without incident and transported back to Wisconsin to face charges.
“I did not think she would carry her scheme to such an extreme. The only thing that worries me is the notoriety it gives me.”
This story highlights the era's reliance on criminal process to settle private marital disputes, a stark contrast to modern divorce laws that are processed through civil courts rather than interstate bounty hunting.
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