The Divorce That Shook Tacoma: A Wife’s Flight to San Francisco
In a rare public airing of domestic betrayal, Judge Allman grants Frank Lunkley a divorce from Mary after evidence revealed she had eloped with a Seattle man.
TACOMA, Feb. 15.—In confirmation of the report of Referee I. P. Palmer, Judge Allman yesterday granted a divorce to Frank Lunkley from Mary Lunkley. The evidence submitted proved that on November 22, 1893, Mrs. Lunkley eloped to San Francisco with Frank F. Meany, of Seattle, and on this breach of her marriage vow Mr. Lunkley secured his divorce. The defendant was represented by H. C. Harrison, and plaintiff by A. A. Knight.
While modern divorce proceedings are typically private civil matters handled with discretion, late 19th-century court records often read like scandal sheets, publicizing the intimate betrayals of the elite. This case highlights how social reputation was legally enforced through the courts, turning a personal marital breakdown into a matter of public record and civic gossip.
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