Evening Journal

THE GERKER DIVORCE.

The Collector of Internal Revenue of Philadelphia in a Scrape.

"Colonel Fred. Gerker, collector of internal revenue for the Philadelphia district, has been sued for divorce by his wife!" This piece of gossip astonished all Philadelphia except Colonel Gerker and a few intimate friends. The colonel claims there is nothing for his wife to base a divorce suit upon, but the grounds for action are said to be infidelity, and it is reported that some prominent women will be made co-respondents. * * *

Mrs. Gerker, it is alleged, came into Philadelphia from Holmesburg one evening in last September to do a little detecting. She discovered the colonel going into a theatre, she says, and subsequently saw him sitting alongside of a woman prettier and more stylish than herself, with whom he was having an apparently delightful evening. Mrs. Gerker bided her time and had the pleasure, she claims, of seeing her husband and the pretty woman leave the theatre together and go in a roundabout way, to a house which she has learned since was not the lady's home. Mrs. Gerker waited on the street corner some time for the Colonel to come out, so she would have an escort home herself, but as he did not reappear in a reasonable length of time she went home to Holmesburg alone.

Colonel Gerker about noon next day went out home and sauntered up to his front door. He was surprised to find that his latch key would not open it. He made a tour of the lower windows and rear doors. All were shut and securely locked. While he stood wondering his man of all work accosted him and took him over to the carriage house, saying he would find something there to interest him. He did. Stacked up in the corner he found his bag and baggage. Here was a revelation. He had been "set out of the house" and his wife had run away. Madame had left no trace of her destination, and after making fruitless attempts to discover her Colonel Gerker returned to the city wondering what was up and took up his abode in his friend "Charley" Scattergood's hotel at the Gentleman's Driving Park, Philadelphia.

Subsequently Colonel Gerker discovered his wife's whereabouts and that she was very ill, and about the same time he, too, became seriously ill with pneumonia. The Colonel recovered his health, but is still suffering from the mental strain incidental to the threatened exposure to his domestic affairs. Mrs. Gerker's condition is said to be yet precarious, her left side having become paralyzed last week. The papers for the divorce were served on last Saturday.