Mary E. Bell vs. Henry F. Bell-Divorce, Monroe County (IN) Civil Court Records, Box 219, Monroe County History Center, Bloomington, Indiana. NOTE: The item below was abstracted by Randi Richardson from an original document in the file. According to information on a separate document, two attempts were made to serve warrants to Henry Bell, once in 1872 and again in 1875. He was not found in either case. In 1875, a notice in the newspaper forewarned him of the impending divorce and at that time it was noted that he was not believed to be a resident in the state of Indiana. In October 1874, Mary E. Bell sued her husband, Henry F. Bell, for divorce. She said they were married in 1869 in Monroe County. That soon afterward she had a child, Carrie, now age five, and Henry then abandoned her leaving her with no means of support and furnished her none later. She had not seen her husband for two years, nor had she communicated with him or even knew where he was. She asked the court for a divorce and the care and custody of her child.