The Ouachita telegraph. [volume] (Monroe, La.) 1865-1889, 1869-12-04
The Marriage Tie.

COHCidCtS VI 1HdIIlstS0, udFO pro-
duced some alarm among a class
of persons who have heretofore
looked upon that kind of decep-
tion as. involving no serious liza
bilities. Two cases are cited
which bear a strong resemblance
to that recently passed upon by
Judge Cooley. The New York
Herald has the following state
ment of these cases:
The defendant admitted the
abandonment, but denied the
marriage. The parties had been
living i'll Brooklyn. The plain
tiff's case was that a marriage
having been agreed upon be-
tween them, and the usual prepa-,
rations having been made on her
part, she met the defendant (1S67)
by appointment in New York ;.
and that while they were riding
together in a carriage in the Park
defendant placed ring upon her
finger, SAYING, s'This is your
wedding ring. We are -mafried.
We are married just as much as
Charles is to his wife, (referring
to his brother and sister-in-law.)
I will live with you and take care
of you all the days of my life as
my wife, That to this she as
sented, and that accordingly as
man and wife they lived together
till his abandonment of her in.
August last; and that shortly be-
fore the abandonment he induced
her to sign a paper, drawn, by
himself, stating that ne marriage
ceremony. had been performed
between them. 1850 -,,,.-..t -
I The defendant, ON his examine
ton, put in the plea that he never
agreed to- take the plaintiff as his
wife; that it was agreed she should
live with him as his mistress and
that he should pass her Off as his
wife; that he, gave her the we'd
ding ring. so as to deceive other
people and to avoid suspicion, as
he feared if discovered in their
boarding house that they were.
not married they would be turned
out. There was no pretence that
up to the time Of the alleged
marriage the plaintiff was, not
blameless in her conduct ;. -.
:. Judge Barnard, after reviewing,
the evidence, the law, the author.
tiles and the precedents bearing
upon this case, declared himself
satisfied that an actual marriage
was contracted between the par
ties, and that if the defendant:
while endeavoring to accomplish
the ruin of a virtuous girl, blum
;dered into 1natrimony he has no
one but himself to blame, The
Judge further remarked that 'sif
the practice is as common as the
defendant alleges of men passing
off their mistresses as their wives,
and allowing them to bear their
names without any marriage con-
tract, it is time they should learn
the risk to which they expose
themselves in thus trifing with
the marriage institution and the
good order of society:" that there
should be a decree declaring the
plaintiff the lawful wife Of the
defendant, and adjud ging a limit
ed divorce and alimony, with
costs and reasonable expenses.
Judge Fithian's recent decision
in the case of Durand VS.. Durand
is of; the same character; and these
examples are, at this time of gen
eral lawIesfness, to be especially
commended, and they will meet
the endorsement of all honest
men, in view of the good effect
they will surely have as warning
to the whole tribe of graceless adj
vent,rrers disposed ts ''trifles with
the marriage institution and the
good order of society," Tt is high
time, indeed, that, in regard to
the marriage institution, the line
should be drawn between the laws
of New York and the license of
Chicago, and in this Bissel case
we have it broadly and clearly
defined.
The Rochester. Advertiser says:
General Belknap got acquainted
with his wife by capturing her