The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-03-03
CITY HNTELL1GENCB>
MATRIMONY.
Weulan for REoneyI

R"rrIaSo of .-I" SH Issc'IsmTsS s.. .sSCS EOed Of
bill In equity has recently been filed in the
Court of Chanoery At New Castle, Del, which
g attracting almost universal attention, and
which will, no doubt give rise to many nice
legal points, and at the same time expose to the
world the scbemings and designings OF two
women for meney. The prayer was presented
TO the Chancellor by the counsel for and in tnO
name of one Richard Thomas, citizen of Pnlla-
delphia. The purport of its contents, together
with other facts interesting to the public are as
lollows;-
Richard Thomas was the son of Samuel
Thomas who died ia 1929, leaving large and
valuable property IN % the lover 1--WE end ] Oh New
vided in his will for the creation of trust
fund.- to be administered by Daniel Corbit and
the late Chief Justice James Booth, of Della
ware, one-half to be for the benefit OF his son
Robert, whom he considered not sound in
mind. These gentlemen accepted the trust, and
have administered 1t up to recent period, VIM.
q. Spruance, Esq, of New Castle, being ap-
pointed by the court to fill the place of Judge
Booth after that genteman's deeease.
From what has transpired it appears that these
gentlemen have always entertained the idea that
Richards mind was not of the strongest calibre,
and during the period intervening between the
death of his farher and the summer OF 1859, they
have frequently placed him in the Insane
Asyums in West Philadelphia and Frankf0rd.
The present bill recites that he was discharged
from the latter place in the summer of 1869
upon a writ of habeas corpus issued by the
Philadelphia Court of Quarter Sessions.
This writ of habeas corpus, 1t appears, was
applied for by young man, a clerk in the book
store of Richards sster-in-law, Mrs. Jane
Hamilton Thomas. This lady was at one time
an agent for the sale of Episcopal publications
in Philadelphia, and now occasionally publishes
some charming works of poetic and devotional
character, such as a recent collection entitled
"Thoughts that Cluster Round our Homes"
etc, etc. She was the wife of William G.
Thomas, a brother of Richard.
thp hnhnac tha
trustees presented their view of Richards inca
pacty for taking care of himself, and offered
evidence to show the necessity of occasionally
confnng him within the pleasant halls of
Frankford, or at DR.. kirkbrides paternal man
sion But the court being at that time sorely
pressed by newspaper criticisms, decided that
Richards mind, If not above par, was at least
too good for confinement and consigned him
to the care of his brother William where he, of
course, enjoyed also the oversight and guidance
of brother Williams wife, the lady previously
referred to. 1t would appear that she was a
woman of rare business qualifications, decided
energy and nerve, which was perhaps more i'm
portant in this case from the fact that she found
her husband was neither sound in body or mind;
and hence was under the necessity of commit
ting him for q few weeks to insane asylum,
about the time of Richards retirement.
However, Richards case improved very ra-
pidly, as that of William grew worse, and
toward the latter part of September, 1869, on or
about the 25th day thereof, he was married to a
young lady, said to be about eighteen, q Miss
Sally Clark, who was an adopted daughter of
William Thomas. The ceremony of marriage
took place at Williams house in Philadelphia,
in the parlor, while Mt the same time, William
himself was lying up stairs almost in dying
condition. The wedding was thus rendered. if
possible, more extraordinary than it would have
been, though the spectacle of an old, feeble
minded man of siXty-ive years, bald, grey, and
bent, being united to girl of eighteen, would
perhaps challenge ordinary comment. Con-
sidering the view that the trustees had always
aEapO OtR ard aS n imbppip
il would appear that he must have frightened
up beyond their observation.
William who, as before stated, was IN drtieulo
mOrtis, upstairs while the ceremony proceeded
down in the parlor, lived but few days, and
one morning the trustees in Delaware had the
news communicated to them that Richard had
''intermarried," as the petition in Chancery
says. The letter also brought bill of items for
the affair, such as $40 for the minister, so much
for the ring, so much for candy, tobacco, ETC.
Upon this the trustees, who could not, appa-
renty, believe that the proceeding was alto
gether according to the statutes in such cases
made and provided, refused to pay the bill for
the wedding, refused to pay Richards board at
Mrs. j. Hamilton T. longer than to October 81
refused to recognize his marriage as valid, and
declined to 'come down" in any way, unless
Richard would come down to Delaware and live
within their bailiwick, so to speak.
Hence arises this proceeding. The complain
ant prays that the defendants shall be ordered
to pay over to him the clear amount of income
derived from the trust for the maintenance of
himself and wife. To this the defendants have
not as yet made any answer, the law giving
their counsel six months from the filing of the
bill (January 31) in which to make up their
mind what answer to make, and also to compile
the requisite ''sails," las aforesaids, "
''Whereases, etc.
Such is the gst of the case. The annualincome
sought to be recovered amounts to between
$1,000 and $4,000, but from the spirit manifested
by the trustees it doubtless will be years before
the matter is decided, for they are determined tC
contest the matter to the utmost end the laws
will allow.
An obstacle has also occurred but recently
which will doubtless have the effect of mate
rally altering the being nothing other thar
the death of Richard Thomas, which occurred
on the Oath ult.
A SAM PATCH LEAP At No. 2754 Frankfort
road resides German faIaily, named Neilman
the head of the house, Christian, being bake
by profession. Last night Christian weareC
with the labors OF the day, retired to bed abou
9o'clock, and soon snoring loud and deep ap
prised his wife that he was conversing with tht
spirits that throng the realms of Morpheus Tht
latter was about following his example wheI
she was startled by Christian jumping out O
bed, and before she could say q word he haC
pitched headforemest through the window
carrying the greater portion of the sash will
him. The now Mortified woman at once rushed
down stairs, expecting TO fnd the mauglet
corpse of her husband below. Imagine, then
her surprise when she found that he was alive
and merely complained OF sore back and SOM
cuts from the window glass.
When the fact Is taken into consideration tha
he issued from n third-StOrY room, the affai