Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1871-05-16
THE WOMAN WHO WOULDN'T.
A BeautifuI Jewess Who VIII not
Marry Christian-An Obstinate
Man Who Will not ApOstate.

From the New York World, May lO.l
In the matter of the application Of
Charles Peters, who was brought be-
fore Judge McCunn, Superior Court,
Special Term, to be discharged on ha-
beas corpus, the petitioner was allowed
to 90 on filing an unjustified bond for
800. Peters was imprisoned on the
complaint of Miss Amelia Oppenheim, a
fair.haired Jewess of 10, who charges him
with seduction, under promise Of mar
riage. She also stated that he repre-
sented himself TO be Jew, by name
Max Will, when in reality he was Cath
ole. She demanded consummaton Of
the marriage promise. Peters was will
ing to comply, but the young lady ascer-
tanned, as she says, that her betrothed
was not of the Hebrew persuasion, and
said she was not at liberty to marry a
Christian, and would not until he had ex-
changed his moral code. This Peters re-
fused to do, and suit was brought to re-
cover $4,000 damages for seduction under
promise of marriage, in which Peters
was arrested and locked up. Judge Nc
Gum ordered both the parties to appear
before him yesterday at twelve o'clock,
when if both were willing he would per-
form the marriage ceremony. After a
long consultation with Miss Oppenheim
through an interpreter she still refused.
Counsel for Peters said his client was
ready and anxious to marry her, and
wanted no delay in the matter, so that
the child might be legitimate He (Pe-
ters) was illegally held, because he had
complied with every requirement Of the
law regarding suits for breach of prom
Use of marriage and seduction, as Peters
was ready at any moment to fulfill the
contract or support the child. 1t was
outrageous to ask o man to change
his religion, particularly that of Catho-
lie to that of jew.
The opposing counsel said that after
Miss 0ppenheim discovered that Peters
was not jew he promised to become
one, and was to place himself in a posi-
ton to marry her according to her orig
inal persuasion. On this second prom
ise he based his action. She did not, he
said, at the time make it a condition to
her marrying him that he should become
Jew, but that she expected that after
wards, Tor aHecuOn 10 neri ne Woulu as
sumo her religion. He only thinks she
could not possibly, without injury to her
feelings, be wife to Peters while she is
Jewess and he a Christian. There
were two parts to his promise-to be-
come Jew and to marry her-and he
could not fulfill one part without the
other, and his client was entitled to relief
in damages in a court of equity. If his
Honor married them, the wife then would
gain, it was true, to the extent of making
the child legitimate, and covering par
tally her own shame; but no sooner
would they become one than the wife
would be abandoned She, therefore,
positively refuses to marry him unless
he fulfills the other part of his promise.
Judge McCunn said he would have to
discharge the man, unless the plaintiff
consented to marry him. The basis of
the complaint was on the allegations
that he had refused to marry; and all
the court could see that could be done
in the matter was to discharge the pris-
oner.