The Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, S.C.) 1866-1891, 1871-09-07
A Brewer Of Discord.

-. " AeeuOA PAouuty 0oPposs~ ~
egotistical Americans that Western divorce
laws, added to certain fashionable matrimonial
heresies of the East, are capable, under pos
sible contingencies, Of producing such hope
less complications of post-mortuary litigation
as the remainder ofthe world may admire,
but cannot equal; yet, from q case reported
in the Melbourne Argus, it appears that the
legal and domestic institutions OF Australia
can evolve judicial puzzles not to be surpassed
even in our own immoral Chicago. In the
year 1840 Mrs. Cook, widow with several
ohildren7-rnrrri6d a broWor Of Molbourno
named Thomas Graham, who in turn had
lot a first wife seven years before by drown
ing They were middle-aged pair, past
the earlier infatuations and expectations of
life, and by the cultivation Of mutual esteem
spent partnership Of over thirty years in
comparative harmony. For some reason or
other the lady quarrelled with one Of her
daughters by her first marriage, and, as a
consequence, when she lately applied to the
court for administration upon the estate OF
her husband, the brewer, who died some
time ago intestate, that daughter astonished
her and large circle Of scandalized friends
by opposing her administration. In short,
the younger woman made affidavit that her
father, Mr. Cook, was alive at the time
when her mother married the deluded brewer;
and that said Cook did not die until several
years after the second marriage. Filled with
ire at this untimely charge, the widow accused
he undutiful daughter of having herself mar
ried second husband while yet her first was
living; and the bewildered court scarcely
knew what story to accept. After such
revelations by the ladies Of the family, it
seemed not impossible that the late MIR.
Graham himselfh had erred against monogamy
but before this question could be investigated
the mother and daughter had agreed to with
draw their accusations against each other;
aud, as a SON of the brewers first wife, who
had also been widow with children, testified
that his mother had been lost at sea in COM
ing from England, in 1888, the way seemed
clear for the granting of administrative rights
to Mrs. Graham. Before this could be &C
complished. however, firm Of solicitors in
London wrote to firm in Melbourne in
behalf of certain clients of theirs at Beverly,
in England. Said clients arc two young men
to whom Mr. Graham, just before his death,
had addressed very affectionete letter claim
ing them as his sons by Il marriage contract
cd with Miss Jane. Lancaster in 1920.
They had not known him as their father, but,
by the aid of an attorney were able to pro-
cure copies of the marriage certificate of
Thomas Graham and Jane Lancaster, of the
certificates of the births of his two sons
themselves, of course), William Graham
and Thomas Graham, Jr., and Of the death
of Mrs. Jane Graham, their mother, in 1860!
From this, of course, it appeared that the
late brewer had indeed been complicated
matrimonially in amanner disqualifying him
from being too censorious about the possibly
similar complications of his astwife. Dnpli-
Gates of the certificates just mentioned as
having been obtained in Beverly were pro-
duced in court. at Melbourne by the solicitors
to whom they had been forwarded, but as
the said solicitors had no formal authority
from the English claimants to act for them,
the presiding magistrate felt obliged to dis
regard the papers and grant administration
upon the estate to Mrs. Graham. Of course
when the young men at Beverly hear of this
they will empower some Australian lawyer to
contest the legality Of the grant, and then
must ensue such unblest, bitter, endless
litigation as is ever prepared for their chill
dren BY parents who treat marriage as but a
temporary expedient. How much Of similar
miserable work Western legislatures and
Eastern "woman's right" are preparing for
the future of this country, time, will too sure
ly rcyeal.-N. Y World.