The Portland daily press., 1872-05-08
A Colorado Jury's Idea of Marital Rights
The Colorado Herald gives this:

The Colorado Herald gives this:
Mr. Wells was a soldier throughout the
war of the Rebellion. While in the service
he correspondent with fair damsel whose
wishes to that effect he had noticed in the
WduerIy or some similar journal. This cor
respondence eventually resulted In marriage,
while our hero was home on furlough, in the
wear 1854 The ceremony, as the certificate
atfirms, was performed by Justice of the
Peace at Detroit, Michigan. On returning
home from the war the now happy couple re-
sided at Detroit until the spring of 1871, when
they removed to Denver. Prior to this date
child had gladdened the hearts of the par
ents, who appear to have got on swimmingly
until their arrival in Colorado. A parting in
Denver was followed by permanent secession
in Central in November last. Mrs. Wells
then secured possession Of the child, confded
it to the protecting land to the husband
dreaded) arms of the inevitable mother-in-
law, who conveyed it eastward. The husband
remained in Central and the wife settled at
Denver. No steps were taken tor divorce,
however.
Like widows generally whether bona ttde
or of the genus termed grass) our heroine
began to look around her in Denver, with an
eye to the object often dearest to the female
heart. Chance favored her, and soon man,
young, gallant and gay, who gloried in the
name of Gill, made her acquaintance, i'd
they were soon heels over head in love with
each other In March, the newly consorted
pair came to Central. Opposition being ex-
pected from Wells to their programme, Gill
determined to frighten the former husband
out of any hostile intentions he might have,
and at once 'carry the war into Africa"
Accordingly, by threats duly reported to W.,
the newly arrived gave the impression that
the former husband was destined to be cut up
into such minute pieces that he could not be
distinguished from that questionable dish
that boarding house keepers love to set before
their admiring and often ungrateful guests
likewise, the contents of pistol were report
ed to be reserved for WIS interior department.
The couple soon after departed for George
town where they were married. This COM
ing to the ears of the husband, who still la
bored steadily at the plane and bench in Cen
trial, he determined to ego for the late part
ner of his joys and sorrows as well as for his
successor in office. He caused the arrest of
Mrs.? (quein sabe) which action greatly in
censed the acting husband, and, it is suppos-
ed, caused him to concoct the didbolical COM
munication below, which was received by the
unterrifed Wells through the Georgetown
Post Office:
GEORGETOWN, the 4th April 1872.-We the
undersigned after making Thorough Exami-
nation of this case clear the DEPENDENT and find
You wholly to Blame You are consequently
"a hours. We have hung men For less than
We Find you gilty of The Best citizens of
georgetown intend to hang You. We the un-
dersigned pledge ourselves to do so BY"
Here follows a list of some twenty Names
appropriately differed, and underneath is the
ominous and dreaded signature, K. K. K,
and still lower friendly caution is given in
the words, 'Be ware of the limb"
These frightful communications, however,
were passed by as the idle wind by the
troublesome but indomitable, and he subse-
quently proceeded to bring his ex-wife before
the bar of justice to answer the charge of big
amy.
The trial came off on April 13, and an hour
after flood of eloquence WIS poured forth,
and with such effect that even Wells himself
was considerably mixed, and almost ready to
believe that the veritable marriage certificate
given to him years ago in the City of the
Straits, and which he still possessed and Of
tered as evidence, was not certificate of
marriage, but one of discharge from Uncle
Sam, or certificate of deposit in some bank.
AT all events his twelve peers commonly call
ed the jury, agreed to discharge the prisoner,
much to the delight of her new affinity, who
could not refrain from executing a double
somersault on hearing the verdict of not gull
ty. After this acrobatic demonstration he
took his newly discovered wife and went his
way rejoicing, Such result of the trial be-
ing wholly unexpected by the husband "of
the first part (of this story, that parsonage
war somewhat astonished at the turn things
had taken, and his opinion of matrimonial
affairs, as far as Colorado is concerned, has
received shock from which it will never re-
cover.