, 1873-03-16
FACILITIES FOR MARRIAGE.

It is not SO difficult matter to get married in
this country is some people suppose. Several
decisions in other States, and now very
unequivoca1 opinion from Judge Farwell, OF the
Cook County. Circuit Court, establish the fact
that it is not absolutely necessary to employ
priest or magistrate to seal the bond OF
matrimony in the eyes of the law.
Some weeks ago. 1t will bo remembered,
an Interesting case WAS brought in Judge Far
wells Court, in which one Nellie Post applied to
be- appointed e1ecutri1 OF the estate Of silas
Post deceased, claiming That che was his widow,
though she had never boen formally married.
The evidence showed that the man aud woman
Lad lived togethor for years, that their relatives
had caused proceedings to he instituted against
them for open adultery, and they had frequent
ly represented that they were married.
But the evidence failed to establish the
necessary connection between a promise or
agreement Of marriage and tho contamination
OF tho VOWS as q sequence. Judge Far'yen held,
therefore, that there had been no marriage in
this case, and denied the plaintiffs petition. He
took occasion at that trial, however, to state it
rs wcl1-dcflned principle OF the lar, that
formal marriage ceremony was by no means
necessary to constitute the legal bond Of matri
mony. He regretted that tho caso before him
did not offer evidence that Si]as Post and Nellie
Post had taken each other to be man and wife,
and then lived together under this plain con-
tract, but he could not undertake to confuse
adultery with marital relations.
It VAS but short time after, that another
case OF somewhat similar nature camo before
Judge Faruel, and he has just decided that
there was marriage in this instance, though no
formal ceremony had taken place. Ono Jacob
Schmidt. in the fall Of 1871, inquired Of some
Danish people named Corson il they knew Of q
good girl whom he could get as wife. They
introduced him to Anna jacobson, and the two
agreed that they would be married. Then
the fire cano and disturbed their plans.
After tho fire, Schmidt took house On the West
Hide, and Anna went to live with him, lie promis-
ing to marry her. She repeatedly requested
him to fulfil his promise, and, one day, he
brought German to tho house and held con-
yersation With him, in the German language,
which the girl could not understand. The Ger
man then asked her, in English, it sho
liked jacobson. She replied in the afirma-
tive. He then resumed the conversation
in German, and went away. After the friend
lad gone, Jacobson represented to the girl
that they had been married, and thence
forth they lived together as MN and wife.
jacobson wrote a letter home to his mother in
Germany, informing her, as he told Anna, that
they we're married, and asking hor to sign the
letter conformity with him, which she did, though
she could not read the letter. 4 reply Was SUBJ
sequently received from Germany, in which the
mother aeked for the wifes picture. Some time
Litter, jacobson, evidently tired OF the girl, be-
gan to abuse her, told her that aho vas not his
wife, and droTe her ont Of the house. There
upon she applied to the Court for q separate
maintenance, and Judge Farweu, on Friday,
recognized the marriage, granted tie prayer, and
fixed the amount Of the maintenance.
The sanctity Of the marriage contract has re-
Gently received anothor judicial confirmation in
PHILADELPHIA. Tho case was one in which the