The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1874-03-11
A Case or virtuous Bigamy.


. Snn Bcrnsrdino, California, is
virtuous place, and it is making hero
ic efforts to remain so Thore is jus
!, one man within its borders VIII
, does not conform to the standard o
morality established there, and Sal
Bernardlno has been wrestling nobl,
with that man. The man is strong
He appears to have the law on biz
side, and in four tussles he has thrown
San Bernardino to the grass every
time, and walked off victorious
That mans name is Oades, and he is
an Englishman of good address, and
went into the country two years age
and soon married a pretty widow,
Nancy Foreland, and he prospcrcd,
and increased and multiplied.
At length an oldish worn woman
and three pretty well grown children
made their appearance in the town
of San Bernardino, and asked where
Oades lived. She was directed to
comfortable Oades mansion. The
door was opened to her and she and
the children walked in and stayed
there. Soon the neighbors came and
poked their noses in, and smelling
around for vice. The fumily was
perfectly happy and contented and
all as gay as Iarks. To satisfy the
neighbors' curiosity, Oades told them
bluntly that it was none of their bus
mess SO long as his family was hap
py. The neighbors thought different
ly. Billings had Oades brought III
to court charged with adultery under
the act of 1872 Oades introduced
documentary evidence and provided
that the woman with the three chill
dren was his lawful wife, having
been married to him in England
twenty years ago This sent Bill
ings and San Bernardino to the grass
and Oades walked home to his fami-
ly. In few days Oades was taken
before the same court charged with
open and notorious adultery with
Mrs. Nancy Foreland-No. 2. Here
he placed himself under the protec-
tion of the civil code which declares:
The marriage Of person having
q former husband or wife living is
void, unless such former husband or
wife was absent and not known to
such person to be living for five years
proceeding such subsequent marriage,
in which case the subsequent mar
riage is void only from the time its
nullity is adjudged by proper tri-
bunal."
The court then considered the
question whether Mrs. Oades No. |
had been absent and not known by
Oades to be living for five wears i'm
m ediately preceding his marriage
with Mrs. Foreland. Oades introdu-
ces this romantic history:
About eight years ago he WAS liv-
ing with Mrs. Oades No. and their
three children in Wellington county |
New Zealand. Their residence was
on the frontier Having gone on
business to Victoria, the Maoris, q !
tribe with which the English were at
peace, made an inrode into the |
settlement without warning. Re-
turning, Oades found his building
burned, his fields laid waste and his
family gone. In the smoking ruins
be found human bones, which settled
his doubts as to the fate of his low
ed ones. He stayed amid the scenes
of his desolatiOn for over year, and
then he turned his back upon them
forever. He came to California, liv-
ing in various places until his advent
At San Bernardino two years ago, as
The court accepted the statement
and held that Oades had been ig no.
rant of the existance of his wife for
more than five years previous to his
second marriage. Oades was acquit-
ed and walked forth from the court
,oom once more to his happy home.
San Bernardino had again gone to
he grass.
The next thing in order for virtue
was to try Oades for bigamy and Oades
vas accordingly indicted. San Ber-
,ardino and his wife were there, and
here were also Oades and his two
wives. Oades' defense was under
he penal code itself, which provides
hat no person shall be held guilty
,f bigamy whose husband or wife had
,een absent for two successive years,
without being known to such person
IS living. And third time Oades
md his wives prev allied. They left
he court room arm in arm, with all
San Bernardilo sneering at their
reels. What did they care so long
IS they were happy?
But San Bernardino is terrified.
Il is caught in the trap of the law
he new code of 1S72-and stands
,aralized before the awful reality.
After Oades was acquitted Of big
my, it was contemplated to institute
! suit to dissolve his second mar
iage, but the civil code declares that
'ction to annul such marriage can
&c brought only by one of the parties
o the second marriage, or one of the
'arties to the first marriage. The
'arties TO both marriages are satis-
led, and will not bring suit, and
)ades is still living with his two
wives, in San Bernardino, and the
aw pro tects his household.