The Morning herald., 1876-01-04
' iAaROMAyCE or EE4z LYFE.


aI9II9l 9d3 81 jlDs.----a :. &c TAi CO Z
An WILMINGTON CHRONICLE E
MARRIED IN HASTE TO REPENT At
'L1rsuRn-THx HISTORY OF A RUNAWAY
AATCH-THE CASE IN COURTS. .,giI
In the year 1855 there lived upon Du-
points Banks two families of the name Of
Lynch and Bratton. One Of Mr.. Brattqn's
daughters was then about fifteen years Of
age, and she attracted the attention Of. John
Lynch, a con of the e.dcr. A runaway
match was the consequence, as neither of
the parents had any knowledge Of the in
tended marriage, and would not have given
their consent. They were MARI led In st.
Joseph's Church, Brandywine, IN February,
1856 '0H'''I oil! ~ 1sH - -
Tiny went to housekeeping in an humble
way, Lynch being about twenty -one years
of age, and was learning the business of
the manufacturing Of wooden goods. ,: wo
children were born to them, William and
and Mary In 1859, ip consequence Of want
Of employment, or inability to keep house,
Mrs. Lynch returned to her fathers house
with her two children, Lynch being forbid
den to visit her there. .si. .1.. .r.i5.i
For seven years, until 1866, Lynch alter
mated between peddling and painting, saw
ing, meantime, some money, with which he
started = liquor store At Second and Orange
in this city. The wife and he again lived
together In house taken and furnished by
Lynch at Sixth and Tatnall Streets For
some time things went on 1ourishingly,
Lynch doing good business, keep
ing q carriage and 4 pair Of stylish
horses,r and during this time there ap-
pears to have been no disputes between the
two, man and wife. It appears that Lynch
gradually fell into habits of intoxication,
which ended in his failure in business and
quarrels and trouble at home. Mrs. Lynch,
either prompted by her friends or driven by
the bad habits of her husband, to whom she
had in the meantime bore two other chill
dren, named respectively John and James,
petitioned the Legislature Of Delaware in
March, 1878, for divorce, which was
granted upon the 14th of the same month,
and by the End section of the bill divorcing
her, the care and custody of her children
was committed to her. In the following
August, Mrs. Lynch died. After the death
|of the mother, the habits of Mr.. Lynch
completely, changed, and from being man
OF intempsrsts habits, he became q model of
sobriety and industry, and has continued so,
until now. In april, 1874, he married q
woman Of some fortune, commenced busi
ness IN Philadelphis, ,,and feeling that he
would like 70 have the custody Of his chill
dren, fled his petition for writ of habsas
corpus in the Superior Court Of this county,
praying for the custody Of his three surviv-
ing children, ono having died of sun stroke
in August, 1874. The writ was granted as
prayed for, directed to Mr.. James Bratton,
the natural grandfather Of the children,
who had assumed charge OF them upon the
death of their mother, and taken them to
his home on Market street in this city. & 1
The hearing upon the writ 30 grained !,
WAS heard yesterday, by Judge Wales, In
the Law Library, st 10 o'clock a. m, q
number Of witnesses were examined by Mr..
Spruance, on the part of Mrs. Bratton, who
most mutely detailed the story as above
told, but Of course deepened and colored by
their feelings. Upon the part of Mr.. Lynch,
many respectable witnesses were examined,
including his brother, q clergyman, appar-
emily most satisfactorily proved Lynch's
complete reformation and contradicted many
of the averments of the other side. One
Of the painful features OF the case was the
testimony of Miss Mary Lynch, a young
girl of about II years Of age, who mani
tested intense hostility to her father.
The case was one in which Intense feel
ing was manifested by both sides. 1t lasted
the entire day until six in the evening, and
was concluded by Mr.. Spruance for the
Bratton's, and by Mr.. O'Byrnc for Mr..
The Judge will consider the case and de-
eide It 1t some future day. Meantime the
children will remain with their grand
father,-r.r