Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1879-02-19
LAX MARRIAGE LAWS,
A Curious Instance of Their Operation
in New York.
New York Evening Post,

NEW OTk Evening POSI-.
We are glad to see that the press gen.
orally is taking up the discussion of the
lax marriage laws which prevail in many
parts Of the country and notably in this
state. We have in mind case which
occurred not long since in one of the
eastern counties Of the state, and which
illustrates in a striking manner the
harm that flows from this condition of
things.
A poor widow living on farm which
yielded her and her only daughter a
meagre subsistence employed young
man to work for her as field hand. He
won the affections Of the daughters girl
less than fourteen years Of age, and pro-
posed a secret marriage She, with
childish heedlessness of the grave ma
ture of the compact, consented, and one
Sunday they borrowed conveyance
from farmer near by and crossed the
Mountains ostensibly to 60 to church,
but actually to seek minister who had
a local notoriety for careless practices.
They found the gentleman at home,
resting from the fatigues OF the morn
ing's sermon; he left his sofa to answer
their call, summoned as witnesses his
son and a villager who was passing,
hurried through the ceremony, pocket
ed the fee of fifty cents, gave his visitors
little fatherly advice as to mutual for
bearance and fidelity to their vows, babe
them good-by, and stretched himself out
again to finish his nap. The couple re-
turned home, resolved to keep the af-
fair private for a while. Some days af-
terward the bridegroom found leisure to
repent of his rashness and decamped.
The girl, for whom the whole business
had had little significance, shed a few
tears at his sudden departure and then
settled herself down to forget all about
him.
Another young man came along in
search of work, was engaged, and in the
course of three months wooed the de-
serted bride and suggested marriage.
In her ignorance Of the law. and sup
posing herself to all intents widow, she
assented, and they repeated the escap-
ade we have described, even to the point
OF going to the same clergyman. This
time the mother overheard some con-
versation between her daughter and the
hired man day or two after the we'd
ding, and discovered their secret. She
was very angry and reproached the girl,
who admitted what had. been done, in
nocently confessing the former marriage
at the same time. In her dismay the
mother fastened to neighbor's house
to ask advice. and the story soon spread
all over the surrounding country. A ma
licious person who hoped, by driving the
widow to the wall, to obtain possession
of her little land at a low price went to
the district attorney and laid the matter
before him to be brought to the notice
of the next grand jury as the foundation
for criminal action for bigamy. The
prosecuting officer pigeon-holed the af-
fidavit and allowed it to pass from his
recollection for time. The second
husband. fearing less the penalties ofthe
law should in some way attach to him,
and generally discounted by the turn
matters were taking, fled as inconti-
nently as his predecessor. The widow,
rather than stay in the neigh borhood as
a butt for current gossip, sold her farm
for mere pittance and removed to a
village in the west. The scandal follow
ed close upon her track, ana one night
the two women disappeared together,
never to be heard from more.