Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1880-12-01
MARRIAGE AND DIVORCE.
Easily Tied and Easily loosed.

Easily Tied and Easily Loosed.
Whom Dr. GreenwaId Joined Together and
Judge IiyinSston Put Asunder.
In the court of common pleas this morn
ing B. +. Davis, esq, read the dispositions
taken in the matter of the application of
Catherine Thomas for divorce from Abra-
ham L. Thomas, and after hearing them
his honor Judge Livingston decreed that
the divorce be granted aud due proclama-
ton made thereof.
The following narrative of the affair is
substantially as it is related in the testi-
mony. Thomas, the husband, though he
had due notice of the proceeding, made
no objection to it and offered no resistance
to the divorce. It is understood, however,
that he insists that it was fair marriage,
without compulsion. He says he has, how
ever, encountered the serious and persist
ent opposition of his wi(e's family and he
consents to the divorce rather than con-
tinue in relation which they make SO
unpleasant for him.
According to the testimony Of the girl
and her mother, and from other infOrma-
ton, it appears that the Joneses and the
Thomases and the Knights were acquaint-
ed at time when all had lived in this
city. Thomas S. Jones is a workman in
the employ of the steel works at Steelton,
Dauphin county. Abraham L. Thomas
is an Englishman, a widower with five
children, and an employee of the Penn
rolling mill, this city. George Knight was
coachman for Mr.. Frank SHREDDER.
After Mr. Jones's removal to Steelton,
Thomas visited his house once, being in
search of work there, took dinner with
him, remained short time and may have
seen, but certainly had not even an inter-
view with his comely daughter Katy, aged
20.
On Saturday, August 80, 1879, Mary Ann,
wife Of Geo. knight, wcntup to Steelton
to pay a visit to her friend Mrs. Jones, and
stayed until Wednesday, September 3.
The two women went to the depot to-
gether, Mrs. Jones to take the up train,
which arrived first, for Harrisburg, Mrs.
Knight to take the down train to Lancas-
| ter.
Mrs. Jones went Mrs. Knight came,
and with her came Katy Jones. The girl
says that after the Harrisburg train left
Mrs. X. came back to their house and
coaxed her to conc along to Lancaster
county and help her sew. Her father was
away from home and the girl hearkened
unto the solicitation. Mrs. knight bought
her ticket and they set out for Quarry
vile. On the way to Lancaster not q word
was said about marriage. From the P.
r. Il. depot in this city, after their arrival,
they went to the Quarryville depot to wait
for the early train, on which Mrs. Knight
said they would go to her home in the
country. She left Katy sit there for two
hours while, she said, she went of to see
her husband and then came back just as the
train was moving off, to say that they
would not so to Quarryville, but that
Katy must get married that night. Katy
declined. Mrs. Knight insisted. Presently
Mr.. Abraham L. Thomas entered and in
sisted on their going out to his house for
supper. They went. Mrs. knight and
out. They walked and talked together,
back and tell Katy she must get married
that night, the girl still refusing.
After supper at Thomas's the party
came down street and on the way the
girl says she was told she must go to DR..
Grcenwald's and get married. 81 was
frightened her deposition says, "by this
time, became quite nervous and said
would not live with him, and my parents
wOnld not let me live with him. On my
way down they (Mrs. Knight and Thomasl
walked together and were talking. did
not hear what they said. was very
much excited. At Schrodcr's place we
met Mrs. Knights husband, who was
Schroder's coachman. Then he walked
along with me. Nothing was said to him
by me about getting married. When We
arrived at Mr.. Greenwald's Mr.. Thomas
rang tho bell, think then we all went
in." Thomas explained their wants, told
DIR. G. the girl was of age and her parents
| knew of the marriage. She did not say a
word all the time she was there, scarcely
knew what she was doing. While DR.. G..
was upstairs making out the certificate
Thomas handed Mrs. X. a ring, which she
| put upon her finger. When they went
out Knight told his wife that Mrs. Jones
would give her "the devil" for this.
Thomas and Mrs. Knight laughed at the
latter's suggestion that this would not
have been done but for her.
! The bride declared she would never live
with Thomas, but they all went back to
his house the Knights shortly left and
the girl says She slept with Thomas's
daughter that night. though at his request
nothing was said to any of his family about
the wedding. Next morning Mrs. Knight
was on hand to breakfast with them and
after breakfast she had private confer
encc with Thomas.
! Meanwhile, Mrs. Jones, returning from
Harrisburg and finding her daughter
gone, ascertained that Mrs. Knight had
bought her ticket for Lancaster and
bright and early next morning she dis
| patched her son hither to search for his
sister Katy, first at Thomas's and then st
Knights.
Visiting Thomas's, his sister heard his
voice and ran out to greet him. Cpbraid
ings of Thomas and Mrs. Knight followed.
He took his sister home, without even a
good bye to her friends, where she has
abided ever since-never having been away
even for night and without any inter
course with her husband, except the re-
ceipt Of two letters from him addressed as
Katy JONES'" neither Of which she an
swered and in one of which he said that he
had never told anyone of the marriage.
TIE mother and daughter agree in testi-
flying that 10 previous correspondence,
conference or negotiation Of any kind
touching marriage was had by Thomas
prior to the events above narrated, and the
girl insists that she was impelled into
consenting to the ceremony by influences
which she could not resist /; that the mar
riage was never consummated. Hence
her petition to have it annulled.
And the conrt hath so decrced.
ami SI.,sl