The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1880-08-13
UNPLEASANT ROMANCE.
A Young Man Marries His sister by Mis-
take.

Brooklyn Correspondence Cincinnati Coh'merc all
Manyyears ago an Irish girl named Con-
ner, came to this country. BY herindustry
she acquired some means, and might no
doubt have done well in her sphere of
life. She formed the acquaintance OF IL
Swede named Peterson and was per-
suaded to live with him as his wife with
out sanction of the church. About the
the same time Peterson's brother married
sister of the girl Conner, who was
likely to become Il mother. In due time
boy was born, and to hide the disgrace
the child was handed over to Mrs. Peter
son, the mothers sister, and henceforth
he was cared for and treated as child
of the woman who had adopted him, and
took her husbands name. Two years
later the girl Conner gave birth to girl.
Soon afterward the father of these two
disappeared and was not heard of. Sub
sequently the girl took the name of her
mother, and was called Annie f.. Conner.
Her brother took the name of his foster
parents, and was called Peter Peterson.
The mother of the girl and adopted
mother of the boy being sisters, the
children grew up as cousins, and such
they always supposed themselves TO be.
The boy was strong, manly and well
behaved. He attended the common
schools in New York, and made salts
factory progress. In due time he went
to work, and soon after, becoming of age
his aunt, rs he supposed her to be,
furnished money and put him into bust
ness on his own account. The girl also
throve and received a good education.
She grew up exceedingly attractive and
had many admirers, and was always at
tractive to Peter No one ever suspected,
however, that there was more than
cousinly affection between them, and SO,
as matter of course, they were allowed
TO associate without restraint Peter as
already said, was III business for him
self and doing thriving trade. He was
old enough and sufficiently well fixed to
think of marrying Annie, his cousin,
was about twenty years of age and very
pretty. Annie's mother, last summer,
resolved to visit her friends i'll the old
country, and started across the Atlantic.
She was away about three or four months,
and on her return she went straight to
the house where her son, supposed to be
her nephew, resided and there she found
her daughter Annie installed as mistress
and wife of her own brother. The
horror-stricken woman Immediately dis
closed the truth. AS one of the parties
who tells this story remarked, she had
not been i'll the house two minutes be-
fore the dreadful secret was out, and
misery and shame appeared where all
had been happiness and pride moment
before The young couple believing
themselves to be cousins and having
great affection for each other, based on
lifelong acquaintance, agreed to get
married without saying a word to a soul.
Preparations were made during the
absence of Annie's mother, and as soon as
all was ready the knot was tied. The
announcement made by the mother fell
like thlnderbOlt upon the young
couple. Their love was suddenly trans
! formed into crime, and bonds that had
made them one grew into dreadful bar
riers that arose between them evermore.
There was only one thing to be done
to part. This was done at once, and il
is doubtful whether the brother and
sister will ever meet again The young
woman applied to Chief Justice Nelson
! for advice, and the result was the COM
mencement of suit to declare the mar
riage between her and her husband null
and void on the ground of consanguinity.
The case was referred to referee, who
reported i'll favor of annulling the mar
riage, as n matter of course 1t is be-
lieved the report was duly confirmed by
Chief Judge Nelson ON Saturday. AT
all events, it was presented to him for
confirmation, and decree is sure to
have been entered granting the relief
asked for.