Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1880-07-24
A HORRIBLE HER AGE.
TwO IIlegItImate Children Pay
the Penalty of Their Pan nts'
Sins.
A Brother and Sister I'm the Di-
vOrce Court as Man and Wife.
The R0matic story of Their Mar.
riage and the Terrible Reveal
memt Of the Mothers
- 60 ref.
st. Louis Globe Democrat.

5. AzeM5 % ING UA0eACES
secret.
st. Louis Globe Democrat.
NEW YORK, July ia divorce suit,
with very peculiar circumstances, has
Just been decided in the Brooklyn |
courts Many years ago an Irish girl |
named Connor came to this country.
By her industry she acquired some |
means, and might no doubt have done |
we'll in her own sphere in life. She |
formed the acquaintance of Swede |
named Peterson. and was persuaded to
live with him as his wife without the |
sanction of the church. About the
same time PetersOn's brother married
a sister of the girl Connor, who was
then likely to become a mother. In
due time boy was born, and
TO HIDE THE DISGRACE
the child was handed over to Mrs.
Peterson, the mothers sister. Hence
forth he was called for and treated as
the child of the woman who had
adopted him, and took her husbands
name. Two years later the girl Con-
nor gave birth to a girl. Soon after
ward the father of the children dis
appeared and was not heard Of. Sub
seQuently the girl took the name of
her mother, and was called Annse
Conror. Her brother, two years older,
took the name of his foster parents,
and was known as Peter Peterson. The
mother of the girl and the 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 aud
we'll behaved. He attended the com>
moE school in New York and made
satisfactory progress. In due time-he
went to work and soon after becoming
Of age his aunt (ss he supposed her to
be) furnished the money and put him
into business on his own account. The
girl go thTOVe and received good
education. Though well formed s1d
graceful, she never reached middle
height, and was somewhat delicate.
She grew exceedingly attractive, how.
ever, in person and manner, and had
many admirers.
SHE AND HER COUSIN
romped and played together as chill.
dren, and attended sport together as
boy and girl and youth and maiden.
No one ever suspected, however, that
there was more than cousinIy affec-
tiOn between them, and SO, as matter
of course, they were allowed to asso-
eiate without restraint. 1t is not
known, it may be said, that there was
any love-makiDg between them, for
tue mother and aunt were prudent,
God>feariDg women, and would have
at once taken means to check it. The
probability is that beyond little
sparkling and filtration, nothing ever
passed between Annie and Peter until
the circumstances on which this story
! is based happened. Peter, as has al
ready been said, was in business for
himself, and was doing a thriving
| trade. Ee was old enough and suffi.
ciently comfortable to think of marry
ing. Annie, his cousin, was about
twenty years Of age, and as sweet as
rose and as pretty as picture. An
nie's mother, last summer, resolved to
visit her friends in the old country,
| and started across the Atlantic. She
was away about three or four month.
On her return she went straight to the
house where her son, supposed to be
her nephew, resided: There she
found her daughter Annie installed as
| mistress and
WIFE OF HER OWN BROTHER.
The horror-stricken woman immedi-
ately disclosed the truth. AS one of
the parties who tells the story says, ,"She
| had not been in the house two min
utes before the dreadful secret was out,
and misery aud shame appeared where
all had been happiness and pride q
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 soul
Preparations were made during the
| absence Of Annie's mother, and IS
soon as all was ready the knot was
| tied. UDsuspecting and supremely
happy, they entered on their honey
moon, anticipating q lie of undis-
turbed connubial bliss. It might be
that Annie's mother had guar
anteed against too great an anticipa-
tiop between her daughter and son,
and that her absence from the country
was eagerly seized upon as removing
all hindrance to their free intercourse,
and to the marriage of the supposed
cousins.
The announcement made by the
mother fell like a thunderbolt upon
the young people. All thei. rappi-
ness was QasneQ In an instant. heir
love was suddenly transformed into
A CRIME,
and the bonds that made them one
grew into dreadful barriers that rose
between them evermore. All hopes
which they had built together were
tumbled and dispersed, and Visions of
domestic joys to come were blotted out
by the awful reality. There was only
one thing to be done-to part. That
was done at once, and it is doubtful
whether brother and sister will ever
meet again. The utmost secrecy has
been uselessly thrown around the
legal proceedings.
The report OF the referee has been
handed in, and Is in favor of annull-
ing the marriage. 1t is believed that
the report was duly confirmed by
Chief Judge Nelson on Saturday. At
all events, 1t was presented to him for
confirmation, and q decree issued
TO be entered granting the relief asked
fnr