Helena weekly herald. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1867-1900, 1881-08-25
Helena, Montana, Thursday August IS, 1881.
Lax Marriage Laws.

we are glad to see that the press generally
Is taking up the discussion of the Lax Mar
rage Laws which prevail in many parts of
the country. and notably in Nebraska. We
have In mind case which occurred not long
since In one of the eastarn counties of the
State, and which illustrates in striking
manner the harm that flows from this condi-
tion OF things.
poor widow living on a farm which
yielded her and her only daughter meager
subsistence, employed q young man to work
for her as field hand. He won the affec-
tlons OF the daughter girl less than IA
years of age, and proposed secret marriage
She, with childish heedlessness of the grave
nature of the compact consented, and one
Sunday they borrowed a conveyance from
farmer near by, and crossed the mountains
ostensibly to 60 to church, but actually to
seek minister who had local notOriety for
careless practices. They found the gentleman
at home, resting from the fatigues of the
mornings sermon; he left his sofa to answer
their CALL summoned as witnesses his son
and villager who was passing, hurried
through the ceremony, pocketed the fee Of
fifty cents, gave his visitors little fatherly
advice as to mutual forbearance and fidelity
to their vows, bade them goodbye, and
stretched himself out again to finish his nap.
The couple returned home, resolved to keep
the affair private for while. Some days
afterward the bridegroom found leisure to
repent of his rashness, and departed The
girl, for whom the whole business had had
little significance, shed few tears at his
sudden departure and then settled herself
down to forget all about him.
Another young man came along in search
of nf
three months wooed the deserted bride and
suggested marriage. In her ignorance of the
law, and suppOsing herself to all intents
widow, she assented, and they repeated the
escapade we have just described, even to the
point of going to the same clergyman. This
time the mother overheard some conversation
between the daughter and the hired man a
day or two after the marriage, and discovered
the secret. She was very angry, and re-
preached the girl, who admitted what had
been done, innocently confessing the former
marriage at the same time In her dismay
the mother fastened to neighbor's house to
seek advice, and the story soon spread over
the surrounding country.
A malicious wretch 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 of a criminal
action for bigamy. The prosecuting officer
pigeon holed the affidavit and allowed it to
pass from his recollection for time The
second husband, fearing lest the penalties of
the law should in some way attach to him,
and greatly discomforted by the turn matters
had taken fled as incontinently as his pre-
decessor. The widow, rather than stay i'll
the neighborhood as a butt for public gossip
sold her farm for a mere pittance and re-
moved to village in the West. The scandal
followed close on their track, and one night
the two women disappeared together, never
to be heard from more.