Daily Republican. [volume] ([Wilmington, Del.]) 1874-1890, 1882-01-23
Much Married Melvin.

within halllng Instance OF mat part OF
the British Dominion, called New
Brunswick. Melvin, like many other
people, was susceptible Of the charms
Of the fair sex, and became muchly
married man, but it was not until he
had reached the age of sixty, that he
became entangled in any serious matri-
mOnial alliances, butwithin the last four
years, ho has more than life time of
the ordinary ups and downs of matri-
monial life. Two legal wives have
gone to their rest and three irregular
ones still survive to torture him
the remainder of his life. His two To-
gal wives put him through his life un
til four years ago, when he for the Sec
ond time found himself a widow r.
Having Puritanical admiration
for that portion Of sacred writ that says,
ait is not good for man 10 live alone, y
ho sought out and married a lady named
Mrs. Harris. She was plump, rosy and
accomplished, but notwithstanding
these charms, size did not reach Mel
wins idea of what wife should be, and
on the third day OF the honeymoon, he
drove her off to her fathers residence
and commenced proceedings for di-
vOrce upon charges not crodirable to
the wife. The accusations, however,
not being subsrantiated, the divorce
was denied. About year ago, Mrs.
Melvin, the discarded wife, assumed
tho offensive, but her application for
= divorce met with as little success az
tho former, and was also denied. Thus
things remained until last June, when
Melvin, determined to have wife, re-.
moved across the line, into the British
DOminions, and there married a Mrs.
Adelaide Burns, b resident of Victoria
County, New Brunswick. Hearing OF
this, the wife Oh the United States SIDE
of the line renewed her petition TOR a
divorce and succeeded in OBJ aiming it..
Melvin, however, seemed d littl6 hard
to suit with wife, tor in few weeks
he got tired of his New Brunswick wife
and removed back to his old home in
Aroostook County, Maine. His mar
riage with Mrs. Burns was of course
hold to he void, as he had another wife
living when it was solemnized, and
tho legal wife having obtained d..
Eorce, Melvin found himself at home
free Dotted and an unmarried man N
the eyes OF the law. But Of course a
man like Melvin could not long remain
single, and deciding to take another
chance in the matrimonial lottery, he
proposed, was accepted and married to
= Miss Fletcher, u sister ot one Of his
buried wives, and with her he lived
happily until last New Years day. On
that day, Deputy Sheriff paid him a
visit and arrested him upon d warrant
sworn out by his New Brunswick wife,
charging him with tigamy in marrying
Miss Fletcher, and carrying him to
Fort Fairfield to Jail, he wss given a
hearing on the third Instant and &C
quilted on the ground that when Mel
vim married Miss Fletcher he had no
legal wife living, as his marriage with
Mrs. Burns was void because he then
had a legal wife living, but before he
married Miss Fletcher hi, legal wife
had procured divorce aud got ont of
his way. Before Melvin had time IL
reach his home, he was arrested again
On a warrant charging him with bigamy
in marry ing Mrs. Burns, while Mrs.
Harris was still hls legal wife. Melvin
was again arraigned, but his attorney
made the point that the marriage with
AIRS. Burns, lift ever took place at all.
took place beyond the jurisdiction OF
the United States, and therefore the
courts of Maine had no jurisdiction.
The trial justice was przzled, and re.
served his decision, III the meantime
lemandirg Melvin 10 the custody Of
the Deputy Sheriff, who took him to d
hotel and assigned him Il room for the
mght. A number Of PERSONS On th,
other side of he ine-tive in number
seeing how things were gong, came t.
The defence Of their country woman
.hrs. Burns, and during the night pre-
sented themselves at the hotel with
blackened DISCUSSES and with a pisto
pointed at the head of the proprietor
succeeded in getting the key to Mel.
WINS rot III and though the latter mad.
he best defence he could, lie was over
powered, gagged, bound, thrown upou
~ sled and in "a short tim he was owe.
in the British Donin'ons, where !;
brunswick constable served warran,
upon him and tie next day he was ar
raigned under different auspices on ,
charge of bigamy, and was bound owe
10 the Hastings Court to answer H.
charge. THUS far Mclvin's Brmswirl
vie seemed TO have the best OF The bat
lie, but an int irrational Il les ion her
came in and there is no knowing wler
CT how tie case will end Hon. LEV
'llyn Powers, ex Congressman frOl
Maine, was employed as Melvin
Codnsel, and / as already laid III, cas-
before the State Department at Wa3l
iDg'ou.
But now a new ht"h comes III til
care, for Melvin is again in Mcntice'lo
his Marie home, living pee ceabiy wit
the last wife he married On WedGe
day morning last, he walked out of TAI
and crossing the boundary, he one
more bIeathed the air Of freedom. Ho