Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1883-10-03
MARRYING IN JEST.
ssJuSt for Eun.o
From the Philadelphia Press.

from the Fnnadeiph1a Press.
Miss Flora Hastings, an estimable young
lady Of San Francisco, seventeen years of age,
was induced by her male companion, young
man Of eighteen, named Kelly, to 90 through
marriage ceremony with him just for fun.
1t was pleasant October afternoon; they were
waiting at a railroad depot for a train, and, as
they had plenty Of time on their hands, no
doubt the mock marriage ceremony proved q
very agreeable advertisement to themselves and
their friends.
The young lady thought no more Of the Jest
until nearly year later, when. to her surprise
and CONSERVATION. her mock husband Of the
preceding autumn claimed her as his lawful
wife on the strength Of the ceremony which
she had consented to take part In 'Just for fun"
She applied to a New York court for decree
80 little convinced Of it's binding character, she.
while her suit was sti4 pending, was married in
orthodox fashion to General Reyes of San
Francisco. The latter. learning after while
Of the former mock marriage and the New York
divorce proceedings, has himself applied fer q
divorce on the ground that his wife has another
husband living, and that in fact when he
thought he was marrying Miss Tasting he was
really marrying Mrs. Kelly.
Young people who amuse themselves with
mock marriages exhibit about as little good
sense as that other class of humOrsts who find
entertainment In aiming pistols at their friends
which they do not Know are loaded A marriage
ceremony may be very simple thing but It is
usually loaded and should never be trifled with
1t Is much easier to get married than it is to get
unmarried again, even in such a state as In
diana and the latter ceremony is not nearly SO
agreeable under any Jurisdiction We doubt not
but that Mrs. Kelly will get her divorce. She is
entitled to one as matter Of course, and It
would be contrary to all policy and precedent of
law to deny 1t. The marriage, If it was valid
one in other respects, was procured probably by
premeditated fraud on the part Of the young
young ladys part, and it is the special province
OF court Of equity to afford relief in Just such
cases. How this tardy divorce will affect the
second husband remains to be seen. He evil
IDENTIFY feels himself agrieved by this cloud on
his marriage TITLE and there Is reason to fear
that the mock marriage will spoil the real one
entirely. So Miss Hastings will realize from this
little October jest two divorce suits and no hus-
band at all.
The frequency with Which the courts are
called on to undo these foolish mock marriages
Indicate that such ceremonies are q rather IA
vOrite pastime among the young men and maid
ems whose vivacity has not yet been tempered
by experience. 1t Is only when one Of the par
ties or some OF the witnesses insist on the gen.
| uineness of the ceremony and suggest unpleas-
| ant doubts as to the liberty Of the parties to
marry again that the affair is brought to the at
| tentiOn Of the courts. Ordinarily the matter is
forgotten in time, and the parties marry there
after with clear conscience, without any refer
| ence to their mock marriage. 1t Is evident
however, that they run great risk In so doing
/ The lawfulness of the second marriage NAV be
successfully contested, their children found ille-
gitimate, and property diverted into another
| channel, all on account Of the foolish mock
| marriage to which they attached no import
ance.