Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1883-03-13
A oUADRILATERAL MARRIAGE.

following sketches Of life in the mesropo-
lis:
AT lunch yesterday gentleman told
the following story of Metropolitan life
In happy New England where the peo-
pie religiously attend to their neighbours
business as we'll as their own, such life
is impossible, but here in wicked Go
than, where every man attends to his
own affairs, and cares not fig for those
of his neighbors, such life is possible.
Here is the story: Some thirty years
ago a young Greek came to this city and
entered into business. He had rooms in
business block and was supposed to be
unmarried. A few months since he died,
leaving property to the amount OF ST.
100000. His lawyer found among his
papers an informal will written by him.
self, whereby he gave his property to his
four wives in equal parts.
Attached to the will was an explana-
tory paper to the effect that desiring Wig
orous and healthy offspring and being in
doubt in regard to the national blood
which would form the best admlxture
with his own, he had married four wives
English, French, German and Spanish,
and was raising family by each wife.
He requested the lawyer to call these
wives together after his death and tell
them the true story of his life and divide
the property equally between them.
Upon looking into the matter it was
found that the marriages were informal
and by contract and that each contract
bore the same date, to wit S P. NJ,
Nov. 10, 1870. Each wife told the
same story of her marriage. Each said
that she was engaged to the Greek and
one evening when he was about leaving
the city for few weeks he sent for her
10 come TO the hotel where he then lived.
She went. He came into the room
where she was with the written contract
in his hand and both signed 1t, after
which he hastily left for the train as she
supposed. When he returned to the city
they commenced ouse-keeping and ne
spent such time with her as his business
would permit, which was about one
evening and night in a week.
You see he wrote four marriage con-
tracts of the same date. Then he had
the four girls come to his hotel at the
same hour. He hastily stepped into
the room of each girl and signed the
contract with each, so that in the COM
ing years neither wife could claim prior
i:y of marriage. 1t was also found that
in naming these wives in his will and
the explanatory paper he wrote them al
phabetcally and called attention to the
fact that he did So
After the husbands death, when the
four wives met in the lawyers office and
heard the true story of their one common
husband. and examined each others mar
rage contract, their astonishment can be
imagined. Neither could claim priority
of marriage. Neither could claim to be
the one legal wife. Fortunately all were
sensible women, and they readily agreed
to divide the property equally and avoid
all publicity. Each took the 100000
and went her way quietly.
1t is said that the widows, who as be-
fore said are excellent women, have be-
come friends and have agreed to regard
themselves as the widows of four broth
ers, and to rear their children as cousins
until they are old enough to be told of
the true relationship. An unsafe thing
to do, for what if some of them should
become lovers: But where in all the
wide world outside of New York could
such a condition of things exist without
exposure. New York is a great city.
If you get rich nobody cares il you get
poor nobody cares, and if you are well
nobody cares, and if you are sick and
suffering nobody cares if you marry
wife nobody cares, and if you marry ten
wives and they make no fuss about it