Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1883-09-21
MARRYING THE WRONG MAN.
\ Young Woman who Could not Tell
Her Lover from His Brother.

her Lover from His Brother.
H7,cdukee Special 10 tie V. y. Times. 18th.
The fact was briefly telegraphed from
this city last night of one of the most pc
culiarly complicated cases of mistaken
identity ever recorded, i'm which a lady
married the twin brother Of her affianced.
both men being so much alike it is almost
an impOssibility to tell one from the other
The developments to-day have been highly
interesting. On Wednesday last a
we'll dressed, good looking, and
very intelligent young couple visit
ed the office of Magistrate Benz
Ter and requested him to marry them.
The usual inquiries were made, which
revealed the fact that the name of the
would-be bride was Matilda Pope, Of
Genesee, while the prospective groom
said his name was William COnlin, of
Vernon. Miss Pope gave her age as %.
while Mr.. COnlin informed the Justice
that he had just attained 2l years. The
Justice was a little suspicious that the
wOuld-be husband was not as old as he
represented himself. but as he swOre to
the fact and his statement was borne out
by the vigorous prOtestatiOns of his be-
trOthed, he performed the ceremony and
the couple departed apparently very hap
py.
Yesterday morning Justice BenZler was
somewhat surprised at receiving a visit
from Mrs. COnlin, who was accompanied
by her legal adviser, and who desired
separation from her husband. She wanted
the Justice to declare the marriage null
and void, and gave as her first reason for
this strange request that her husband had
committed perjury in swearing that he
was u years old. as he had not reached
that age. The Justice informed her that
il was beyond his province to undo the
work which he had performed, but recon-
Il
ton. Upon being pressed further as to the
cause Ofthis sudden revolution in her feel
ings toward her young husband. the lady
admitted, with sObs, that she had married
the wrong man. She said her husband
was not the individual she had intended
To marry, and that when the ceremony
was performed she was under the belief
that she was marrying her husbands
twin brother. Her legal adviser then in
formed the surprised Justice that there
are two brothers named COnlin bearing
such a close resemblance to each other
that il was hardly possible for their re-
latiOns to distinguish one from the other.
Although these brothers are so much
alike IN person and feature, they are the
reverse OF each other in their characters.
one OF them being known and respected as
SOBER industrious, and moral young
man, While the other is said to be a dissi-
p9teu scapegrace. Miss Pope fixed her
aneetlons upon the moral brother. and
When ne asked her to marry him she con-
sented. At least, she thought it was the
Tespectahle brother whom she accepted,
DHt sIe hds learned since that although
her love was given To the GOOD vomno man
she has been mainly courted and won bv
the bad young man.
Mrs. COnlin thinks her position is an
extremely unpleasant one, as She is NOT
only married TO man she does not love.
but is unable TO tell her husband from his
brother. She is of the opinion that this
might lead to disagreeable complications.
The lady and her attorney deemed the
fact Of the husband swearing falsely to
his age good grounds for a divorce. She
also expressed her objection to having
husband who was not of age, and wished
for divorce in order to marry his twin
brother. The papers in the divorce case
were filed i'm the higher court later in the
daV