Morris tribune., 1884-11-05
FOOLED AT FIRST,
But Likely to Come Out of the Game
Winner.
A Woman Secretly Married by Bo.
gus Clergyman, Then Widowed
and Claiming Her Right
of Bower.

PHILADELPHIA, Nov. s. On Monday pro
ceeiingS were entered in the common plea,
court On behalf of Mrs. Jane Hall, of New
York, but now residing at hotel in this
city, that will raise an extraordinary ques
ton of marriage law. Mrs. Halls maiden
name was Powell. Ten years ago she was a
poor seamstreSS in this city. In 1876, while
attending the International Exhibition, she
was introduced TO Aaron r. Hall, who owned
some property i'll this city and a large
tract OF land in Colorado of little Immediate,
but great prospective, value. Hall became
devoted to Miss POWELL who is still uncom-
monty beautiful. He proposed matrimony
after brief courtShip; he was accepted, and
they Were married The marriage was, a.
Halls request, conducted secretly at tn
housA of gentleman whom he represented t
be Il clergyman and Irinl of his. Hall and
his vile lived for n time at the Continental
hotel, and afterward at board
ing-hous' on Eighth street below
Walnut. Their life after the first
few months was not a happy one He
had apparently grown tired of her and
treate her ciuclly. She was introduced t.
some OF the other hOarlers in the house on
Eighth street us Mrs Hall, but her husband
scarcely ever welt out with her, and never
presented her to any of his relatives or i'm
mediate friends. In January, 1873, he left
for Colorado for tho purpose, as he said, of
attending to pressing business matters there
His wife heard nothing about him from that
time till last August, when she learned that in
the preceding May he had been thrown from
horse near Colorado Springs and killed
She Lad i'll the meantime moved to New
ork and opened dresSmaking establish
ment at Twenty-third street and Sixth ave-
nue.. She at once came back to this city for
the purpose Of protecting her dover interest
in her late husbands property She then
learned that her husband had, so far as is
known, lied intestate, and that claims to his
property i'll this state, as we'll as to that in
Colorado, which had become of considerable
value, had been put in by relatives. Her
claim as wife confused them. An invest
cation was set on foot and the discovery
was made that the marriage had been pre-
tended one. and that Halls friend was a
counteSfeit clergyman. The friend" had
himself been inpOset on and led to believe
the whole matter was Il jest. The fact how
ever, that the nlarriaga was a mockery was
proved beyond question AttoDey-at-LaW
John Y. Rippinger into whose hands the
matter was put, contends, however, that,
though Hail was guilty OF treachery, he de- /
feated his own purposes, and the marriage is !
under the laws of Pennsylvania, valid one |
Marriage here, lie holds, is civil contract. !
and Hall, by saying that he took Miss Powell !
to wife, made such q contract He intro
duced her afterwarI as his wife is at,lni5s-
able under the laws of this state, as corr5b)- .
rat;ve evidence Of the existence Of the covrn
ant The suit entered on Monday is one t.
recover Mrs. Halls dover interest in the late
Aaron R. Halls property, and will rest on
the lawyers Interpretation of the Pennsyl-
vania law. 1t is said that there is no case
similar to it in any of the law reports of the
,ta tie