Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-06-16
Welded YET NOT A WIFE
a GIRL SNATCHED FROM HER
GROOM WHEN JUST A BRIDE.

Having Forced Her to Take the Vows
He Makes No Effort to Reclaim Her
After Being Robbed of Her-NO Divorce
Applied for Until She Wished to Wed
Again.
Sun, when little Miss Mary Fendert used
to trip of to the public school in West
Fortieth street from her fathers fancy
goods store in Eighth avenue, near
Forty-second street, people stopped TO
watch her pretty figure so by. Her jet
eyes sparkled with good nature, and she
shook her long and glossy black curls
gleefllly. She came to be known among
the neighbors as 'spretty Miss Mary
and had several score of devoted youthful
admirers Of her own age, which was then
10.
One day John Eder, plain-featured
German grocer, who kept store near the
school, met her. chucked her under the
chin, and asked if he might go with her
to the school. She playfully said he
might come along, and every day for
several weeks he was her escort. One
afternoon he told her that he was going
to marry her. She ran home in alright,
but did not tell her parents for fear they
would scold her. Next day, on January
26, 1876, she found the grocer waiting for
her two blocks from her home.
"If you don't marry me today" he
said, according to the story that she tells,
'''ll bring minister to your house and
make you my wife,
She says she was frightened, and prom
ised that she would go with him and
get married after school was out.
In school she told friend that she was
going to be married after school hours
because she couldn't help herself. Her
schOOlmate saw Eder come up and take
her away when school was dismissed in
the afternoon, and ran as fast as she
could and told Mrs. Fendert. A servant
was sent scurryIng in the direction the
couple had taken, and found Miss Mary
as she was leaving the house of German
minister on the west side, near the school
building. The servant seized the girls
hand and hurried her home. Eder made
no attempt to prevent the departure of
his bride, but lit a cigar and walked off
in an opposite direction. he never made
another effort to see the girl, who was
sent away to the home of other relatives
to guard against any such meeting. Miss
Mary never assumed her married name,
and her parents locked up her marriage
certificate and kept the adventure family
secret.
Last month Miss Mary Fendert, grown
to be a good-looking maiden of one and
twenty, with luXuriant hair and a blooming
complexion, became acquainted with a
well-to-do young German, who announced
his desire to marry her. His addresses
were received with favor, and as a result
the previous marriage was revealed yes
terday in motion made by Lawyer Yen
nj, before Judge TruaX in Superior Court,
Chambers, to annul the marriage of Mrs.
Mary Elder to John Elder. The complaint
oil hot hn ok crnf
about without the consent of the brides
parents and through the threats of the de-
fendant. Judge Truax referred the case.
Lawyer Yenni visited Grocer Elder at
his place OF business. 81 am perfectly
willing to let the suit go by default.' Eder
said. 'EMiss Mary is entitled to be cleared
of the bar to her happiness. l suppose
she never cared for me anyway. l thought
her a very pretty girl, and that's why
wanted to make her marry me. | have
never seen her from the hour she left the
minister's houSeV