Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1885-07-10
Two SHIFTS Grow Out of a Mock
Marriage.
THE HUSBAND CLAIMS THE GIRL FIVE
YEARS AFTER HER REAL MARRIAGE.

THE HUSBAND CLAIMS THE GIRL FIVE
YEARS AFTER HER REAL MARRIAGE.
On the oath of May. 1888, merry party
stopped at the American Hotel, in Staun-
ton. 1t was composed of j. B. Kelley.
Miss Bonnie Kelley, his sister. since
dead, of the Sweet Chalybeate Springs,
and Mrs. w S. Keyes of San Francisco.
They staid for ten to twelve days. Very
soon thereafter letters were received in
Stanton, from Winfield Scott Keyes of
San Francisco, enquiriRg If the parties
named had been here, and seeking to pro-
cure evidence in suit he was about bring
irg in the Superior Court of that city to
have his marriage annulled. The history Of
that suit, which has been partially con-
cluled by another suit brought by Mrs.
Keyes in the Superior Court of New York
City. is quite remarkable, and is given in
the New York 'Sun'' of Tuesday last, as
follows:
Flora A. Hastings of San Francisco attend.
ed the Notre Dame Academy at Baltimore in
1872, when she was 10 years DID, and waE
taken to the Sweet Chalybeate Springs, Vir-
ginia, by her mother to spend her vacation.
There she made the acquaintance of James o.
B. Kelley. After that year she regularly Wis
tied the Springs on her vacation, always stop
ping at the house of Kelley's father, with his
sisters, one of whom was her schoolmate.
In May, 1876 Flora arrived at the Kelley
mansion, and she remained there until Oct 8.
Early in the evening of Oct. 9, in company
with Kelley, his two sisters, and priest, the
Rev. William Walsh, Miss Hastings left the
house and went in an open carriage to the
railway station, a distance of nine miles. They
reached the station at nearly 9 o'clock in the
evening. During the drive Kelley, in
jocose way, suggested marriage, but moth
ing further was said until they arrived at the
station. While waiting for the cars he took
the hand of Miss Hastings and said sIt would
be lots of fun to get married"
At this time the priest was standing alone
on the other side of the platform. Kelley took
Flora over and asked the priest to marry them.
The priest inquired "Jim, do you want to
marry Floral" Jim laughed and replied
'sFlora do you want to marry Jim?" She an
swered, 81 don't object" The priest then
responded, Gail right, yes.''
This appears to have been all that passed,
and when it was over Miss Hastings inquired
OF the priest if it was real marriage and he
replied, Nonsense ~
When the train arrived, Miss Hastings babe
Kelley good-by, and, in company with his
sisters, got on board and rode to Staunton,
Virginia. At that place she went to hotel
and occupied room with the sisters of young
Kelley. The next morning he appeared at
the breakfast table, having arrived without
her knowledge, and during conversation had
with her, he made no reference to the marri-
age ceremony. He left the hotel the same
afternoon to return to Allegheny station, and
Miss Hastings went back to school at Balti-
more.
From that time Miss Hastings continued to
use her maiden name, and never supposed
that Kelley would claim her as his wife. He
made no effort to see her, and did not con-
tribute toward her support Miss Hastings,
later on, went home to San Francisco, and on
April 25, 1878, she married Winfield Scott
Reyes. EARLY in 1883, Mrs Reyes learned
that Kelley claimed her as his wife. She i'm
mediately visited the Sweet Chalybeate
Springs and had an interview with him. He
told her that he considered their marriage le-
gal, and that he would write to the priest who
had performed it to ascertain if it was. She
was informed subsequently that he had writ
ten but had received no reply.
On July Is, 1883, Mr.. Reyes brought q suit
in the Superior Court of San Francisco to an
null his marriage with Miss Hastings upon the
ground that she had previously been married
to Mr.. Kelley. After Mrs Reyes had visited
Kelley and learned of his claims she sued him
in the Supreme Court of this city to have her
SO called marriage with him annulled. In that
suit she declared that he said to her upon the
station platform, ''Let us be married for fun, !"
representing that if she would consent he
should always regard it as joke and never as
a legal ceremony. Upon this statement she
consented. From that time she never saw
him until her visit to him in June, 1883. She
charged that he had procured her consent to
| the ceremony by false and fraudulent repre-
sensations.
Abram King was appointed referee to take
testimony and report his opinion to the Court.
The referee reported that the alleged cere-
mony did not constitute lawful marriage
contract under the laws of the State of Vir.
ginia, he said also: ''The defendants conduct
in inducing the plaintiff to enter into this
mock marriage, and his subsequent claim upon
her after the lapse of many years, must be
deemed fraudulent one, and the plaintiff is
entitled to relief in equity from this alleged
contract, by which her reputation and her
child have become involved"
The report of the referee has just been con-
frmed by Judge Andrews.