The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1885-01-16

On February 20. 1925. Mrs. Thwaitcs
was served with papers in an action in
ejectment wherein the illegitimacy Of
her child was fully set forth. A. the
matter was 10 be pushed on. she immc-
diatcly directed her lawyer 10 prepare 70
defend the cause.
CERTIFICATE AND RECORD MISSING.
Mr.. Godfrey consulted his register;
found the entry Of the marriage certii-
cate Of Thomas Thwaitcs and Caroline
Thwaites, ascertained the number Of the
drawer and went 10 it. Few papers
were there. only half dozen. and the
certificate was not one OF them. Every
box. every drawer. every nook and cor
ner was searched in vain--the marriage
certificate could not be found.
MIR. Godfrey started by niail-coach TO
Carlisle. and thence posted 10 Moflat
He searched the records Of the parish
church. but no record of the marriage
was to be found. He examined the book
very carefully. and was satisfied that
the leaf covering the date of the mar
riage had been removed. He questioned
the clerk, but to no purpose. The min
lister was dead who. OBLIGATED at the
time. and no one knew the names Of the
witnesses.
Here was dilemma out Of which the
LAWYER could not see his way. The GER
tificatc gone and the record destroyed,
what was to be done? He stayed a
week in Moifat and searched dill
gently for the witnesses, but none could
even remember the wedding. He
broke the facts TO the widow as easy as
he could. but il was terrible shock TO
her. Her only chance of proving the
legitimacy Of her son was gone. and she
would have TO become an outcast. pen
Mess and despised. with child on
whom tire brand Of basencss would be
fixed. The lawyer was still indefatiga-
Bile in his search for the missing docu-
ment. and prepared. as far as he was
able. for the approaching trial.
II COURT.
When the time came the parties most
interested in the proceedings were
there. At the proper moment counsel
for the defendant briefly stated the
facts of the marriage, and said he would
produce indnbitable evidence Of it. al
though the certificate of marriage de-
posted by the defendant with her law
yer had been purloined. and the record
Of the parish church Of Mofiat alb
stracted.
The register was produced and
shown to the jury, and the fact that the
leaf covering the date Of the marriage
had been cut out was clearly apparent.
The clerk told the story Of the visit Of
the stranger to the church, and Mr..
Godfrey gave an account of the visit Of
the same person to him. both swearing
positively that they had seen the man
in London within fortnight. and that
he was Mr.. Pallistcr, OF the law firm
of Wood, Pallister a. Carew, of Furni.
walls Inn. Tire plaintiff was called by
the defense and admitted that he had
retained the firm as his attorneys. and,
that subsequently,. with his consent,
they had employed smother firm 70
conduct the case.
SURPRISE.
Then the defendant was sworn. She
fcstiiie 4 TO the marriage, and that n
the time her husband procured for him
self a separate certitica e. saying thrl
ii was Scotch marriage and there
might be trouble She produced the
certificate.
The son and daughter OF the dead
minister swore il core their fathers sig
nature. TEN Thomas Williamson and
George M PncrsOn were sworn. They
testified that they Were gardener and
coachman to the minister. and at hi.
death went ino the service of his daugh.
ter and her husband. They witnessed
the marriage. and rememt cred the cir
cum tances attending 1t, especially that
the EngliShman was very particular
about having two certifica cs-one fol
himself and one for hiswile.
| This ended the case. and the jury
found for the defendant.
| The learned Judge who presided ex
pressed regret that there was not proof
sufficient to punish the conspirators
who had evidently used the bases
means to deprive lawful wife and hel
innocent offspring Of their rights.
A REMARKABLE DREAM.
Not the least remarkable thing abou
this case Is the manner in which thu
fa 4 Of the two certificates was recalled
to Mrs. Thwaites' remembrance.
The day received the information
that the certificate and record were
mi sing" said Mrs. Thwaites, ..it af
fected me greatly, and when nigh
came ! could not sleep. AT length
fell into doe. and had rcmarkabl,
dream. l saw the church at Molfaf
and thought myself there being married
to my late husband. l saw the m n .
ter nil out the register, aud ! signed |
after my husband. Then l saw tn
clergyman and two witnesses Syn it.
stood by the minister while he made |
copy Of the register. and | heard m,
husband say: Let Us al sign the docu
mcnt.' After that was done saw m,
husband holding the certificate in hi