The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1888-07-12
THE Jaw AND THE lady.
High Authority Says the DucaI
Wedding is Valid.
MARLBOROUGH RESTS EASY
And Says the Newspapers Arc Badly
oE-o'Brien Released Trouble
Between Frederick's Doctors.
Other Foreign News.

LONDON, July ll.-A correspondent
called on the Duke Of Marlborough, at
the residence OF his mother, in Gros.
venor Square, and found him in excel
lent spirits. The Duke at once pointed
to cablegram from New York, to the
effect that many lawyers there were OF
the opinion that his recent marriage
with Mrs. Hammersley was illegal.
81 know what you want to see me
about" he said, "but l am afraid that
it is a subject upon which l cannot
speak just at present. have no doubt
that the lawyers who have so kindly
stepped forward and given their opin-
ions in the matter, without any hope of
fee, are very wise men, indeed, but
there the Duke smiled dryly) / have
learned something OF law by experience,
and am sure that the services performed
by Mayor Hewitt, in the presence OF the
accredited representative OF the British
Consul General, is without flaw and
above cavil."
While this conversation was going on .
in the library carriage after carriage
rolled up to the dark house, which
seemed to frown upon the rays nf sun
shine chasing each other across its
sombre front, Lackeys, footmen, gen.
tlemen and ushers were scrambling,
showing, elbowing each other to leave
cards or call upon the new American
Duchess. The crush grew thicker, and
as the correspondent bowed himself out
the Duke hastened into the drawing
room again to meet his old friends and
introduce them to his new and hand
some wife.
Later in the evening Mr.. George
Lewis was interviewed in regard to the
validity OF the marriage, which New
York lawyers have impugned. There
is no doubt that Mr.. Lewis is the great
est authority on English law, in its rela-
ton to divorce, of any livingman, so his
decision in favor of the legality OF the
ceremony should be accepted as final
and will bring great relief to Mrs. Ham
mersly's friends.
"The telegram is nonsense" said Mr..
Lewis. "The marriage is perfectly valid.
American law between whom parties
over whom American courts have juris-
diction forbids remarriage OF n guilty
party during the lifetime OF the pc
titioner. This American law can in no
way bind the Duke, who is an English
man subject to the dominion OF English
courts. English law upon this subject
is decisive. The 57th section OF 20 and
81 Victoria, Chap. So, enacts that when
the time limited for appealing against
any decree dissolving marriage shall
have expired and no appeal shall have
been presented against such decree, it
shall be lawful for the respective parties
thereto to marry again as il the prior
marriage had been dissolved by death.
The Duke was consequently free to
marry again, and inasmuch as the lady
whom he married was widow suffer-
ing from no disability by American law,
the marriage is beyond doubt valid"
1t is rumored that the Marchioness OF
Blandford, who is at present at Hinard,
in France, is coming TO England in a
few days and that on her arrival here
she will apply to the courts for a sum
mon against her former husband for con-
tempt OF the decree of court by which it
was expressly stipulated that the re-
spondent was not TO marry again. This
rumor is probably based upon the pop
ular belief that the Marchioness is a
peculiarly revengeful, il not malicious
woman. This popular opinion at the
time OF the divorce case greatly neutral
lied public sympathy, which otherwise
would have been overwhelmingly with
the injured wife.