Omaha daily bee., 1888-05-27
BETTER AND WORSE HALVES.
q Grist Of Matrimonial Stories and
Sketches.
A Marriage with Legal P~hraseoIogy-
A Brides Misfortune Made His
Sweetheart His Mother-in-
law-Connubialities.
A Sad Romance.

York World. The plaintiff is Mary E.
Bailey and she asks that her marriage
with S. M. Bailey be declared null and
void. She represents that on December
13, 1887, a marriage ceremony, purport-
ing to unite her to Bailey, was per-
formed in Florence. Ari., by b. j.
Whitehead, justice Of the peace. Her
consent to the union was obtained by
deceit and fraud, she claiming that
Bailey represented to her that a man
named w. e. Guild, who was a legal
guardian of the estates of her two
minor children, was about to and in fact,
had applied to the probate court to have
her children taken away from her and
placed in his custody, and that he would
certainly deprive her of her children
unless she Immediately consented to
marry the defendant. She was given
the alternative of marrying Bailey or
being separated from her offspring.
Both men also informed her that il
she resisted the application for the Gus
tody of her children Bailey would APP
pear as n witness and procure others to
appear against her and testify to her
unltness to have the care and custody
of the children, and would surely ruin
her reputation. Plaintiff declares that
the Representations, statements and
threats" Of the defendant so distressed
and worried her that she consented to
go through the marriage ceremony, and
when it was performed she was acting
under duress and fear. Immediately
after marriage she separated from her
husband and has never lived with him.
An Amusing incident.
There was u bridal couple coming in
on the Bay City train the other day,
says the Detroit Free Press, and the
-. 41at aAs1 .~.~
on the grin most of the time over their
antics. The bride had got the man she
loved, and she didn't care a copper who
saw her pillow her head on his shoulder.
The bridegroom had got n farm with
his wife, and if he wanted to feed her
gumdrops or squeeze her hand whose
business was it? A little old man,
dried up and bareheaded, sat directly
in from of the couple, and he looked
around so often that the young husband
finally explained:
"We're just married."
81 knowed it all the time" chuckled
baldhead.
"And we can't help it you know"
mo, you can't-Im be darned-if you
kim"
81 presume it all seems very silly to
IN old man like you,'' continued the
husband.
''Does it! Does It'll" cackled the old
fellow as he bobbed around. ''Wall,
you just bet your life she doesn't. I've
been right thai three times over, and
I'm now or my way to Canada to marry
a fourth! You orter see me a week
hence. Il hug and squeeze and fondle
at the rate of forty miles an hour, and
darn the skunk that latfs at me! Silly!
Why, children, its ~parrydize billed
right down."
A Mormon Wife.
The first question asked by the
stranger in Salt Lake City is this, says
a Salt Lake City letter: do the Nor
mons still practice polygamy?" They
claim that they do not, but their assev-
erations are taken cum grano sails by
the Gentiles there. The Edmunds bill
DISTINGUISHES women living in polygamy
and fines the man $500, with imprison-
ment for six months. The women are
''allowed"-compelled would be a more
appropriate term---''to testify against
their husbands" Despite this it is ex-
tremely difficult to secure convictions.
A woman is called on the witness stand
and a colloquy something like this oc-
ours:
Are you married?"
II do not know, SIR"
r'Is not the defendant your husband
under the Mormon law?"
81 cannot say, sir"
SIS this your child?"---showing an in
FAINT of two or three months age.
"Yes, sir"
"Who is its fatherP"
II cannot say, sir"
This is no In occurrence the
attorneys tell me. And after all, one
can scarcely blame the woman for testi-
flying thus If they believe in the ''divine
sanction o. polygamy" as taught by the
church. No less celebrated n lawyer
that the late Jere S. Black has said:
'To compel husband and wife to testify
against each other is to change every
rule OF evidence; a contemptuous de-
1iance of the great principles which pro-
tect the sanctity of the family and lie
ut the basis OF civil society"
He Might Get Whipped.
In an excursion on which some half
dozen couples recently arrived in the
city, says the Washington, ID. Co.,
Star, there was one pair in which the
was about twenty-five and the young
young man about eighteen. The
procured Il license and were mar
ried. Some time before the train was
TO leave the bride walked into the de-
pot alone. She was asked: well, you
are married?" yes" she replied.
''but | wish I wasn't" us it a runa-
way?" was asked her. "Not so far as I
am concerned" she said, ''for I'm old
enough, but his mother may
raise objection. l amt think
ing about myself, but l
wouldn't be surprised if his mother
whipped him. wish l hadn't married
him. Well have to face the music, but
] don't know how it will come out. 1t is
too late now, however, and we must
take the consequences" "You ought
TO be ashamed of marrying that chit of
a boy. He isn't eighteen yet" re-
marked a b~ystander. swell, I am,n
she answered, but it is too late now.
He is nineteen, and III have TO make
the best Of t." Subsequently the boy
husband joined her and each wore a look
of aniety as they took their seats in the
train,
An Embarrassing Romance.
Miss Della Doughty, a well-known
young lady of Fair Haven, a minister, a
feast, and a large assemblago of friends
waited in vain on Sunday night for
Mathew Riley, who was then to have
wed Miss Doughty, says the New York
Cpp Of tho 10Th instant Nh Dt1au a.,