The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1889-02-21
Twice Married.

Atlanta Journal.
Down on Decatur street there is couple
who have been twice marrlel. They are
Mr.. and Mrs. Louis SweetwiDe.
Mr.. Sweetwine, as the name indicates,
is q Jew. but bis wife was a Gentle,
which accounts for their being welded
twice:
Fifteen months ago Louis Sweetwine
came to Alta I'd from Bal more.
shortly after his arrival here be became
smitten th Miss Ella Leach, a young
lady from Carrollton.
She was Methodist, but there being no
rule in existence to prevent Jew and
Methodist from falling in. love with each
other, the Young lidg returned the low
of the II -brew youth, and three month
afterwards they were united III marriage
by Justice Henry Tanner.
Louis Sweetwlne, having departed from
the customs OF his people, was looked upoh
very unfavorably by his Jewish friends:
he was virtually o.trac ised from the PRIV
ileges of the religion of bis people, as he
had in their eyes, shown hlm3e ii mo
goodn in m trrying IA Gentle maiden.
The young mau. howtyer has been talk
ing the mater W tt his wife. and Two
months ago succeeded in getting her con
sent to embrace the Jeaish r, Iigjon.
This neeessitated a second marriage in
order to restore her husband to full fello"
ship with bis people.
The Ger mnny changing he yourg wo
man from a G-ntile into a ,Jewese, and
that of r. m srrying her to Mr.. Sweetwine.
took place On Sunday evening at G O'Clock
at thu r. sideEce of MFR. SinkoTitZ, los
Decatur street.
IL "a little back room In the house thu
young woman was taken by a amber OF
Jewish women and pufti d If her Gentle
ideas and sins. ! preparatory to her accept
ing The Mosaic religion.
In the centre of the room is flight OF
steps lea ling down into deep pit in th9
floor,
Over this pit hangs faucet attached
to water orks pipe.
In one corner of a room stands a large
stove, in another a zinc bath tub, and in a
third. one or two chairs, on which hang
several rumpled towels.
This is the purifving-room, built ex
pressl |, for the use of tie Decatur street
Jews. Here it is that the devout Decatur
street Jew baptises himself. or WASHES
away his guilt before the feast OF ON
K,ppur a. nd o,her jewish feasts and fast
ing DAYS. The tank is partly filed with
water from the faucet aud than from
large kettle on the stove the temperature
of this water is made less like that OF the
frigid zone. and after washing away his
sins in the zinc bath tub be Gescends into
the pit or baptismal poll aid baptises
himself.
Into this room the young Mrs. Sweet
wine'wa carried.
Her "Genti'eness" was washed away III
the bathtub. aud she was then taken into
the pit and baptised.
Emerei lg from this plunge beneath the
water she W IS free FROM her former sins
and was ready to accept the Jewish re
ligioh,
Thu Young woman was then ushered
int, front room, where her husband
with large number of friends was await
Ing her.
Tbs ceremony was performed by Rabbi
Joseph Yappe.
The couple joined hands and faced him
Addressing the young woman. he said
rati ia ior
of the Jews ~
Yes" was her reply.
You must believe in nothing else thai
Goo Almiglt y in heaven. Y On must keel
s.ti Aly the Jewish religion.
IT will" was the woman S reply, an
she was then a Jewess
In order to have lawful wife Loni
Sweetwine was then married to her again
as be bad at first married a Gentle.
The marriage contract was read by th'
prizes. and then the husF and put the rine
upon his wife 5 finger and said +: Il MARI
you according to the laws of Moses"
81 am satisfied" was her reply. ant
then they were pronounced man AID wife
This is one if not the first instance OF
Gentle being changed to Jew that eve
occurred in Atlanta. 1t is thing TIA
very rarely happens. but sometimes Je'
loses his heart to Gentle Or Gentle t.
a Jewess. ard then the Gentle mus
change or the Jew will be tabooed by hi
people.
Since the above was in type we motto
the following card in the Richmond Staf'
referring to the statement from the AT
lama paper:
RICHMOND. VA. Feb. Is. 1888
To the Editor of the State:
was much amused a. the tissue OF nor
sense contained in paragraph OF you
paper of yesterday, taken from n Atlani
paper, under the beading of "Dou5
Marriage" If nou. lsIealite desires
become an Isrealite all that Is required
belief in cue purely spiritual God and I'll
recognition of the brotherhood OF man IL
respec i've of creed.
I have In the course Of my miniStI
made convert. and l have never require
more of them. 1t is decidedly not tru
that the Israelite locks down upon fe
low Israslite who marries Christian.
We are opposed to iDtermarrisge, nc
because for one moment we consider OuI
selves better than cur Christian brethre
for we known full well are not, but b,
cause We believe that house divide
against itself cannot stand.
II father believes in one pure spiri
ual God and the mother in trio OF God
what shall The child believe?
The enlightened Isarelte believes whs
is alreany taught in the Talmud.
Whosoever abjures every form Of idol
airy. is an Israelite, l am, Mr., editor
Yours obediently.
A. Harris,
Minister congregation Beth Ahapa.