St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-09-16
TW 0 STRANGE MARRIAGES
Husband and Wife Commit Big
amy by Mutual Consent.

PD1laQelpnla hecOrQ.
Two of the maddest marriages in the
annals of Camden's many ill-assorted
and sensational weddings were sOlem-
nized by Rev. John H.WestwOod, pastor
of the Third Methodist Episcopal
church. on Monday night of last week.
The curious part of the affair is that
although the ceremony in each case was
regular and in due form, the bride in
one case and the groom in the other are
still unmarried.
The parties to this queer wedding
were Mrs. Jacob Schwenck, Robert
Henry, Mrs. Lizzie Greenwood and
Jacob Schwenck. all of this city.
Schwenck is well-to-do barber resId-
ing at No. 145 Norris street, and Henry
is a laborer living on East Somerset
street. Mrs. Schwenck was a witness
of record to the marriage of her husband
to Mrs. Greenwood, and Schwenck was
a witness of record of his Wife's mar
rage to Henry. All parties were salts
fed with the wedding, and the minister
who performed the ceremony was total
ly ignorant of the relationship of the
parties. The two marriage certificates
presented to the double wedding parties
have been neatly framed, and now hang
up in the respective homes of the two
grOOms. One of them certifleS that on
the 10Th inst. Robert Henry was mar
ried to Kate Lutz-Mrs. Schwenck's
maiden name-and the other, that upon
the same date, and at the same time,
Mrs Lizzie Greenwood and jacob
Schwenck were married at the M. Ell par
sonage of the Third Street NJ. E. church
in Camden.
Mr.. Schwenck showed his certificate
to a Recorder reporter last night and
frankly told the story of the affair.
1--WE all fixed it up and didn't think
that there would be any trouble. My
wife wanted to marry Harry and |
wanted to get divorce from her. She
persuaded me that all expense for the
divorce could be avoided if she and
Henry and me and Mrs. Greenwood
went over to Camden and got married
together. She and Henry got married
first, and then we got married. We
thought that it would be all right, al
though we knew that we might be ar
rested for bigamy, but didn't think
there was any danger of that, as neither
party would dare to bring charge.
had been compelled to get Mrs. Green
wood, who was an honest woman, to
take care of my two little children.
my wife bothered me. She said i
could fix it all right without any di-
vorce, and that could then marry Mrs.
Greenwood. l did not like it at first,
but finally we all agreed, and last Mon
day night Henry took us over to Cam
den and we were married. suppose
that if | am prosecuted it will be hard
for me. did not think it was wrong,
and thought was doing good thing
for myself and the children"
Mrs. Greenwood, or "Mrs. Sehwenck,"
as she calls herself, was present when
this story was told, and said that it was
all right. She was very anxious to
know If her husband could be put in
jail. She is pleas ntfaced and rather
pretty young woman, and is evidently
done anything wicked. She has every
appearance of being an honest woman,
and SchWenck is a sober, Woodworking,
and well-thought-of young man, not be-
ing over thirty-five years old.
Mr.. Henry and Mrs. SchWenck could
not be found last night. it being stated
at their home that they had gone down
to Atlantic City to spend the day. From
all that can be learned they are as well
satisfied with the condition of affairs as
are the other couple.
Rev. John R. Westwood, who per
formed the double ceremony, is one of
the most prominent ministers in Cam
den, filling the pulpit of the Third
street NJ. E. church, which is the larg-
est Methodist church in the city. He
was completely deceived by the parties,
all of whom represented themselves as
competent to marry. Mrs. Schwenck
assumed her maiden name, and after
the ceremony, by which the minister
supposed he was marrying Miss Lutz
to Henry. the woman signed her name
as Kate Henry as witness to the second
ceremony. Thus the minister had no
opportunity of knowing that he was
marrying a husband and wife to other
parties.