Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-08-23
Summons in the Celebrated Case to
be Served by Publication in
a Week or Ten Days.
WILL TAKE HER MAIDEN NAME.
The Fair Plaintiff Has Decided to Try to
Make a Living for Herself
and Boy on the Stage.
HAS RECOVERED HER HEALTH FULLY.
The Story of the Trouble as Told by the Young Wife tc
her Sioux Falls Attorney.


Il
tion is the charge upon which Mary Neyin:
Blaine bases her plea for q divorce from
James Gillespie Blaine, Jr. The summon:
in the action has been prepared and will be
served by advertisement within a week, the
whereabouts of the defendant being un.
known to plaintiff. The complaint is ready
for filing with the clerk of the court.
The bill merely sets forth in terse, Legal
terms, that Mary Nevins Blaine, for more
than 90 days last past resident of the city
of Sioux Falls, county of Minnehaha, in
the State ofSouth Dakota, was married to
the defendant, James G. Blaine, Jr., at the
city of New York on the 9th day of Septem-
Der, 1886; that the issue of such marriage is
one son; that plaintiff has always been q
true and lawful wife to defendant; that de-
fendant willfullv and without cause, did, on
or about the 18th dag of September, 1888, at
and in the city of Augusta, in the county of
hennebec, and State of Maine, desert the
plaintiff The document concludes with a
prayer for decree of absolute divorce, and
asks that the custody of the child be
awarded TO the plaintiff
her STORY TO HER LAWYER
The legal typewriter story of the mar
riage of pretty Mary Nevins to the young
est son Of the Secretary of State and the
separation Of the couple after two years of
welded life, does not fill one page of
LAWYERS note paper; but a remarkable story
of a short but fervid courtship, a hasty
marriage that was in reality an elopement;
q few short months of blissful married life
and cruel parting are told between the
lines Scattered portions have been given
IL 90
has detailed fragments of it, and the world
has guessed at great deal, but the whole
has never been told except by Mrs. Blaine
to her attorney in the privacy of his Office.
While the lawyer guards his secret well,
the facts have been given to the correspond
ent.
Everybody at all familiar with the affairs
of Young Blaine and his sweet-faced wife
knows that Mrs. Blaine's father is of one of
the oldest and best families of Philadelphia,
while her mother was a daughter of S. Med
ary, well known and wealthy Ohio poll
tician, who in Territorial days was Gov
ernor ofMinnesota-
UP IN SOCIAL CIRCLES.
/ Both Colonel Richard Nevins and his
wife, the parents of the plaintiffin the pres
ent suit, were popular in Philadelphia,
New York and Washington society circles.
Their daughter was given every advantage
in youth, and was a girl Of varied accom-
plishments. While not handsome, she pos
sessed a sweet face and a graceful form.
Such was Mary Nevins when young Blaine
met and in one day was in love with her.
Miss Nevins had gone 10 Augusta, Me-,
10 visit her brother, who had a temporary
Federal position there under the admins
tration of President Cleveland. This was
in midsummer, 1886. 1t chanced that Young
Blaine was an intimate friend of Miss New
ins' brother, and during her visit to Au-
gusta she saw a great deal of the young
man. AT that time young Mr.. Blaine de-
clared his love and asked her hand, but no
decided answer was given him. Then Miss
Nevins went TO Bar Harbor and Joined her
parents They strenuously opposed her
marriage to Jimmy" Blaine. He was
wild and had no means of supporting a
wife, and furthermore they evidently
doubted his sincerity.
YOUNG BLAINE'S LURID RECORD.
But probably the greatest objection to
Young Blaine was his wildness. He had
been in turn expelled from Young's Wash
ington School, Phillips Academy, and a
Washington preparatory school. Then he
was placed under private tutor at Augusta,
and there it was that Miss Nevins met him
Mr.. and Mrs. Nevins did all they could to
part the young people. They hastily left
Bar Harbor and proceeded to New York.
But thither the ardent wooer followed.
Monday, September 6, young Blaine called
on her at the New York Hotel They had
q long talk in which the lover strongly
urged the girl to marry him, and she con-
sented.
The marriage ceremony was performed at
St. Leo's Rectory by Father Ducey, an old
friend of the brides family. Young Blaine
had previously secured a special dispense
tion from Archbishop Corrigan. Not
member of either's family was present, and
the young woman's parents knew nothing
of her marriage until she returned to the
hotel bride.
THE ELDER BLAINE's GIFT.
The elder Mr. Blaine made his son and
his wife an annual allowance of 81, 500
They lived in a cozy fiat on Fifty-6fth
street. Young Blaine was a model husband
for the first 1S months. They were so OBJ
viouslv happy that it became q pleasant
joke am0ng their friends. And the coming
of the baby made their little home para
disc.
The circumstances connected with their
separation all the world knows. In the
spring of 1888 young Blaine suffered a re-
lapse. He spent less time with his wife
and baby, and finally began to absolutely
neglect them. No open ruptures occurred,
however, and they went to Augusta to
spend the summer with the elder Blaines,
but in September the young wife was forced
to return 10 New York with her baby. For
two OF three days prior to leaving Augusta
she was unable to see her husband, and
neither did she receive any communication
from him. In October, 1888, she made
last effort to see her husband She went
from New York to Augusta accompanied
by her mother. and to the Blaine house
MRS. BLAINE's PART IN IT.
They were met at the door by Mrs. Blaine,
the elder, who positively refused to let
either see her son. The young wife was not
daunted, but pushed her way into the house,
and upstairs to her husbands room. She
was refused admission. Then she returned
10 New York and determined to go on the
stage. This plan was frustrated by her ILL
ness.
Mrs. Blaine has been a resident of South
Dakota nearly the ninety days required to
entitle her:tO a legal separation from her hus-
band Three weeks more must elapse be-
fore the service, after which the cause may
come 70 trial. Even then there NAV be
delays. There are over one hundred cases
in process of developments, and many of
them are on the trial docket antecedent to
that of Blaine VS.. Blaine; and although,
owing to the fact and that the evidence in
each case is carefully prepared in advance
and delays from opposition are rarely en-
countered, the South Dakota divorce mill
grinds with exceeding swiftness, something
may arise TO prevent the return of a decree
for several weeks. That it will enter, how
ever, there is no doubt.
TO GO ON THE STAGE