The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1891-07-11

that no one but relatives should be ad-
mitted to visit the prisoners. For time
all parties interested were dismayed- Mr..
George Schilling, a friend of both, entered
the Jail on the evening of the Goth, and was
met by a reporter, who said to him: "Ah,
you won't have wedding after ALL The
sheriff won't let Miss Van Zandt come in"
Mr. Scbilling retorted on the impulse of
the moment:
what difference do you suppose that
makes1 They can be married just the
same. 1t isn't necessary they should stand
side by side Did you ever hear of mar
Fiage by proxy"
SIS that what you mean to do?"
'"That can be DONE and very likely will
be-" briefly answered Mr.. Schilhng, Sd
coolly that the reporter believed it pre-
arranged matter, whereas Mr.. S. had an
swered with the first words that came into
his mind. The next morning the news
was telegraphed to the world that Miss
Van Zandt and Spies would be married by
proxy. 1t was news to them. but they
were Immediately struck with the feasibil-
ity of the scheme. Nina fastened to find
some one who would consent to unite them
in this unusual manner. Judge Pender-
grast was out of the question. But in the
northwestern part of the city lived Jus
tice of the peace who had already eviDced
his sympathy by the strong stand he had
taken among the Turner's against the YER
dict of the court. Nina. with Gretchen
Spies. called on him aud stated their er-
rand.
Judge Englehardt promised to look up
the law, and if IL could be done legally no
would marry them He consulted com
petent attorney, whose name cannot tie
given, and together they searched the laws
on marriage. They found no statute de-
handing the presence OF both parties before
an authorized agent; that mutual consent
constitutes legal marriage, and that
lady living in Massachusetts had been mar
ried to soldier in Canada who could not
obtain leave of absence, the two merely de-
claring their intention and wish. He was
afterward killed, and in court 1t was de-
cided she was his lawful wife and entitled
to the property left by him. Justice Engle-
hardt fully believed the marriage could he
legally performed by proxy, but took every
possible means to make it binding. he
wrote out two contracts, the one below
being that which Nina signed; the one
signed by August Spies was nearly the
same, except as to the difference IN person.
|, Nina Stuart Clark Van Zandt, being OF
sound mind and body and twenty years of age
do by these presents hereby take August Theo-
dore Vincent Spies to be my lawful husband
from this time forth until death shall part u.s.
and publish and declare my accepting the
said August Theodore Vincent Spies as my
husband in the presence of Henry Kraft and
Amelia Englehardt, the two witnesses who are
by me requested to sign this document. Iwaive
the right and custom to have August Spies
in fin n
of Henry Spies by August Spies appointed to
| represent him; in furtherance of his appoint
ment bind myself to all the obligations and
| duties the relation of husband and wife i'm
poses.
| Oscar Neebe, Ida Spies and Gretchen
| Spies signed as witnesses to August Spies
signature; Henry Kraft and Amelia Engle-
! hardt as witnesses to Nina's. On the Goth
of January Henry Spies stood up to repre-
sent his brother, and Justice Englehardt
pronounced the marriage ceremony. The
! Justice made the usual returns, and the
| license and certificate were kept by the
! county officers for one week and then the
| papers were sent back for correction" as
| the clerk wrote, 1T was found that A
| Spies was detained at the Jail and could
| not have been in jefferson at the time the
ceremony was said to have been per-
! formed"
But the devoted lady derived no benefit
! from the ceremony She was persistently
denied entrance to the Jail, and never. until
the morning of the 18th of November, did
she look upon the face of her lover again.
! Then she was granted the keenly crnel
pleasure of one brief interview, last and
only embrace. and an agonized farewell.
Those who believed in the sincerity of
her love and the merit of its object Won
lered how she endured those terrible days
! Even her enemies were silent when they
looked upon her pale, worn but still beau
| Eful face.