The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1891-06-28
EXPERIMENTAL MARRIAGE.
Tho Way It Is P,acticed In British
Penal Colony.

EXPERIMENTAL MARRIAGE.
Tho Way It Is PIacticed In q british
Penal Colony.
The Andaman islands are used MS o
penal settlement for Indian and Bur
mesc convicts, who, with the exception
of very limited aboriginal race scat
tered over the group, form tho bulk of
the population, says correspondent of
the London Truth. The isolated situa-
ton of the settlement In tho bay of
Bengal, the absence of communication
by cable, the small military force MAIN
tnincd, and the fact that about fifteen
thousand convicts are here resident,
render 1t necessary to endow the chief
commissioner with more than the or
binary powers extended to governors.
Hence the chief commissioner of the
Andamans, who is also superintendent
of the convict settlement at Port Blair
by virtue Of the almost autocratic au-
thority vested in him, enjoys dcspot-
ism wellnigh incredible under the
British flag
Such pow ers being concentrated in q
single individual, i. may we'll be i'm
agined that from time to time some
rather startling revelations leak out
only propose, however. to refer for the
present to our marriage customs, which
have novelty, if nothing else, to recon-
mend them. The chief commissioner
as superintendent OF the settlement in
convict matrimonial matters is supreme.
lie is liccnscr, registrar, parson and
witnesses rolled into one. The greater
part Of the life convicts, who arc good
characters, are ''self-supportcrs"-
is, men out on ticltct-of-leavc in
the settlement. These men are
allowed to marry. The convict women,
on the other hand, arc always kept I'M
der close supervision in the female con-
Wet Jail. When the "sclf-supporter'' is
troubled with hymcncal aspirations he
visits the female Jail and informs the
oversccr. The latter individual orders
parade of those women of good charac-
tcrwho have completed four years in the
island. The would-bc benedict then
passes along the ranks with view of
selecting likely hclpmate. AS might
be expected, very eager are the faces
md loving the glances bestowed upon
him as he does so. While the over
seers head is turned the women engage
in every variety of pantomimic efforts
to display their qualifications for tie
post. Should the ovcrscer absent him
self for moment, the coveted bach
clor, though he be not octogenarian, is
assailed on all sides with view to his
conquest. Such phrases rs "Here, take
mc!" mo, mel "Why, she's got rcd
hair!" 'Shc's cross cycdr do not
make matters easier for him.. At
length, having suited himself, he takes
1>,, I.
leads her from the ranks. The couple
are then allowed half an hour to dis
cuss matters, after which, if they
agree, their names arc sent to the
head Office. a day or two later they at
tend ut the commissioners and are
there put through an examination as to
the state of their affections and their
inclination to marry; but no awkward
questions are ever raised concerning
possible existing husbands or wives be-
yond the seas.
And now comes the climax. Suppos-
Ing satisfactory answers have been
given rs to their mutual sentiments,
the lady is handed over TO the man
not to become his wife for better or
worse, but for seven days trial. Dur
ing these seven days she lives with him,
and the relationship of the pair is that
of a married couple. At the expiration
of the term of approval. if both are
agreeable, they return to the chief com
rlissioncr's Office and arc married By
that gentleman. IF, on the other hand,
either of them does not approve of the
other tho man is left to go his way,
while the woman returns to her old
routine of work in sthe female Jail.
The worst feature of the system is the
fact that, as might bc anticipated, chill
dren are occasionally born of these pro-
bntionary unions. To such infants tho
state assumes the responsibilities of
stcpfather. Born nlegitimate. with the
cognizancc and sanction of the authori-
ties, reared in convict Jail among the
worst class of women, all of whom are
life convicts, and, finally, without rel
alive or friend on the face Of the
earth, thrown into the world to make
their own living, the position of these
children Is not pleasant to contcm-
plate.