Los Angeles herald., 1891-12-04

The deputy clerks who preside over
the department in the court house where
the criminal records of the county are
kept have many experiences of novel
character. 1t is part of their duty to
issue marriage licenses, insane commits
ments and citizenship papers, as well as
to assist the public in finding any paper
which may be sought for. Scarcely a
day passes by without some strange
incident, and Mr.. Wards afable clerks
have fund of stories stored away in
their minds, and should they choose to
I do so could tell OF strange happenings
that would delight the heart OF novel
ist. For some inexplicable reason the
visitors who 60 to this department tell
the clerks in charge all about their busi-
ness, and they hear more about the
woes and joys of humanity than most
men.
They know more about domestic
troubles than even the able divorce law
yers, and could supply a sensation each
day of the year, but the confidence re-
posed in them is rarely if ever violated,
unless they think some good can be done
Dy making Cuse punt.
One of those cases which eXcites the
sympathy OF every one was brought to
the notice of one of the deputies yes
terday. 1t was the same old story of
woman's confidence and mans perfidy,
and while highly sensational, had pa
thetic side to it.
The story is best told in the clerks
own words, which were overheard by
HERALD reporter Yesterday: 81 was at
work here at my desk" said he, when
1 saw young woman in the corridor
with a young babe in her arms. She
glanced nervously about the hallway,
and fnal.y entered the room here and
came straight to the connter. l in
quired what she wanted, and was some
what surprised when she asked me to
look up the date OF her marriage
license. Her maiden name, think,
was Roser. She said she was % years
old, and was married about six years
ago. Only 15 when she entered upon
married life. Pretty young, eh? Well,
/ got down the index OF the year indi-
Gated by her, but her name wasn't
there. She looked bit disappointed
when told herI couldn't find it, but
managed to say in weak voice: 1t
may have been the following year. l
turned back for ten years, but could not
find her name.
"She said her husbands name was
Wetherspoon. I think his given name
was Robert. ] looked for his name on
the indexes, but it was not there. She
stood there a minute without speaking,
holding her baby, and then to my sur
prise, told me her story. six years
ago. she said, L lived in the
country. No, / won't tell you
the place-and was wooed and won by
this man. He brought her to the city,
and they went to building two stories
high, she said, and there was a man
attired in a minister's garb. A mar
riage ceremony was gone through with,
and she supposed herself married
woman. Well, she lived with the man
she supposed her husband for some
time, but he was cruel, she said, and
she left him.
'Then she went to live with another
man. She had no way to make a living.
She was happy with him, and in a short
time the child she carried was born to
them, The last man now wants to
marry her, and she says he has wanted
to do SO for some time, but as che sup
posed herself married woman, she
divorce, and that was why she
wanted to know the date Of the
license. Now you fellows might not
believe it, but she said she felt there
was something wrong while that cere-
mony was being performed.
"What kind of looking woman
was she? Why, as pretty as picture
and apparently as modest as any gill
who ever lived. Yes, sir, that young
woman is fair sample of q fresh coun-
try girl. in spite OF the trouble she has
gone through: and that baby! 1t was
as pretty as could be-and such blue
eyes. advised the young lady to see
lawyer"