The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1891-07-31
RESUMES HER MAIDEN NAME
After Having Married Under Penalty Of
Death.
NARY TKIENEYS TRYING EXPERIENCE,
Her Husband Agreed Not TO Claim Her Until
She Should Love Him, But He
Broke His Promise.


| ceedngs Just ended here in the case OF Mrs.
Charles Z. Reed against her husband has
brought TO light strange story of frenzIed
love which forced its object to marriage at
the point of pistol.
BY q decree of the court Mrs. Reed was
freed from distasteful union with her young
husband and allowed to resume her maiden
name of Mary Stuart Mckinney
Miss Mckinney is twenty-four years OF age.
| She has been employed until recently as q
clerk in tho Census Office. She was one OF
| the first clerks appointed in the Census
| Ruresu. where she was thrown in contact
| with Charles 4. Reed. follow clerk, VINO as
| sumed rort of proprietary right over her.
| escoriing her home regularly from the ofhce
| and other wise showing his interest in her.
Strangely enough the young lady had no
suspicion that Reed WAS head over ears In
love with her until be made proposition OF
marriage She was greatly surprised. but
promptly and firmly told the young man that
sho did not love him. She then forbade him
paying her any further attention.
Young Reed took the matter coolly ont:
wardly. and insisted that in time she would
learn to love him and would marry him.
Mary did not know what To make Of Reeds
conduct. She had expected TO sec him either
angry or fearful. This cool unmoved deter;
herself with forbidding him to call upon her.
and avoided him as much as possible when
engaged in her daily task.
But Reed was not TO be shaken of so easily.
lie intercepted her at every opportunity, and
even rsked being handed over to the police
in order 10 have a few words with her. On
her way 10 and from the Bureau he would
wait for her at quiet corners. and always with
the urgent request that she reconsider her
determination. Her fear of him soon in
creased 10 positive terror, for, besides de-
claring that he would surely marry her some
day, he warned her that he would kill her
before she should wed another.
PISTOL WITH HIM.
About the first Of last November Miss Nc
Kinney resigned from the Census Bureau. In
giving up her work she believed she had also
got rid Of her importunate sutton One day,
however. she went to the Bureau to get
something she had left there, and upon
leaving the building she was met by Reed.
Her took her 10 ono side-Miss Mckinney
doing everything in her power TO avoid
scene-and told her he had revolver in his
pocket and that she must marry him that day
or he would kill her. She says she was sure
it was no IDLE threat. He said they would be
married secretly that he would never force
her 10 acknowledge his rights as her husband,
and that he only wanted the ceremony gone
through with TO prevent her marrying any one
else.
Fearing harm at his hands she reluctantly
consented. lie told her TO 90 home and meet
him within an hour at Twenty-secOnd street
and Pennsylvania avenue. On account OF his
threats she met him. Meanwhile Reed had
gone TO Justice of-the-Peace O'Neals Office
and enlisted his sympathy. telling him that be
wanted the marriage kept secret as both he
and the young lady were in Government EN-
ploy
sO Tury WFRP MAnRTYD
The Justice secured the license for him and
arranged TO have il kept out OF the evening
papers The couple went in street car 10
the Justices office, and thence the trio went
to the residence of Rev Or. AsburyR X. Reilly,
pastor of the Grace Methodist Episcopal
church, where the marriage ceremony was
performed.
Reed kept his promise to his involuntary
bride After the ceremony he took her 10
street car and she went home She told her
mother nothing Of what had happened. fear
ing tho effect on the latters already delicate
health.
The next day the announcement of the is-
suance of a marriage license 10 Charles Edwin
Reed and Mary Stuart Mckinney appeared in
the daily papers. Reed wrote to the girl. who
was legally his wife that as the secret of
their marriage had been divulged. in spite of
his efforts to prevent IT, she ought to &C
knowledge him as her husband and live with
frantic with fear, consulted an old family
friend. David A. Mcknight, & well-known
lawyer.
Mcknight sent a peremptory message TO
Reed 10 call on him. Reed came promptly
and told his story without the slightest hest
tation. He admitted everything that Miss Nc
Kinney had said but said he loved the girl pas
sionately and Ind no thought Of inluring her.
He was sure she would in time return J q
love. and they would he very happy. He
wanted his wife to live with him. and pleaded
for an interview so that he might persuade
her.
The lawyer concluded that it would be best
for the young woman to acknowledge Reed
as her husband, and he arranged an interview
between them. He kept within hearing dis
lance in an adjoining room. In response TO
her husbands pleadings the girl burst into
tears, and finally suffered an attack of hys-
terics Reed. LAWYER Mcknight says,
watched her sufferings with perfect compos-
ure with not trace of pity apparent in his
strong pale face. She was his wife, he said,
and he could wait till she learned to love him.
After tho young people had separated Nc
Knight told Marys mother the whole story.
Mrs Mckinney declared that the marriage
must be annulled without delay Then a
curious revelation was made. Mary pro-
ducsd paper signed by Reed which she said
he had given her two days after their mar
riage. 1t read AS follows:
/ will state that / forced Mary S. Mckinney.
by threats, 10 marry me, on the condition that
has been published in the papers. therefore
make this statement.
On the other side Of this paper the wife had
written
/ promise not TO use this paper in any way TO
inJure G. +. Reed MARY S. MCKINNEY.
Even this paper the girl signed with her
maiden name
~ -,
told him he had good case. At the April
term Of the Equity Court Mary S. Mckinney
filed bill praying for decree setting aside
her marriage with Reed, on the ground that it
had been procured by threats. Reed did not
contest the action. and yesterday Judge Hag-