The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1892-08-30
A MATRIMONIAL PUZZLE.
Marriage of n Wilmington Lady, hui.
not wife,-what is She?


not a wife.-what is She?
The Philadelphia Record says: zone
OF tho most remarkable matrimonial
complications that Court of law or
divorce lawyer has ever had to disen-I
tangle comes to light in the arrest re-
Gently OF George Baldwin, who Uharg-
ed with being implicated in robbery
committed in Oxford. q small town inl
Chester county. is now confined In the
West Chester jail. Miss Laura Ed
monds, Of Wilmington, DEL, who was
recently boarding in this city at No.
25l South Eighth street. Philadelphia,
is the person most copcerned. Wheth.
or che is married or single, and III
married, whether her name Is De Hav-
Ell OF Baldwin. are questions that may
puzzle her yet for weeks to come. She
married man who had former wife
IN the land Of the living, and this for
mer wife. too, had former husband
living. Hence the gnnrl.
MISS EDMoNps' STORY.
The story that she tells, and 1t Is
confirmed by all concerned, is as fol-
lows: Miss Edmonds met the man sew.
ernl years ego. and, as her parents OBJ
jected to the match. al Baldwin's sug-
gestion they went 10 Camden surrep-
titiously and were united in matri-
mony by Rev. W. II. Burrell on July
I IL, 1902.
A NAME ASSUMED FOR THE WEDDING.
For this occasion, fearing his first
marriage would DO discovered, Bald
win assumed the name of DeHaven
and, by way of explanation to Miss
itdmoEds. stated that as he was the
father of a child by Mrs. Groome no
thought 1t was advisable to change
the name SO as to avoid any embnr.
RAISING situations. He positively
denied that any marriage had ever
leen reformed. The girl accepted
this plausible explanation, and CUES
toned him no further, and as man
and wife they went lack 20 Whining.
ton to live. ..
| ANOTHER WIPE ON THE SCENE.
| In the meantime Mrs Mary Grooms,
oil Georgetown, Del, who now lives at
No sa2 South jefferson strt ct, vii
mingtoD, Del, and swears that she
was legally married to baldwin, MOTTO
cd change coming over her bette T.
half. inaemucli us he was not as utten-
tive 10 her wants as heretofore. She
then resolved TO investigate the cause
1t was not long before size discovered
the difficulty. for within a dozen
squares OF the house where Baldwin
aud she boarded, DE Haven and the
other woman were known as man and
wife.
Mrs. Grooms raised a disturbance
over this condition OF affairs and cue
lceeded in Inducing Baldwin to return
10 her again. The man led this dual
life Tor nearly year. In one part oil
the town his friends knew him az
George Baldwin. and In the eastern
section other people called him
George De Haven.
NOT DIVORCED FROM MIR. GRpoMs. .
The alleged first wife, Mrs. Mnry
GrOons, admits having married Bald
win without divorce from her first
husband. Int claims that he had de-
serted her Mrs. De Haven is heart
broken over the state OF affairs. Not.
witlslaHding the mare asst miscon-
duet she Ia willing TO again live with
her husband. The otLer woman pro-
Claims equal devotion to him.
| MATRIMONIAL PUZZLE.
Miss Fdmonds argues that the mar.
iriage of Mrs. Grooms to Baldwin was
null. since Mrs. Grooms was already
Im0rried, ard that therefore was free
W
lRoL eit J. Arundel, however. eaid yes
ltelday that the only lawful marriage
WAS the first, that of Mr.. and
Mrs. Grooms. All the others are un-
lawful aud children by them would be
IilltGltmate. They ale not to be con
lsidereu void, however, but there must
lie II divorce before subsequent mar
.riaRe. Baldwin and Miss Edmonds
are, therefore, unlawfully man and
wife. ......
is 1T DE HAVEN OR BALDWIN.
Miss Edmonds has not yet ascer.
tained whether having married Bald
Twin under an assumed naIue. her
name is really Do haven or Baldwin.
reporter of the HFPtnLlCAN inter.
viewed Mrs. Grooms or Mrs. DelIaven
at No. 2ga Jefferson street In regard
to her marriage with DeIiaven, who IL
lnow confined in the West Chester Jail.
Mrs. Grooms, who was engaged In
washing at the time the reporter asked
for her, came to the front door and
invited the reporter into the parlor
She said that her husbands other
so'called wife had called upon and
asked her IL che intended to bring any
charge against him? She said no. when
tho other woman replied, Meth, T
would she. But as soon as she left
she had the nuchworried man landed
i'm jail. He wrote to her. asking her
TO call and see him, which she imme-
Idiately did, when lie tried to got her
to use her influence in having him re-
leased. She told the reporter that her
husband had done nothing for her
support Tor some time and sho did
not intend to spend any of her money
in trying to get him released.
She married him about eight years
ago. His parents were then living
lin Wilmington. They had formerly
resided ut Oxford. Pa. She has very
pretty little girl named Annie, who is
now in her sixth year, and looks ae
hearty and eontented as child could
look.
he had worked as painter for Card
well 81 Wall for some eighteen months
and was very reticent man, hayii x
VERY little to say to any of his fellow
lworkmen. 1t is said he has some two
Iother wives residing somewhere I'M
Pennsylvania.
DeHnyen is about twenty-eightl
years old and had smooth face when
his picture which his Wilmington wifel
has in her possession, Was taken. He
now has red mustache His wife is
Ia very genteel looking lady and has toI
earn her living for herself and little
Igirl, She did not appear to be yeryi
sorry for her husbands preaicamentl
owing to the way In which lie had
treated her.