St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1892-02-12

lie Does Not Remember Anything
About Marrying Minnie Buck

lie Does Not Remember Anything
About Marrying Minnie Buck
nor.
Reuben Lapine was put on trial for
Dlgamy III Judge LOchren's court yes
terday. He is the young man who is
said to have married both Miss Lettie
Cox and Miss Minnie BucknOr, OF st.
Paul.
When the trial of the case began yes
terday morning both wives of the pris-
oner were in court. Mrs. Lettie Cox
i;aplne sat beside the prisoner, and Mrs.
Minnie Bucknor-L apine rested her tiny
rect OH the back rounds of Prosecuting
Attorney Davenport's chair. Law
yer Forrest appeared for the defend
ant. Mr.. Davenport opened the
case. for the state by calling Mrs Lettie
Laplne, wife No. l, to the witness
stand. Mr.. Forrest objected to her Civ
ing testimony, on the ground that she
was the wife of the defendant, and the
0Dlectl0n was sustained. Then Mrs.
hrst, was called. She merely testified
that she and several others had wit
messed the marriage of her daughter
TO Laplne. She produced the marriage
certlhcate, and it went to the jury as
evidence. S. B. Williams, who said he
was business manager of Westminster
church," was the next witness for the
state. He said he had witnessed the
wedding of Lapine and Minnie Bucknor
III the Westminster study July 10, $780,
AFTER the prosecution had thus
introduced testimony to show that La
pine hal been married to both Lettie
COX and Minnie BucknOr there was lit
tie else to be done. Nevertheless Min
ME Bucknor, wife No. 2, was placed on
the stand as clincher.
Minnie is not pretty girl. Her testi-
mony was brief and substantially as
follows:
She first met Lapine at friends
mousse in st. Paul in June, 1890. A few
days later they met ON the street, and
from that time on their acquaintance
developed quickly until it eliminated
III loye-On her part at least. They
were married in Minneapolis July 10.
1890, and left for Chicago the same
night. From Chicago they went to st.
Louis, where Lapine deserted her. On
cross examination Miss Bucknor adj
United that she had spent night at
White Bear with Lapine before she was
married to him, but the court ruled this
an immaterial matter.
The first witness called by the de-
tense was st. Paul hack driver. He
said he had known Lapine about six
years and had seen him under the ipfiu-
ence of liquor number of times. He
thought LaDine acted like crazy man
when he was drunk-didn't seem to
know what he was doing. He said that
he had hauled Lapine and Minnie
Bucknor in his hack July 10, 1890, and
that LaplDe was drunk at the time. An
eX-deputY sheriff of Ramsey county
testified that Lapine had been a heavy
drinker.
The defendant was called to the stand
at 80 O'Clock, and had not concluded
his testimony when court adjourned at
5o'clock. He claimed that he was alb
Solutely unconscious at the time he
married Minnie Bucknor. He said that
he first met her on the corner of Sew
enth and jackson streets, st. Paul, one
night in June. 1890. She followed him
for dozen blocks. and then nodded to
intimate that she wanted to speak to
him. He crossed the street aud met
her, and she remarked that lit was
about time ne was taking tumble
lie then walked to Central park
with the girl. and they remained
together until nearly 10 o'clock. The
next. evening he was sitting on his
porch playing with his two little chill
dren, when Minnie Bucknor passed by
and t1irted with him with her handker-
chief. He walked up the street and
met her and they then went to Lafay-
cite park together. He met her the
night before the Fourth of July and
made an engagement to go with her to
Lake Harriet; took her to that lake on
the morning Of the Fourth and later in
fn loly
the evening at W hite Bear he told her
that he would put her on the train and
send her home. but she said she wanted
to stay with him. They then went to
the hotel and secured room,
where they slept in the same bed. He
had been drinking all day OF the 18th.
When he and Minnie got up on the
morning of the 9th they both drank
whisky. They took train to the city.
and witness did not remember what
they did that day. Next night they
spent at Lake Elmo, and then went to
Saltwater. Duringuall this time moth
Ing was said between them about matri-
mony. he didn't remember what hap
pened between the 9th of July and the
time the marriage ceremony was per-
formed in Minneapolis. He didn't rec
ollect anything about the marriage
ceremony. He didn't know anything
about the marriage until Minnie Buck
nor told him about it in Chicago. lie
wouldn't believe 1t at first, and she dis
played the marriage certificate to satisfy
him. She followed him from Chicago
to st. Louis, having telegraphed her
aunt for money. He had money at the
time, but wouldn't give her any because
he was enraged over the marriage.
THAT BYRNEs CASE.