The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1892-11-17
FOB HER HONOR.
A California woman's Long Strug-
gle to. Prove Her Marriage.
For Ferty Years Sho Engages IN Legal
warfare and at tho Ago OF Sew
euty IL Stil Determined
TO BE Rfghted.

A white-haired Odd lady, with bent
figure and q sad worn face, gave the
outlines of curious story before
Judge Hunt in San Francisco the other
day. She was over seventy years old
and she wanted a divorce, IL she is
married, or what she calls Justice" If
she is not married. Therein. says the
San Francisco Examiner, lies the whole
point in the controversy she is making.
For forty years she has been struggling
to earn q living and settle that disput-
ed point. Once the courts decided that
she was married, but by % freak of for
tune the Judgment was never entered
up, and by her victory she only offered
another ground for contest to the man
she calls her husband. Catherine Joys
was married to Thomas joys in Killar-
ney, Ireland, in April, 1912, SO the old
lady, Mrs. Joy, claimed to Judge Hunt.
Nearly two years later son was born
to them. In 1S4T, five years after the
marriage, Joys suddenly disappeared
from Killarney. About the same time
one of the village beauties, Ann Cox,
also left her horne. Shortly nfterward
everybody knew that joys had gone TO
America. ATlittle later he reached Cal
ifornia. After knocking about awhile
he settled in this city.
Mrs. joys learned OF his whereabouts
and followed him here as soon as she
could get money enough together.
This was in 1869. She tried repeatedly
to have him recognize her, but he stead
fastly refused, stoutly affirming that he
had never married her. She remained
near hirn, however, hoping against
hope that he would change his mind
and take her to his home. One day a
letter from Ireland brought her tidings
that her boy was dangerously sick. She
hurried to him and arrived only in time
to bestow parting blessing before he
died. Friends collected another purse
for her and she returned again to the
fruitless struggle of trying to gain
some sort of recognition from Joys.
He would have nothing to do with her
and denied her all assistance. Mrs.
Joys earned what she could working
out, getting help if she needed it. from
friends who knew her story.
Meanwhile joys had succeeded in
business and was accumulating nice
little property. Ann Cox, the while,
was living at 4S1 Hayes street. In 1878
Joys thought his affairs in such fine
shape and his prospects 30 free from
| disturbance that he married her. A lit
tie Later Mrs. Joys No. brought suit
for divorce on the grounds Of infideli-
ty. The case was fought long and Bit
ter1y in the old district court The
| great point in the fight was to prove
her marriage to Joys in Killarney. Mrs.
Joys won hor suit and was declared to
be the legitimate wife Of Joys She
was granted the divorce and Joys was
ordered to pay her twenty-five hundred
dollars as her share of the community
property. She had alleged that joys
was worth over twenty thousand dol.
lars and detailed where the property
was locased, but Joys swprs that he
held the property in trust for Miss Cox
| At that time costs In q suit were very
heavy. The charges against Mrs. joys
to enter up this Judgment would have
been something like one hundred and
thirty dollars. joys fought hotly
against paying her q cent, and days
and weeks sped by while she was try
ing to get the money to enter the judg
ment. It has never been entered to thii
day. Joys continued to live with hit
hearts second choice. She died no,
long ago, leaving him two grown
daughters and an estate valued ut fifty
thousand dollars. One of the daugh
ters brought suit against local say
ings bank not long ago to recover tht
money her mother had on deposit there
and which she claimed was her own
Joys still lives on Hayes street and is IL
very good circumstances. He still We
hemently denies that he married Mrs
joys A peculiar circumstance con
nected with the present suit is the fac
that all the papers ip the first suit re
Gently disappeared from the count.
clerks Office three weeks ago, few
days after the second suit was filed
Dust-covered copies of some Of th,
papers have been found in the offices o
attorneys who worked In the first case
Il was the disappearance Of thes.
papers that caused delay in the hear
ing.