The DeLamar nugget. [volume] (DeLamar, Idaho) 1891-1900, 1892-12-03
FOR HER HONOR.
A California Woman's Long Strug-
gle to Prove Her Marriage.


A white-haired old lady, with bent
figure and sad worn face, gave the
outlines of a curious story before
Judge Hunt in San Francisco the other
day. She was over seventy years old
and she wanted divorce, if 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 living and settle that disput-
ed point Once the courts decided that
she was married, but by a 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 1647, five years after the
marriage, joys suddenly disappeared
from Killarney. About the same time
one of the village beauties, Ann Cox,
also left her home. Shortly afterward
everybody knew that Joys had gone to
America. A little 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 him, 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 accommodating a nice |
little property. Ann Cox, the while,
was living at 431 Hayes street In 1878
Joys thought his affairs in such fine
shape and his prospects so free from
disturbance that he married her A lit
tie later Mrs. Joys No brought suit
for divorce on the grounds of infdeli-
ty. The case was fought long and bit
-a,.lu IN, 1a al
great point in the fight was to prove
1er marriage to joys in Killarney. Mrs
Toys won her suit and was declared to
De the legitimate wife of JOYS She
vas granted the divorce and JOYS was
'rdered to pay her twenty-five hundred
dollars as her share of the community
She had alleged that Joys
vas worth over twenty thousand dol
airs and detailed where the property
vas located, but Joys swore that he
Ield the property in trust for Miss Cox.
At that time costs in suit were very
eavy The charges against Mrs. Joys I
0 enter up this judgment would have
cen something like one hundred and t
hirty dollars. joys fought hotly I
gainst paying her cent, and days
nd weeks sped by while she was try
lg to get the money to enter the judg-
lent. 1t has never been entered to this {
ay. Joys continued to live with his
carts second choice. She died not
ing ago, leaving him two grown
iughters and an estate valued at fifty y
lousand dollars. One of the daugh- d
rs brought suit against a local saw L
gs bank not long ago to recover the r
oney her mother had on deposit there u
Id which she claimed was her own.
'ys still lives on Hayes street and is in h
ry good circumstances He still We q
,mently denies that he married Mrs. h
,ys. A peculiar circumstance con- Ii
,cted with the present suit is the fact d
at all the papers in the first suit re- D
ntly disappeared from the county b
erlS's Office three weeks ago, few
VS. after the second suit was filed. d,
lst-covered copies of some of the al
pers have been found in the Offices of e,
torneys who worked in the first case. &c
was the disappearance of these of
pers that caused delay in the hear ST.
3. fa