Omaha daily bee., 1892-02-29
Mr., Blaine Makes a Personal Statement
Re His Sons Marriage to Mary Nevins'
DECEIVED BY PRIEST AND SON
Father Ducsy Accused of Deceitful Com
; plioity-Aocessory Before the Act
LIES NAILED BY FACTS AND DATES
The Younger Mrs. Blaine's Assertions
Oontroverted at All Points.
RELATIONS OF MOTHER AND WIFE
Eoung Couple Assured an Income and n
House The Offer Refused-What Led
TO the Separation-A Straightfor-
ward statement of the Affair.

WASHINGTON, ~ w., EeU. So.-Nlr. iolaiHo
furnishes to tho Associated Press today for
publication the following under the heating,
"A personal statement:
Since the separation of my son and his wife
three and a half years ago, my family have
silently borne every MISREPRESENTATION, every
slanderous attack, every newspaper inter
view which it has pleased the now divorced
wife to inspire The one person aimed at
has been Mrs. Blaine, and we have perhaps
been at fault in allowing a horror of the pup
lie discussion of private matters, combined
with the regard for tho future of my grand
son, to permit so much calumny to go un-
answered. The last outrage OF the kind, en-
bodied in the decision of the judge at Dead
wood, S. d., assumes an official character
which makes it impossible to remain longer
silent. To remain silent would be to accept
and perpetuate great wrong to my wife-a
greater wrong to my grandson than even
publication of the truth can inflict upon him.
1t is necessary in speaking that should
give a summary, as brief as possible, of the
marriage and the incidents which followed 1t
and led to the separation.
Deliberately Deceived by Priest and Son.
A letter which addressed to the Rev.
Thomas I. Ducey at the time of the marriage
ing upon that event:
AUGUSTA, Me-, Sept l3, 1SS6.-Rev. Thomas
l. Ducey, rector of ST. Leos church, No. l6
East Twenty ninth street, New York.-Sir:
On Wednesday morning last, the Sth instant,
my youngest son, James G. Blaine, lr.,
shocked me by the announcement that on the
preceding Monday he had been united In
marriage with Miss Mary Nevins; that you
had performed the ceremony in your own
rectory; that my son and Miss Nevins were
unaccompanied by friend or relative, and
that two of your household servants were
the sole witnesses. My sons announcement
gave the first knowledge that or any men,
ber of my family had of his marriage or even
of his attachment to Miss Nevins, whose
character wish to say at the outset is not
at all In the question, and of whom but for
this rash marriage l have never heard a
breath Of censure.
Married While u Minor.
My son was born October 10, 1868, and is
not, therefore, is years old He was living
hero in his own home IN the house where he
was born, surrounded by neighbors who had
known him all his life, under the daily care
OF tutor who was fitting him Tor college,
>, which he hoped to enter this autumn. To
facilitate his preparation he desired to re-
main here during the summer while tho
other members Of the family were much of
the time at Bar Harbor. AS / have since
learned, Miss Nevins IN company with her
sister and father, came 70 Augusta on Mon
day, August 10. On Friday, September 8.
eighteen days after her arrival in Augusta,
my son had never seen or heard her name
until she came here, loft his home without
permission and without the knowledge OF
any member of his family and accompanied
Miss Nevins and her sister to their mother
In Now York. On Saturday, the 4th, the
two young persons presented themselves to
you for marriage. Through my eldest son,
Walker Blaine, who went to New York as
soon as 1 heard these unhappy tidings,
learn that James mlsrepresented his age tc
you, stating that he was within month or
two of 81
Aided and Allotted by Father Ducey.
But he did not according to your own mar
rative to my son Walker) conceal from you
the vital fact that he was a minor, nor he dc
not conceal from you but openly ayowed thai
had no knowledge whatever of his lnten-
tion to be married, and that his special de
sign was to keep all knowledge of it from me
In this concealment he sought your aid anc
allotment, ana you held his secret under con
sideration from Saturday until Monday
agreeing with my son not to advise any mem
ber of my family of his rash purpose. Yol
took blm to the archbishop in order that
dispensation might be secured to enable Mis-,
Nevins, who was reared a Catholic. to marry
my son, who was born baptised and reared
Protestant. You knew that during tn,
long interval IN which you were making
these preparations / was within a moments
reach by telegraph, and yet you never CAV,
the slightest intmation to me, the mos
deeply interested and responsible party.
Unworthy of Priest aud Man.
In defense OF this conduct you alleged Il
my son Walker the confidence reposed in yol
as priest Dy my son. The confidence of
the confessional Is always respected but BY
your use of condolences reposed in you out.
side Of the confessional, even by those not OF
the Catholic communion, you perforce be
come an accomplice before the act of AM
crime or any imprudenoe to which You ma,
listen, II Is not for me to advise a minister
of your Intelligence that your position Is ab
solutely untenable, would be dangerous L
society, and would not be respected by an,
court OF the land. You further alleged il
justification of your action that il you ha
not performed the ceremony someone els
would have done 1t. That is a common de
fense OF evildoing aud is unworthy of
priest and man. You might as we'll iustif
your murder of man by chloroform on th
ground that otherwise someone else woul
murder him with dagger.
week ago my boy was under my protec
tion, the most helpless, the least responsible
member OF my family, erratic but cor
trolsble through his strong affections. a
object Of constant watchfulness to hi
parents, his brothers and his sisters,
source OF constant anxiety, but not Q
despair, because he is OF good abilities, a
readily influenced 70 the right as TO tn
wrong, and because the patience Of love ca
never know WEAKNESS. To-day through you
agency this how in vears in an perienea 4