The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1892-04-09
FIGHT OVER A MARRIAGE,
A DELAWARE WOMAN, DIsOWNED
by HER ALLEGED HUSBAND,
Rev. MIR. Jones, who 1t is Claimed, Per-
formed the Ceremony, Cannot
Testify.

Rev. MIR. Jones, who 1t is Claimed, Per
formed the Ceremony, Cannot
Testify.
y case of peculiar interest is on the
docket for trial at the Sussex County
Court at Georgetown Del The fail
name OF daughter of a we'll known
Suss ex County family, who claims to be
married to a young man also well known
and well connected, who denies the
marriage, Is at stake.
The principals are j. Harry Coates,
SOU of we'll known farmer residing
near Bridgeville, in Sussx County, and
Miss Lila Farrow, daughter of neigh
boring farmer. Miss Farrow claims
that on Sunday evening, June IA, 1881,
she was married to Coates at the Metho-
dist parsonage in Seaford, Rev. X. ii.
Jones performing the ceremony. Al
Coates request the marriage was kept
secret from the parents OF both, though
together they visited Wilmington and
Dover and to relatives there, at least,
Coates recognized and introduced the
young girl as his wife.
1t was while in Dover that Coates
began trea ting his bride in a way that
led her to believe he intended to discard
her and she told him she intended to
have the marriage published. Coates
threatened, she says, to kill her If she did
this, and at one time pointed revolver
at her, saying he would shoot her any
how. Becoming frightened she notified
her parents and they Immediately had the
marriage published in the Seaf0rd paper.
Coates then left Dover and went home
to his parents and the next week in the
same paper published denial of the
marriage.
The young wife and her friends then
Immediately took steps to prove the
marriage, but here they were met with a
train of peculiar obstacles. The marri-
age occurred on Sunday, June IA, 10 the
evening, as the bride states, and it is
well known that on Monday, June Is,
the Rev. K. Ii. Jones was seized with
nervous prOstration, which for a time
unbalanced his mind. He was taken to
Philadelphia for treatment, and resigned
his charge. After partially recovering,
in few weeks, he was married to a
daughter of Presiding Elder Hill, to
whom he had been engaged. A few days
after, while on his wedding trip, he
became insane, and was taken to an
asylum at Clifton Springs, N. Y, where
he now is.
When the deserted and disowned al
legged wife of Coates tried to secure the
Rev. Mr.. Jones' evidence as to her
marriage, she found it impossible. She,
however, remembered that the minister
has made memorandum of it, and Rev
r. X. Stephenson who had taken the
pulpit of the unfortunate minister was
induced to make search among the
laJter's effects for any evidence he might
have kepto of performing the ceremony
In the presence of two witnesses, II. E.
Cannon. and I. Enos of Ssaford, the
Rev. Mr.. Stephenson broke open the
desk of the demented minister and here
found marriage license, since shown to
have been forged, and the following
memoranda.
June IA, 1891, J. Henry Coates, of
Bridgeville, aged 81, to Lila Farron, of
Bridgevile, aged IS.
1t is with this scrap OF paper and
several letters addressed to her by
Coates that the young wife will go into
court to fight for her good name and
social position. She doesn't want the
bus band, and after the marriage is
proven she says she will apply for a
divorce.