The morning call., 1893-05-19
RIGHT TO MARRY.
Old Mrs. Sandel Resents
interference.
DAUGHTERS SHAMED HER.
Damage Suit Brought by the Young
Barber'S Aged Wife Against
Her Two Daughters.


fore Judge Coffey for the purpose of
having guardian appointed to look after
her affairs. they did not seem possessed of
sufficient prescience to calculate the result.
For If they had fully gagged the fight
ing capacities latent in the ancient mater
nal bosom, the probabilities are that they
would have thought twice before they
brought the proceedings.
In December, 1890, Mrs. Catherine
Burnheimer, the mother Of the two lady
defendants, married one John. Sandel, a
barber OF some % summers. his blushing
bride had attained the somewhat mature
age of 70.
Mrs. SandePs two daughters, by name
Mrs. Sherman and Mrs. Broder. were
highly indignant. They did not think
that this gay tonsoral artist had any bus-
ness to win the affections of woman old
enough to be his grandam, and they were
likewise mortified to death to think that
their mother could do anything half so
foolish as to risk the perils Of matrlmony
at her time of life.
Those were their reasons for being or
posed to the marriage of the ili-assorted
lovers. The fact that their mother had
between $4,000 and 100000 worth of
property which she might deed over to her
young hubby had othing al all to do with
their opposition to the match That's
what they say now.
Judge Coffey discharged Mrs. Sandel
with the remark that she was sane as him
self, and the old lady departed.
But she neither forgot nor forgave. One
fine day she brought suit for malicious
prosecution, in having her hauled up be-
fore the Probate Court. Her two daugh-
ters and their husbands are named as
defendants, and their mother wants $4,000
damages.
menced before Judge Hunt and jury.
Mrs. Sandel was the first witness. She
narrated the circumstances of her court
ship by the amorous barber, and told how
her daughters used to say, "Oh shame.
mamma" until she got tired of it and told
them to mind their own business.
Her husband, John, was not one of those
gay Lotharios who marry old women
solely for their worldly wealth, which they
subsequently, lavish on younger and more
impoverished ladies. On the contrary,
Mrs. Sandel stated that John was true as
steel. gentle as child, considerate and
tender as mother, and model little hus-
band in every respect
HE never stayed out OF the house late
at night, and never had to give him cur
tain lectures. | married him because he
was good to me when l was sick, and |
knew he would take good care Of me-"
Mrs. Sandel said she had been married
to her first husband about forty-eight
years.
Then the old lady told how her daugh-
ters were always both ring her ABOUT her
property, because they were afraid she
would turn it over to her husband. She
said that Sandel had never asked her for
single bit of her property, although she
had given him lot soon after she married
him.
why did you give him the property?"
asked her attorney, George E. Lawrence.
well, l thought he had earned 1t by
marrying an old lady like me-"
The circumstances under which her
daughters had been brought before Judge
Coffey were next testified to-
u thought that was pretty cheeky"
said the spunky old lady. "My own
daughters accused their old mother of be-
ing insane in her mind and not knowing
what she was doing, and made me come
into court and have all that trouble, when
l was sick, too; and all to have me placed
in crazy lunatic asylum bee use L got
married. Hasn't woman a right to get
married, l should like 10 know?"
Mr.. SaDdel testified after his spouse had
been tenderly assisted from the witness
stand.
He said the daughters had made things
awfully unpleasant for him. They had a
habit of calling him names and saying,
"Shame on you," and when the nuptial
knot had been securely tied they had sar-
castically asked him if he intended TO
make the best of bad bargain.
81 "And what did you repIy?"
81 said 'Oh, certaluly,'" answered the
barber, ndifferentIy.
On cross-examination he admitted that
he had asked the daughters to be kind
enough to stay away from their mother as
much as possible, but he excused himself
by saying that the girls used to bother the
poor old LADY to death. and she had asked
him to keep them away.
$50 | told them," continued SaDdel
that they had best make themselves
scarce, as we did not care for their society,""
why did you say 'we'?''
why, l always underst ood that hus-
band and wife were one" replied Sande,
striking romantic attitude.
Judge Coffey testified that when the
matter of the incompetency of Mrs. Sandel
was before him the daughters had shown a
anxious to have their mother declared in
competent.
Mrs Sherman. the elder daughter, who
is gray-headed herself, began her testi-
mony just before court adjourned. When
she said her mother was 70 years of age.
the old lady shouted out that 1t wasn't SC.
She could patiently bear all the calum-
nies her offspring might heap upon her.
but that they should undertake to tell her
how old she was. really patience ceased
longer to be q yirtue-especially as the
daughters estimate was three years more
than her own.
The daughters will put in their side of
the case to-day.