The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1894-12-18
THE BRIDE OF A CH|NAMAN
Miss Plummer of Nilkes-Barrc Neds
Jim Wah of the Same Place.
CEREMONY, PERFORMED HERE
That Made Them Man and Wife-Shc
Was Formerly Employed in
Wah's Laundry.

One of the dark chapters in the ebb
and flow of the tide of life was enacted
in Alderman Fit2simmons Office yester-
day afternoon at o'clock. A few min
utes before that hour four persons ar
into the private room. Two We're men
and two women. The former were Jim
Wah and Sing Lee, two Cinnamon, and
Minnie Plummer and Annie Murdock
were the women.
Alderman FitzsimmOns looked aghast
when the first named Mongolian pro-
duced a marriage license and intimated
that he wanted to be joined in wedlock
with Miss Plummer She lifted her veil
and asserted, and her face revealed
features once handsome, but strongly
marked with the undeniable lines of
dissipation.
They had just been up to the court
house and were granted license by
Clerk of the Courts John II. Thomas.
The Chinese groom gave his age as 40
and the bride-to-be admitted that she
was % years old Alderman Fitzsim-
mons questioned the girl closely about
the matter and when he was convinced
by her answers that it was a bona fide
agreement on her part to become the
Chinaman's bride, he instructed them
to get ready for the ceremony.
Wah caught the girl by the hand and
summoned her to stand before the al
derman and with a nod of his head he
urged his male friend to stand by his
side, The. girls companion took hec
proper place and Alderman Fitzsim-
mons pronounced the words that made
the contracting parties man and wife.
He Did Not Kiss Her.
Kiss the bride" said the alderman
to the perpleXed groom, but the newly
elected bride with look of disgust and
contempt mingled, warned the China
man to hold off. They left the office
and both Cinnamon turned toward
Spruce street and the women went
toward Lackawanna avenue. The
Cinnamon went their way and turned
toward the laundry under Ryan's drug
store at Penn avenue and Spruce street,
the women walked down Wyoming ave-
nue. to Lackawanna and up Penn to the
laundry which they entered a few min
utes later.
Wah told the story Of how he met the
girl and how She consented to be his
wife. He is in the laundry business in
| Wilkes Barre at 12O Market street. He
has been in this country for the past
| twenty-eight years, nineteen of which
he spent in Wilkes-Barre. He says that
ne is worth about $4,000, besides owning
the building where his shop is located
| He was married before he left China
but he left his wife in the old country
and she has been dead for the past
twenty years.
Has known Her Ten Years.
He became acquainted with the gir
who married him yesterday when she
was only II years of age Her story
from this out is that at the age of /.
her parents drove her out on the streets
to earn her living and she was EN-
ployed by Wah to wash clothes. Hel
treatment at home was so cruel tha'
often she had to seek shelter on Tho
street, and eventually she drifted to 6
life of shame. The Chinaman lost sigh
of her and one day about four years
afterward he located her in house O
i'll fame on Canal street, Wilkes Barre
He asked her to abandon that career
and live with him but she refused. II,
persisted and at length she agreed t
marry him. That was two years ago
When they were about to get married
she got sorry and left the town, goinl
to Bnghamton.
She made tour of New York statt
and a week ago returned to Wilkes
| Barre and again met Wah He re
newed his proposal and she again ac
cepted. She was poorly dressed and h,
furnished her with money to buy new
clothes. One of her companions il
shame, Miss Murdock, was told of he
intention and she argued with her tina
is was better to be even Chinaman'
bride than an outcast upon the world.
Gave Them Twenty Dollars.
After the ceremony Mrs Wah an,
her companion called the foolish ol
Chinaman one side, whispered in hi
ear few words, and he opened hi
pocketbook and gave them 500.
After going to the laundry and re
naming a few moments the girl
started out and visited several of tn
hotels in the central part of the cit,
to celebrate the marriage. Husban,
Wah and Sing Lee were allowed to re
main in the laundry while the youni
women imbibed cream de mint.
Wah is an exceptionally homely Mon
golian and his bride has evidentl
neither love nor respect for him.
| Wood and Rrnss EasalS