The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1894-03-04
PROOFS OF MARRIAGE
CarelesSness of Ministers and Mag
istrates i'm This County.
Number of Cases Where Proper Certifi-
Gates Are Not Returned to the
County Clerk.

Printed on the upper margin of every
marriage license issued by the clerk of
Marion county is the following warning:
Whoever, having solemnized a marriage,
fails to return a certificate thereof, with
the license thereof, within the time pre-
scribed by law, shall be fined not more
than 800, nor less than s.. (Acts 1881, Sec
ton 2149.)
An examination of the marriage records
of the probate department shows that this
section OF Indiana law has been grossly
neglected during the last year.. This neg
lect is due to the carelessness or indispo-
sition of the persons performing the mar
riage ceremony to make the proper return
to the Office from whence the certificates
were issued. When marriage license Is
issued to the couple it is supposed that
they are married, but unless the record Is
completed by the justice of the peace or
minister who tied the nuptial knot 1t is
very difficult to prove the fact Complica-
tons OF an embarrassing and oftentimes
serious nature are likely to arise at any
time, because the proper return has not
been made to the clerk by the officiating
clergyman.
The probate clerk Of Marion county states
that OF the marriage licenses issued last year
large per cent. of the return blanks are
yet out, but with no probability OF the re-
turn ever being made. The clerk is put to
a world of annoyance by the derelction of
those who are called upon to officiate at
wedding. There are numerous instances
where the clerk Is called upon to testify
to the marriage OF couple. He looks up
the record and finds that the proper return
has not been made. OF course he is I'M
ever occurred The certificate of marriage
should remain attached TO the license
proper. In many cases 1t is detached and
a ha N he
minister or Justice of the peace who filled
1t out The certificate should not be de-
sary to establish the Identity of an heir by
consulting the marriage record. The license
which TO 6ne parents ar fou9 OF the f
enough, but Il the y certificate has never newer
been returned there is no proof of mar
frequently call on the clerk to secure proof
of marriage IN order that they may put IN
stances they dH are dsaPPeined for ther r has
been no return made. Cases are on record
Se teg nerS Sv h scb Deeh cut OH tom
For some months Probate Clerk Daniels
has been endeavoring to locate Andrew
| a marriage license on July y, 1890 A year
ago the license was returned without hav-
ing been filled out. and if the ceremony
was ever performed the name of the clergy
| man who tied the knot is unknown at the
clerks office Last week the records of the
II
prising. The record of persons to whom
licenses have been issued and which have
| not been returned from March to Deem
| Der. 1893. is follows:
John r. Averett and Hattie Higgins,
| June %; Richard A. Johnson and Jennie
| Arthur. June IS; Ridgley Brown Hileary
| and Mary Alice Claypool, April 26; Isaac
| Sampson and Leona x Johnson, May "a;
| Bud Day and Carrie Howard. May %; Til
| ford =. Hervey and Mary Z. Moss, May q:
William G. Higgins and Ada NJ. Griffin,
| June s; William Jasper and Hettie Cephias.
| Young, June IA; Louis Young and Mamie
Durrett June Is; James Y. Scott and Famia
| Johnson, June 20; oliver G. Dean and SUI
| san ~ Sheplar, June u; Thomas Cooper
| and Irene Summit. June %; Braid Rice
| and Mary Grim, July Is; Edward Roberts
| and Emma Taylor. Aug. 3; William Glib
| son and Salle Richardson, Aug. g; Charles
| Il. Griffin and Genevieve Meredith, Aug. 10
| Harry ID. Braughton and Alice William
| son, Aug 30; William ID. Griswold and
| Daisy NJ. Anderson, Sept. Z; William Doug
| E. Hamilton and Julia Mann, Sept. -; John
| r. Connovan and Hattie Clark. Sept %
| oliver w. Isensee and Ora y. Yountz. Oct
| IL; benjamin f. Smith and Martha E
| Strude. Oct. 81; Harvey w. Pruett and
| Maggie Whitcomb Oct. %; William l.
| Brown and Laura j. Beck, Nov. 1; Charles
| W. Harrison and Lorena Carter, Nov.
| Isaac White and Belle Lanham, Nov. 6
/ Richard Erwin and MaliSsa Howard, Nov
| g. Fred II. Mallory and Ruby &. Whitmore
| Nov. S; John Breeding and Laura Clark
| Nov. 9; Henry b. Jamison and Bannie A
| Rhoads, Nov. IL; Charles Savage and Pear
| Margason. Nov. is; Earnest Miller and Lulu
| WILDER Elva A. Smock and Louisa Christy
| Nov. %