The Washington times., 1895-05-21

John II. Newton and Sarah Vincent.
Monroe Vaughan and SaIIe Sellers.
Through the agency of The Times thirty
six persons who have been living together
III violation OF law Were yesterday married
10y Rev. j. w. Norris, The Times preacher
This makes a total of seYenty-six persons
married at the expense of this newspaper
since last Friday.
Promptly at B O'Clock yesterday after
noon, the hour set for the commencement of
the ceremonies, Rev Norris was on hand
and the couples soon TO be made man and
wife came trooping into the building They
were ushered into the thirdstory front room,
which has been set aside as the marriage
chamber The eXpectant applicants for
marital bonds Were then summoned be-
fore the minister's table aud required to
answer the questions prescribed by the laws
OF the District
Their answers To Rev Norris inter
rogations were entered upon the blanks fur
nished by Health officerWoodw ard and then
an engraved certificate of marriage for each
couple was prepared.
The first couple called before the min
lister were William Millard and Catherine
Carter, the former Icing fifty years of age.
They had lived together many years and
raised a number OF children as a result of
the unlawful union
The next in liue was william Davis, n
poor blind man, and a familiar figure on
the streets of Washington, with the wo-
man he was going to wed, Caroline
Miller, who appeared TO be deeply in love
with her sightless consort. Oliver West
and Mamie Thompson, John Jones and
Della Merryman, young people, were
added 10 the group and the four couples
were then married at one time.
A number of spectators who had been
attracted by the novel proceeding stood
about the room and interestedly watched
the wholesale marriage.
Next in order was a double wedding,
the contracting parties being Arthur
Williams and Josephine Jackson, George
Thomas and Lula Loving. The men wore
neat store clothes, while their brides were
resplendeHt in wedding gowns. Josephine
jackson wore q red brown costume,
trimmed with bright canary yellow, while
Lula Loving was attired in baby pink.
or the eighteen couples married yester-
day. only one were white persons. Their
names are VIM. Atwell and Ellen f. Butler,
and their residence is at No 1927 NJ street
northwest They were united at their
home by The Times preacher, Miss Butler
being sick and unable TO come To the office.
Three other couples, who have children
only a few hours old, We're married at
home In one instance, Rev. j. W Nor
dllt-l NOabic, but W iiC anu
mother being confined to her bed, chris
tened the little baby in the name of its
father
LIVED TOGETHER MANY YEARS.
An of the thirt y-siX men and women
united in wedlock yesterday had been liv-
ing together for periods varying from three
months TO twenty years. One old man
who had spent sixteen years in the same
house with the woman he married yester
day. the couple having brought up several
children. was asked why he had not been
married to her before His reply was 10
the effect that he h ad not thought in neces-
sary.
- am not 2 church member he added,
land there was 10 law agin living together
until the police sprung this Edmunds act
on us Therefore, what was the necessity
of spending several dollars to get married.
Roger Jackson, a wiinl1ed, bowed, and
white-topped old colored man, and Sarah
williams. his venerable companion, who
live at No. 437 o street alley, came TO The
Times office last night TO make application
for free marriage. Jackson is si1ty-eight
years OF age and has lived with the woman
in an unmarried state since the war and
raised children, who are now grown. 1t is
approximated thatthey hadlived asmanand
wife for thirty-three years.
Its neber to late TO mend" ;" said the old
man, IAN Ise goin' to die married, any
how"
PosTP PoNED HER WEDDING
Elizabeth Harris. a comely young colored
woman, who lives at No Union court,
came to make arrangements for her mar
rage to Henry Hill on Thursday She ex-
plained that she was wearing deep black
mourning costume in memory of hermotber
pire, she said, and then she can don gay
wedding gown in which TO marry her
Henry. with whom she has been living for
the past four years.
A majority OF the coIored couples were
loud in their praises of The Times for not
only throwing out a life line TO save them
fom prison, but for making it possible
for them 10 forsake their mode of living
and take finn step toward good citizen
ship. The existing immortality in fair
Washington, especially in the crowded
alleys and courts. which has been brought
to light by The Times free marriages, is
indeed startling revelation.
Monroe Vaughan, the last man married
yesterday, is an intelligent colored man
from Boston His bride, sallle Sellers,
is also from the Hub. Vaughan was profuse
in his thanks for he opportunity to get
married and DO right AT the conclusion
of his wedding be handed to a reporter
a slip OF paper on which he had written:
''Dear Editor: ] must return my heart
felt thanks to you for yopr kindness for
the opportunity you have given poor colored
people TO fOrsake their evil lives by getting
married.
Rev. p G. jenkins, a colored Protestant
Episcopal minister. who resides at No.
2l1 First street southeast, has written to
The Times volunteering to assist to reclaim
men and women from lives of sin by
marrying free any couple eofthe coloredrace.
Last night applications for free marriage
were received from fifteen additional
couples. They VIII be Joined in wedlock
between the hours of 3 and 8 d. m,
in The Times building.
Children Reported Missing.