The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-05-01
TRUTH As STRANGE As FICTION.
4 Romance That Came 20 Light in q
Dry Law Court.


A counterpart of the curious entangle-
ment which forms the plot Of Mr.. Thomas
Hardys novel. THE Hand of Ethelberta.' .
was lately disclosed in England during the
trial of a case in the probate division of
the high court Of justice
1t appears that not long ago a Mr. Theo
bald. a member of parliament for Essex
and a great county magnate. lost his life
through railway accident. The very
large fortune which he left had been I'm
some small part derived from a sum of
S500O00 which he had inherited from his
wife, who had died intestate. Mr. Theo-
hald's property was in process of ad-
ministration In due course, when some la
boring people claimed the S200.OO which
had once belonged 10 Mrs. Theobalds sep
arate estate, on the ground that they were
her next of kin, and that she was not the
lawful wife OF her puattVe husband. They
alleged that Mrs Theobald. who was a
lady Of education and had been known as
rider to hounds and a leader in county
society, was in reality Of peasant origin,
and, in fact, the sister of one of the petit
TONERS. Isaac Durham. bricklayer.
They asserted further that. In 1860 when
very young and while living with her fam
lily in the workhouse, she had married
peasant, called Harry Agar, popularity
known by the name of Ginger With
after which they parted ana faded out or
each others lives. But he was alive, 50
the claimants maintained. at the date OF
her marriage to Mr.. Theobald.
Isaac Durham, the briCNayer. testified
that when next he heard from his sister
she was in course Of transformation into
a fine lady. She had met. she told him,
"A great gentleman, q Mr.. Theobald who
was having her educated and intended 10
make her his wife. This nineteenth cen
fury version Of King Cophetua's elevation
of the beggar maid was actually enacted.
The two were married in a more or less
clandestine way in an obscure village in
MiddleseX and thereupOn the workhouse
girl took her place at the head of one of
the finest houses in Essex. Those who be
lieve that blood will always tell and that
nothing can compensate for the lack of
early training, win take IL for granted that
Mrs. ThcobaldS low origin, and the sad
and sordid surroundings amid which she
had grown up, were speedily OWNED by
the local Mrs Grundy, and that she was
RELOCATED TO the most lonesome quarter
of Coventry. As a matter OF fact such
admirable use had she made of her late
Acquired educational. advantages, that
not a soul suspected that she was not to
the manner born. The facts, indeed. were
known 10 her kinfolk but not one Of them
betrayed her. Her peasant father and
mother became servants in her establish
ment, and as the evidence gwen IN court
showed they never presumed on the rela-
tiOnShip. while she on her side treated
them with the utmost kindness, and when
only her husband was present always ad-
dressed them as father and mother To
her more distant relatives. also. she was
very helpful. and always had a ten-pound
note in her pocket when any of them We're
in need. The private income. by means
of which she gratihed such generous i'm
pulses, was due to the liberalty of her
husband, who at the time of their mar
riage had settled upon her as her separate
estate, the 100000 which is now claimed
by her next of kin.
So far the story was practically uncon-
troverted what was disputed was Isaac
Dunham's allegation that his sister had
another husband living when she mar
ried Mr.. Theobald. 1t was contended, and
successfully that she had never been the
wife of the man named Ginger who
had survived until 1871. Ginger il was
proved, had married another woman, and
could only sign his name with his mark.
ON the other hand, the Henry Agar
whom Dunham's sister had married from
the WorkhOuse in 1860, had signed the
register. and had never been seen alive
after 1867 whereas his deserted wife 5
second marriage did not take place until
1867. The jury found that Henry Agar
was not shown to have been alive at the
time of the marriage with Mr.. Theobald,
and accordingly Sir Francis Jeune gave
Judgment against the claimants. 1t was
arranged however. that they should not
have to pay the costs of the suit mas
much as they were unquestionably Mrs.
Theobald's next of kin, and had brought
the action in good faith,
No one who reflects for moment on
the outlines of this true story will fail
| ia recognize the romance that palpitates
beneath the surface of the dry law re-
port.