Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-08-08

Jewish Divorce Found To be Illegal
Results I'm Rcmarriagc.

From the New York Journal.
After two years of separation. during
which a plump and pretty Jewess became
the supposed lawful wife Of another man.
she was yesterday released from a charge
Of bgamy and returned to the arms of her
former husband
Esther and Benjamin Green were married
according to the Jewish religion thirteen
years ago. and lived happily together until
1879. benjamin was hard-worklng. in
dustrious, trustworthy man. and his wife
being of a kindly disposition, their life was
unmarried by storms and auarreIs The
man, however. fell sick and unable TO work
SO that Mrs. Green was compelled to go out
ana earn money to supply their home at No.
w cannon street she did this cheerfully
until the neighbors began TO complain that
her example was spelling all the other men
about the neie hborhood.
1t il SAID the spectacle of Benjamin Green
sitting peacefully in his home while his
wife earned his living by the sweat of her
brow denoral.zed his fellow men, and they
began to wish their wives to do likewise
Ihen the women went to Mrs. Green, say
ing: why do you work to support a man.
II Is not right. Why don't you get a d.
vorce?'
The Greens were passionately attached
10 each other. and when the woman repeat
ed these things to her husband they wept
together. But the love of the man was
strong and he felt that he must sacrifice
himself SO that his wife should be spared a
life OF labor SO he consented to a divorce
A divorce by Jewish rabbi, which Is the
only one recognized by the Jewish religion
but which. unfortunately-or, as it now
seems to the Greens. fortunately-.s not
recognized by the laws of the country
The ceremony of Jewish divorce is as
torishingly simple. The pair appeared be-
fore the rabbi and mutually confessed that
they could not agree. and wished to be
parted The rabbi then called in three wit
nesses, and, having prepared a ''gelt,"
which is a form setting out in Biblical He
brew these facts. on a small piece of paper
bearing the rubber stamp of the rabbi. he
babe the woman hold her hands together
extended before her face. Then he flung
tine "gelt' into them.
If she caught 1t it was kosher or
binding: but IL she dropped it 1t was
''triefe." or illegal, and the marriage must
stand.
Mrs. Green caught the "gelt." and sor-
rowfully husband and wife parted as they
thought, to meet no more.
Mrs. Green was comely woman, and
soon found many admirers; but for a whole
year she remained single. during which
time she became possessed OF some $,,VU
and much jewelry left her by a relative In
Russia.
These and other charms attracted the at
tention Of Raphael Eisenberger, and, after
q brief courtship Esther became his wife;
that is she married him according TO the
laws Of this country.
1t was then that Green began to get
we'll. and although he no longer suffered
bodily sickness. the pangs Of jealousy
sprang up in mis- bosom. The couple met
repeatedly and exchanged words of indy
ing love. although she thought she was
another mans wife and their loving was
Sin.
Worst of all, her new husband had soon
run through her little fortune, and, having
sold her trinkets, had disappeared
Then Green was told that his divorce
was not good, and that his wife had prac-
ttcally been guilty Of bigamy. To test
this he had her Indicted on June Is last,
and for four weeks the twice-marrIed wo-
man lay in the tombs.
She was ara igned before Justice Cow
ing in general sessions yesterday. and
LAWYERS GreenthaI & Greenthal of No. 81
Chambers street appeared for her. Their
plea was that she had only erred In believ-
ing her Jewish divorce to be binding The
husband pleaded for the wife he loved.
The result was that the heart Of the Judge
was touched and the woman released. Mr..
and Mrs. Green went home together to
start their second honeymoon.