St. Paul daily globe., 1896-04-05

In February, 1895, Grace, the daughter of
Mr.. and Mrs. NJ. A. Wurts, living at $50
Walker avenue, was one of the most popular
and esteemed members of the younger social
set of Hamline. girl Of only seventeen,
and still in school, she was thrown in contact
with older friends who, while they exercised
upon her no positive influence for evil were
responsible for the fact that there arose in her
mind ideas which might be better omitted from
the mental makeup of girl still in her teens.
Through the Intervention OF one of these
fIierds she met on Feb. l, 1895, Irving II.
Dennis, Northwestern representative of the
SIrague Collection agency, who had offices in
the Guaranty Loan building, Minneapolis.
Dennis a man of thirty-five and pos
sessed In experience all that the girl lacked.
There is nothing to show, and no reason to
suppose, that Dennis had any idea of taking
advantage of Miss Wurt's lack of worldly
knowledge He permitted the acquaintance
to rapidly ripen into friendship, and then into
love, knowing that the whole matter was be-
ing concealed from the parents of Miss
Wurts. Through the efforts of Dennis and
the influence of the friends who had precip-
itated the acquaintance, secret marriage was
finally agreed upon. Miss Wurts, it is alleg-
ed, consented reluctantly, and on Feb. II,
1895, eleven days after she had met the man,
she and Dennis were married quietly by Rev.
Mr.. Snodgrass at New Richmond, Wis.
Even after the romantic termination of the
story across the state line, the affair was still
kept secret. No hint of the step taken
came to Mr.: and Mrs. Wurtz and even by
the friends of Miss Wurts at Hamlne it was
not suspected.
Returning from New Richmond Mr.. and
Mrs. Dennis arrived at Minneapolis the same
day the ceremony was performed. Going to
the boarding house on Eighth street, between
Hennepin and Nicollet avenues where Mr..
Dennis had lived, the groom and his young
wife took up the responsibilities of married
life. But before they had reached the board
ing house Miss Wurtz realized that she had
made mistake. Before the new partnership
was we'll inaugurated it was bankrupt in
all those things which make marriage sue
cessful.
Just what led up to a break is not appar-
ent but as a matter of fact on the day sue
ceeding the marriage Miss Wurts returned
to her parents, and the marriage relation was
never resumed. Dennis continued the same
business bachelor, so far as his Minneapolis
acquaintances knew, and Miss Wurts resumed
her home life with her parents. Shortly after
his business in its regular course took him
away from Minneapolis, and he went, leav-
ing the breach between himself and Miss
Wurts unhealed The first chapter of the
story terminated abruptly here and 1t ended
in disaster.
Miss Wurts frightened by this time at the
serious turn affairs had taken, decided to
take her parents into her confidence, and for
the first time the whole story came to them.
With the regret and indignation which fol-
lowed the revelation, there came the neces-
sity of some steps to release Miss Wurts
from the predicament into which inexpe-
rience and poor advice had led her. The par
ents determined to take steps to annul the
marriage which had been contracted and al
leging the immature age of their daughter
proceedings to that end through Attorney o.
IT, Comfort were begun on March l. 1895, in
the Ramsey county, district court. Every
precaution was taken to keep the matter from
becoming unduly public, and successful
that nothing was heard of the proceeding
although the case in due course was set for
hearing at the May term of court.
Owing to the absence of witnesses the case
was postponed until last February, when
Judge Otis dismissed the complaint on motion
of the plaintiffs attorney on account OF lack
of proper and sufficient evidence.
In that complaint, which was never filed
until the case came to trial, the plaintiff al
legged that she had been misled by the fraud
ulent representations Of the defendant; that
he falsely represented that he loved her and
desired to make her his lawful wife; that
notwithstanding the fact that he knew she
was under age and could not be legally mar
ried without the consent of her parents he
had represented TO her that the marriage
would be legal by having 1t performed in
Wisconsin, ana they would keep 1t secret
until she became eighteen years OF age,
few months later. 1t further charged
that the defendant was acting in bad faith
In making these representations: that he
never intended to make her his wife, and
was simply imposing or her innocence
Within a short time after the dismissal of
The first complaint, action was begun for
absolute divorce on the ground of desertior.
Miss Wurtz Is living at the present time
Rith-her parents, who have moved from Ham
line to 1S6 Arch street. The daughter is q
pretty little woman Of the brunette type.
With modest unassurning manners and quiet
lgnity.