Evening star., 1896-02-21
c L A M S HIS WIFE E
Private Bowles Answers His Father-in-
Law.
Mrs. Anderson Apprsves the Marriage
The Little HrtsIe Followed Her
Parenaa't example.

Joseph T. Bowles. one of Uncle Sans
soldiers, stationed at the Washington ar
senal, and whose marriage to Maggie An
derson the girls father, Joseph r. Ander-
son, prays be annnled today filed his an
swer through Attorney Campbell Caring
ton. The father claimed that the girl but
| reached the age Of fourteen years last No
vember, and that Bowles imposed upoh her
youth by taking her over to Baltimore the
23d of last month and there marrying her.
| In order to marry the child, her fs ther
charged that Bowles represented her age to
! be eighteen years to the officiating minis
ter, and. to further carry out the deception.
Mr.. Anderson alleged that his child was
dressed in q long dress. whereas her ord
mary dress reaches Just below her Enees.
He therefore prayed the court to nnnul the
marriage. and also prayed the court to re-
strain Bowles from in any way visiting or
interfering with the youthful bride. Judge
Hagner. made the girl ward Of the court
and temporarily restrained her husband, as
her father prayed be done.
His Explanation.
Bowles says he Is private in battery NJ,
| fourth United States artillery. and that his
/ term CT service will expire the 21st Of next
I month. He denies that he practiced any
| artifice, deception or fraud upon the girl,
Save that of telling her of his true love
| for her and his wish to make her his wife,
| He is twenty-five years Of age. he explains,
| of good family, his parents residing near
| Atlanta, Ga, being persons Of means. They
| will, he says. be pleased to receive both him
| and his wife when no longer soldier in
| Uncle SanueTs army is he. His love for his
| wife, declares Private Bowles, is equalcd
| only by her love for him, and he disposes of
! popular impression by asserting that his
, mothcr-n-law highly regards him. and is
| extremely anxious. that he and Maggie shall
| live together as>Elsnand and wife. Indeed,
| Private Bowles says that not only Is he
! and always has been an honest, industrious
| young man, but also says that there can be
but one objection to, him, and that is that
| ne wears the uniform of a soldier in the
United States army. which. he declares, is
| a matter Of pride to him, and should be to
| his wife and her family.
That--as has always been a good. true
| soldier. Mr. Bowles shows by annexins a
7 letter from the captain OF HIS battery. In
| which he Is given an unquestonably good
character and commended to all with whom
| he may he brought in contact
The mother of his wife. says Bowles. not
| OILY desires that they shall live together,
| but, he s.ates. his wife has daily Emporium
| ed her father not toseparate two fond, low
| ing beings, the alleged cruel parent excus-
! ing himself by explaining that his daugh-
| ter is under the control of the court. he
being, .tAeIefore, -poWerless to effect the re-
union.
The Mother Approves.
| Accompanying Private Bowles answer,
which he concludes by asking the court
to give him back his wife, is the affidavit
of his mother-in-law, Mary F.. Anderson.
Unlike the traditional wife's maternal
parent. Mrs. Anderson speaks in no un-
certain terms volumes in praise of her
son-in-law, who. she declares, is a manly
young man, of a most excellent, reputa-
tion for industry, honesty, morality and
honor. He has treated his wife, she says
with the greatest, consideration and affec-
tion.
Mrs. Bowies declares too, that she has
the interest, of her daughter more at heart
than has any other human being, ana that
! It is her wish that the young couple shall
live together husband and wife imme-
diately upon the young mans discharge
from the army. The girls mother plays
trump card, however, when she explains
| that she was but fourteen years of age
when she married Maggies father, a mar
| riage which she has never regretted
/ Therefore. she does not propose to find
d, fark with her daughter for following
| rnasnnA's exan1p1e, especially as Mr.. An
derson did moi. ask the consent Of her (A1rs.
| Anderson's) pal ents. to their marriage So.
| declaring that the girls parents should
, not condemn or seek to interfere with the
| young people after having set them the
| example. Mrs. Bowles also prays the court
to say, Bless you, my children, may you
| ever be happy