The Roanoke times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1897-1977, 1897-08-24
THE COUPLE SET RIGHT.
Marriage Certificate Forthcoming
and All Parties Happy.

lowing concerning the marriage Of Ed
ward d. Wills, of Lynchburg to Miss
Bessie Kinnier, of this city.
"a young Virginia couple, who were
married in this city last week, are max
ing anxious inquiries for the name and
address of the Washington minister that
OBLIGATED at the ceremony when they be-
came as one. They are in somewhat of q
predicament. 7 hey are legally united in
the holy bonds of wedlock by a regularly
ordained minister, and in the presence
OF witnesses, get they have no certificate
to substantiate their statement to thai
effect.
"They came to Washington last week,
the young lady being Miss Bessie J. Kin
nier, of Roanoke, Va, while the groom is
a prosperous young man from Lynch
burg, by the name of Edwin D. Wills. 1t
seems that some objections were made to
their union by the parents of the bride
because of her age, she being but 10, and
1T was more convenient to have the we'd
ding take place in this city.
Upon arriving here, they went to the
City Hall and procured q license. The
minister mari led them aud received his
fee, when they went away happily uni
ted, and satisfied that the opposition to
their marriage would no longer be of
effect. They did not carry certificate
way with them, as the minister said he
would make 1t out and mail it to Mr..
kinnier at Roanoke. Relying upon that.
they felt secure and intended returning
home after brief honeymoon had been
passed at the Capital City
"The father of the girl, it seems, upon
reading IN his home paper that his
daughter had married Mr.. Wills, wrote
and asked for u certificate. Thus they
hut ha hn6 mn ix-u1th o
the minister had promised to send. Then
their troubles commenced. They were
strangers in the city, and the witnesses
to their marriage were total strangers to
them. They neglected to take the preach
er's name and address, likewise the adj
dress of their witnesses, an6 did not
know which way to turn to procure the
certificate, when It occurred to them to
go to the clerks Office, ut the City Hall,
and obtain certified copy of the preach
er's return upon their license, but the
records revealed that no return had been
made. s33i''t
Zone of the clerks suggested that the
minister had ten days in which to make
his. return, so they patiently waited for
hinw to make the return as required ny
the law.
1.-The wedding having taken place on
the 10th of the mouth, Friday. was the
last day for the return to be made, and
when the young couple walked into the
clerk s office, rs they had done for several
days past, they fully expected to obtain
the much wanted certificate, but they
were again doomed to disappointment.
When informed by the clerk that the
minister had still failed and upon the
last dey their feelings may be readily
imagined. They knew not which way to
turn.
"Others about the City Hall, who be-
came acquainted with their story, offered
various suggestions, but the only feast BILE
plan seemed to be to call Mt every parson
ago in the vicinity of the City Hall in an
endeavor to get track of the minister per
forming the ceremony. The penalty for
failing to make return upon Il marriage
ceremony is $50. The couple are residing
ut FOG +. street northwest.
The true facts in tie cnse are some
what distorted in the above article and it
does not quite do the family of Miss Kin
nier justice.
1t seems that the young lady went on
visit to Norfolk with Mrs. Washington,
of'this city, and was expected to spend
several months there with friend on
Frecmason street On her return she
stopped in Lynchburg, her former home,
she would remain there few days
The next information received from his
daughter was message stating that she
had married Edwin ID. Wills, IL young
Lynch5urger, whom she had known for
years. 1T seems that the young lady was
of the opinion that her parents wor Id he
opposed to The marriage. The following
day he received from Rev Frederick
Sitter, of 1929 Ninth street, Washing ton,
ID. c., who Off ciated at the Wedding, the
marriage certificate, which bore the date
of August 10th, the time of their arrival
in Washington. The certificate was re-
ceived by Mr.. Kinnier on the day follow.
ing the marriage and on the 18th he left
for Washington to hunt his daughter up
and assure the young people of his for.
glveness and Willingness and that they
should return home and he would do all
he could to assist them through life.
Not knowing their address Mr. Kinnier
could not find them, but taking the mar
riage certificate he hunted up the Rev.
Mr. Stier and received his account of the
affair. He found that the marriage cor
responded exactly with the marriage GER
tificate. The minister could not give him
the address of the young people and they
had forgotten to do so. The young people
were lingering in Washington with the
hope of obtaining the proof of their mar
riage,not knowing that it was in the pos
session of the BRIDES father. 1t seems
that they went to the residence of Rev.
j. w. Duffy, former Roanoker, but be
was out of the city. Mrs. Duffy then re.
ferred the young people to Rev. Mr.. Stier
and the ceremony was performed in the
presence of Mrs. Duffy and Two CIR three
other witnesses
The reports as published by the Wash
ihgton and Baltimore papers and largely
copied by various Virginia papers do the
young people great injustice, owing to
the general distortion of facts The
young people were legally married and