The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1897-06-02
Institution of Marriage Defied
by a Youthful Fanatic
At st. Joseph, Mo-, Who Gives
His Reasons
FOR OPPOSING RITES
And CeremOnials Now REQUIRED
by the Law.
Living With His Bride without
Law Or License.

St Joseph, No, June 2.-Equal Suffrage
is receiving a temporary boom here just
now, and if Charles Lavalette the 21-
year-old son of a wealthy Frenchnan,
can keep out of the penitentiary the in
stitution of marriage will have received
a body blow that may lead to social
revolution in the next century.
Young Lavalette believes that marriage
enslaves a woman, and deprives her of
the rights she would enjoy as a spinster.
He has put his theories on this delicate
question into practice by living with the
girl of his choice without first having
gone through the formalfty of a marriage
ceremony, and so firmly rooted are his
convictions that even confinement in Jail
has not forced him into the presence OF
priest or magistrate.
Lavalette six months ago won the love
of Emma Mohr, Il years old. and at the
time converted her to his way of think
ing, with the result that the two set up
an establishment of their own and went
to living together without any legal or
religious formality.
Society cut the couple dead, and Lava
lette pere was so scandalfzed he caused
his sons arrest on a charge of disorderly
conduct. The wife was arrested. too
Both were found guilty and fined. but
rather than recant and gain freedom by
means of a wedding both went to Jail
for week. Unmoved by imprisonment,
they returned to their home and resumed
their relations.
There is trouble ahead for them.
though, because a law goes into effect
June 1 which places the age of consent
al twenty-one years. Prosecuting Attor-
ney Norris says that if the two are liv-
ing together that date he will arrest
Lavalette and send him to the peniten-
tiary-a thing he will be abundantly able
to do if the two do not separate or mar
ry.
Both the young people deny that they
favors free love. They are only opposed to
the rite of marrying, because it is an
abridgement of the rights of woman
Il suppose will be called crank
said Lavalette today, "but I do not be-
lieve in marriage. It is true that the law
provides for the rights of the wife. but
is there any reason a man cannot make
the same provision as well as the law?
I did not marry simply because 1 did not
believe in it.
4 have no particular theory that would
take the place of marriage, but am op-
posed to the condition of life in which
nfne-tenths of the married women are to
be found today.
''They are little better than slaves, in
my opinion. I have noticed that all my
life, ever since a boy. I do not contend
that the world would be better if there
was no marriage, no law to govern peo-
pie. and things like that, 1 am not an
Anarchist by any means. I only believe
that the woman I live with would be in
far better condition if she is not bound to
me by process of law; then she can do as
she pleases and cannot wrong her in
the name of the law and her lawful
husband.
My ideas were not obtained from life
in Paris, as may be supposed. I know all
about the women of Paris who live on
the outer fringe of society. That is not
my idea of the social structure at all, but
1 contend that many of them live lives
that are to be preferred to those of half
the wives. I can see that my plan would
not do for universal one, but it would
in my case I never expected to attract
any attention, and I did not want any
notoriety."
Miss Mohr said she would do as her
lover directed and she trusts him fully
She has written to her parents in Arkan~
sas asking their consent to her marriage
Lavalette is still undecided, but it is be-
lieved that he viii finally yield to the en-
treaties of his parents and the threats OF
the law.