The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1897-11-08
Ter HUSBANDS PRIZE
Chancellor McGi1l Will Not
Send Clara Mayer Back
to Her Father.
ABDUCTION AND CONVERSION
Pretty Hebrew Girls Tears and
Smiles Determined the Result
of a Habsas Corpus
Proceedings.
ABDUCTION AND CONVERSION

"A regal HSHI is IN progress IN CHdHceiy
for the custody sof Clara Mayer, who
eloped on October II from Phoenixville.
Pa, with John Damanovitz, who is en-
ployed in sugar house at Constable
Hook, and lives in Bayonne. In the case
a father is pitted against husband. 1t
viii probably take weeks and perhaps
months to decide the case. The proceed
ings today were to determine who shall
have the custody of the girl while the
trial is pending.
The proceedings this morning We're ex-
| citing until Chancellor McGin interposed.
Jacob Mayer, father of the girl, seemed
bent on personal encounter with Dam
anovitz, the husband, and Clara was
equally ready for a fight with her mother.
According to eye-witnesses, a pitched bat
tie occurred between the parties interest
ed in the corridor of the First National
Bank building, outside of Chancery Cham
bers before court opened. The principals
and witnesses arrived at $50 o'clock and
waited in the corridor for the opening of
the court room doors by Sergeant alarms
IIaggerty. Damanoyitz and his girl wife
paced the corridor while Mr. and Mrs.
Mayer and their counsel Isaac Golden
horn, and William H. Speer. Jr., stood
nearby. Mr.. Mayer could not resist the
temptation to pick quarrel with Dam
anovitz. He upbraided him in choice Zid-
dish for stealing his daughter, and the
two were plunged into a heated war of
words. While this was at its height Mrs.
Mayer threw her arms about her daugh-
ter's neck and drew her close to her bo-
som. The girl, it is said, resented this
Of off bC1J Of Ioa,
mothers hair pulled it until the old lady
screamed with pain. A general mix-up
followed, in which Mrs. Mayer fell or was
thrown to the floor, where she had fit
of Mysteries. The elevator boy was called
and separated the combatants. Mrs May
er continued hysterical, and her husband
and friends could do nothing with her.
When Chancellor McGill arrived the
court room was crowded there being
many persons present who were curious
to hear the details of the sensational ab-
duction" case. The witnesses alone filled
two benches. Chancellor McGill when he
heard OF the excitaible disposition of the
mother, and learned Of the notoriety the
case had achieved, decided tohold the esx
animation in his law library in the build
ing of the Provident Institution for Saw
ings on Washington street. He ordered
that 10 person save The girl IN dispute,
her father aud alleged husband and the
counsel in the case be admitted to the
hearing. Allan Benny of Bayonne repre-
sented DamanoVitz and the girl, who
seemed anxious to remain with the man
She had married.
The examination developed the fact that
on October II last, Damanovitz took Clara
Mayer from her home in Phoenixville, Pa,
to New York where she was married to
him by an Alderman under the assumed
name of Clara Tyroler. Clara made an
affidavit before the marriage that she
was E years old After the ceremony Mr..
and Mrs. Damanoyitz went to live in
Rayonne, where the husband.is is employed.
He is a member of the Greek Catholic
Church Of that city. Clara's parents are
orthodox Jews. Jacob Mayer traced his
daughter to Bayonne and had Damanovitz
arrested for abducting her. He was ar
raigned before Recorder Lazarus and was
held in $1,000 bail for trial. He found a
bondsman and returned to his wife At
ter the examination it was announced that
Clara would renounce Judaism and accept
have been received yesterday into the
Greek Church. Mayer learned of this,
and employed Lawyer Goldenhern to pre-
vent the ceremony. Goldenhorn appeared
before Chancellor McCdn and secured a
writ of habeas corpus directing Daman-
ovitz to produce the girl in Chancery
Chambers this morning.
At the hearing the father testified that
Clara is but fourteen years and seven
months old. The girl herself swore that
her father had at various times called
her seventeen, fifteen ana eighteen years years
old, and that she was not positive what
her age is. She admitted having sworn
that she was eighteen. She is a we'll
developed girl, and might easily be the
age she assumed on being married In
face only is she at all a child. The law
yers had a long wrangle over the New
York law on the subject Of infant mar
riages. and then the Chancellor held d
private consultation with the young lady
excluding every one else from the room
This was for the purpose Of determining
her wishes in the matter. When the con-
sultation was at an end the Chancellor
sent for copy Of the New York Statutes.
The immediate question he was called up
on to determine was whether the father
should be given the custody of the girl,
but Lawyer Speer asked him to go fur
ther and determine the legality of the
marriage.
Argument in the case was continued be-
fore Chancellor McGill at 2.30 clock, and
continued for half an hour The Chan
couple. When Lawyer Speer argued THAI
coercion had been used to keep the girl
from her father Chancellor McGill said.
1T does not seen to me that there is
any coercion. When she was alone and
it was suggested that she be returned to
her father it caused her to shed tears.
On the contrary, when i spoke of permit
ting her to remain with her husband she
was all smiles
Lawyer Goidenhorn advanced the argu-
ment respecting the religion of the girl,
dwelling at length upon the terrible stain
it would forever be upon her character
if she embraced any other than The He
brew religion.
t'That is strange. said Lawyer Benny.
when the only religious training she ever
received was in a German Lutheran Sum
day school to which her father sent her.
Chancellor sNicGills decision was as fol-
lows
Personally, dismiss the writ and per-
nit the girl to continue in the custody of
her husband As Chancellor Of New Jer-
sey, L am ready to receive briefs from
counsel on both sides ard consider the le-