The herald., 1897-08-04
And It's Validity to Be
Passed Upon
THELATE QUARTZ EL0PEMENT
A CONTEST FILED AGAINST THE
CREEDE WILL
A Verdict Of $4,000 Returned in the
Ford Fruit Case-A Germans
Odd Experience

Since the new law went into effect
prohibiting a divorced person to remar-
ry for twelve months, quite number of
sea marriages have taken place at va
rious points along the coast.
The worst feature of these marriages,
so called, was the bad example set to
young people in illustrating how the law
might be successfully defied. And the
young people, truth to tell, were quite
ready and willing to profit by the bad
example set. The law provides that
boys and girls under certain age must
have the consent of their parents or
guardians before they can obtain IL
cense, but on the high seas no questions
are asked. 1t has now become the habit
almost for girls who imagine themselves
in love to fall willing victims to men of
mature years, and accompany them to
a seaport where some old shellback will
always be found ready to turn doubt
fully honest penny by doing that which
the spirit of the law forbids.
The latest case is that Of Janet
Thompson, 15-year-old girl, who
day night, in company with Homer Nor
man, an employe in the packing house
at that point. The couple drove to Long
Beach and in the early hours of Monday
morning were married (O at sea by
Captain Pierson of the sloop ~. Wiley"
But now comes the aftermath of this
little romance. Yesterday A. c. Thomp-
son, the ia ther of the bride (?), and well
known in connection with the navel or
ange that bears his name, applied
through LIE Compte Davis, his attorney
in the matter for writ of habeas COR
pus, and Judge Allen made the order for
the writ to issue, it being made return
able at 2 o'clock this afternoon. In the
petition the facts of the elopement are
set out, and it is alleged that Janet
Thompson and Homer Norman "em-
barked upon a small sailing boat and
procured a person other than person
authorized by the laws of the state Of
California" to officiate at "a pretended
solemnization of marriage" This, ii
is claimed, was done in contravention OF
the law that requires girl under age to
have the consent of her parents or guar
dian. The petitioner also represented
that the girl Janet is detained, confined
and restrained of her liberty by Nor
man at Long Beach in an illegal man
ner, in that he pretends to be her hus-
band and in so doing prevents her father
from securing his daughter and taking
her under his care.
The outcome of this habeas corpus
proceeding will be watched with keen
interest. In New York and Massachu-
sets there are laws absolutely and spe-
cifically forbidding these sea marriages,
but while in this state there is no specific
law, it has been contended that it is in
direct conflict with the spirit of the mar
riage laws of the state and is also op-
posed to public policy. Under recent
decision it will indeed be possible to in
stitute proceedings against a divorced
person who remarries on the high seas,
should the cloak of legality be thrown
around such unions. 1t has been held
that a decree of divorce is not perfected
until twelve months from the time of
it's being granted, and that any man or
woman venturing to remarry anywhere
or under any circumstances is guilty Of
bigamy.