The Republican., 1899-06-22
Welded IN JAILS.
There Are Many Marriages Taking
Place Within the Walls
of Prisons.

4uc nuulDer Oh persons VINO nave en-
tered into the holy bonds of matrimony
while undergoing sentences in prisons
is not so small as one might be inclined
o think. We question whether such
ching is possible under the British laws,
and we have searched in vain for any
record of such a case in the United
Kingdom; but in France, Germany and
Russia such marriages are not extreme
ly uncommon; indeed, two or three
have occurred within the last few
months.
Quite recently most romantic mar
riage took place in German prison. A
man of good position having been ar
rested upon a rather serious charge
within few days of his approaching
marriage, and as his trial was likely to
be protracted one and his remands
many, he and his fiancee petitioned the
authorities to allow them to be married
In prison. Permission was granted, and
the lovers met in one of the prison Of
fees. There were no bridesmaids, no
best man; the bride was alone, the
bridegroom only attended by wardersl
When the ceremony was over, the
husband and wife were allowed to em-
brace each other, and then they parted,
the man being led back to his cell and
the unhappy bride being carried home
to her relatives in a fainting condition.
The one CLEAN of brightness the bride
had to tighten her marriage day was
the knowledge that her husband might
l.,
trial might result in his acquittal.
Some time ago French prisoner, un,
der sentence of death, obtained permis-
sion to marry his fancee in prison to
facilitate the disposal of his small
property; and it is probable that no
marriage was ever conducted in such
distressing circumstances as in this
case.
The bride was conducted to the pris.
on by two relatives, who, at the gloomy
entrance, passed her into the care Of
the governor of the prison and the
chaplain, who were both deeply moved
by the young woman's suffering. She
was carried, rather than led, to the Of
fee where the condemned bridegroom
was waiting; and there a scene beyond
the power of pen to describe took place
between the lovers.
No sooner were the two made man
and wife than they were separated
almost by force; the bride returned to
her home, where she entered on a long
and terrible illness, which nearly
robbed her of her senses, and her hus-
band went back to the condemned cell
to await his execution, which was ar
ranged for the following morning.
Married one day, and executed the
next! However deserving of the ex-
treme sentence, one can but pity that
wretched man whose fate carried him
quickly through two such events.
In many of the French penal settle
ments, male prisoners are allowed to
marry female prisoners, and live to-
gether during the terms of their SEN
tences. This is a system which is very
severely criticised by experts on the
subject of the punishment of criminals,
but the prisoners themselves favor the
system, and marriages between two
criminals in French settlements are of
almost weekly occurrence. The system
led to very remarkable affair a short
time ago.
A young man, who was engaged to
be married, was arrested and heavily
sentenced to penal servitude, for very
serious crime. His sweetheart, who
was passionately attached to him. was
grief-stricken at having to surrender
her lover to such a long. and terrible
fate, and she heroically or foolishly-
which you will-petitioned the authori-
ties to allow her to be married to the
man and share hissentence. Herprayer
was refused, and, driven to madness by
the refusal, she committed crime of
such serious nature as she deemed
certain to carry her to the prison where
her lover was then lodged.
At her trial she stated that her only
reason for the crime was the hope of
reaching her lover; and she implored
those who would decide where she
should undergo her sentence to send her
where she could marry her lover and
share the horrors of his sentence.
Probably out of pity for the woman,
her strange request was granted, and
shortly after reaching the prison she
married the man of her choice-Tid-
Bits.