The age-herald., 1899-07-23
BRIDE OF IA IN
 THE COUNTY JAIL GFiei Comes to the Pretty Mrs. Ireland. SEQUEL SUNDAY MARRIAGE Division in the Lacey Family Causes
 s., Trouble.
 af
 
SEQUEL SUNDAY MARRIAGE
MIR. LACEY HAS FORGIVEN ALL
But His Better Half Continued in Bad Humor and Swore Out W arrants
 Charging That Her Dauglt- z.s CT Was Kidnapped.

..s =.4.ss CT w as Kidnapped. rs- s--t~
 When pretty little Julia Lacey left her happy home in Sandusky just week ago | this morning with her catechism and Bible under her arm to attend Sabbath school at | the Village church, she little dreamed that she would spend today behind prison bars, separated from her gallant lover, who Qp the same day claimed her as his bride The romantic marriage of the pretty lit- | tie miss to L, D. Ireland, which was chron-
 icled in Tuesdays Age-Herald, has, how | ever. led to this sad state of affairs, and as | she gazes through the iron gratings of the
 big county jail this morning she will no | doubt wonder if it is a crime in Alabama
 to marry the man you love. It is the same | old story of parental objection, but all | may yet be settled and happiness once more 1 reign supreme in home that is now d. | vided against itself.
 The proceeding which are being prosecut- l ed by Mrs. s. A. Lacey are directed against ] young Ireland, the groom, and Ed Braneh | and his wife, who are charged with having kidnapped Julia from Sunday school last Sunday on the allegation that the child was under 14 years of age, and the unfortunate circumstances that have made a martyr of the child-wife are the result of unlocked for complications which have arisen in the case.
 Story of the Marriage.
 It will be remembered that on last Sun day morning Ireland and Branch appeared at the homo of Chief Clerk George B. Tar rant of the probate office, in North Bir- mingham, and induced him to come to the city and issue a marriage license. Ireland made an affidavit that the girl was Is years of age, and the marriage was solemnzed by Rev. J. R. Turner of East Birmingham. In the meantime MT. and Mrs. Lacey, the l girls parents, got wind of the affair but | by a clever ruse on the part of the groom
 were thrown completely off the track until after the ceremony had been performed | On the following morning the irate father
 appeared at the probate office, and on
 learning that the license had been issued | declared that his daughter had been stolen | away. He stated that she was under II 1 years of age and that when she left home l she wore short dresses, and that she was | supplied with a long skirt by Mrs. Ella 1 Branch, who he claimed, played an impor- | tant part in the abduction.
 On Wednesday warrants were sworn out l by MT. Lacey against Ireland charging him | with perjury and Kidnapping, but the happy
 young groom had no trouble in making
 bond and was released
 | An effort was then made by mutual friends to effect a reconciliation. and tho l father won over. and withdrew all l charges against the young man, which fur 1 ther increased the wrath of Mrs Lacey,
 who was determined to have the marriage
 undone.
 Swore Out More Warrants. There were no developments until Friday
 when Mrs Lacey sued out writ of ha- 1 beas corpus in the city court which directed
 to young Ireland to produce the girl before l Judge Wilkerson at o'clock yesterday. Warrants were also sworn out against | MT and Mrs. Branch charging them with l kidnapping and against Ireland under sec- tion 1902 of the criminal code charging him
 with taking a girl under IA years of age from her parents or guardians for the pur- 1 pose of marriage.
 Accoding to the commands of the writ
 young Ireland appeared in court with his | bonny bride promptly at o'clock yesterday | afternoon with MT. Lacey, the father and
 several friends MT and Mrs. Branch were l arrested by Deputy Sheriff Price. of Pratt | City and were locked up in jail and as soon
 as Ireland appeared he was also arrested
 on the warrant which had been sworn out
 against him.
 Mrs Lacey was present with her attor-
 ney, John T. Shugart, and asked that her | child be restored to her on the ground that l she was under age. She also asked for the ! custody of the child, alleging that MT. l Lacey was non compos mentis and not a
 fit person to have her in custody. On ac- l count of the absence of several important | witnesses the hearing was postponed until | Monday and the girl placed the custody of 1 Sheriff o Brien, who was inclined to let her l go on her own recognizance.
 In the meantime MT and Mrs. Branch
 and young Ireland made bond for their 1 appearance before Judge Abernathy on 1 Wednesday, and the quintette, including
 the father. were just preparing to leave the
 sGeriff's office, when Mrs Lacey appeared
 upon the scene with her attorney and ob- | jected to the sheriff allowing the girl to
 SC with either Ireland or her father. She | offered to take charge of the girl herself,
 but this was objected to by the other side
 and Chief Clerk Strndford was in a quan- | diary. He telephoned Sheriff OBrien who
 had gone home, and explained the situa-
 ton. The sheriff was placed in the role l of a modern Solomon, but instead of cleav-
 ing the child in two, he decided that it
 was best in view of the fact that her
 parents could not agree that she be held
 in jail
 l The Bride Wept
 l The decision of the sheriff was recnived