The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1900-04-14
WOULD BREAK MARITAL BONDS
MAHIVI YOUNIs SAYS SHE DID NOT
INTEND TO BE MARRIED..

ran colony she says NHuSSeel
John Fooled Her Into IA Marriage
and Deceived Her Rather-She Was
TO HIVE IA Year and IA Half Before
Her Married Life Was to Begin.
Appealed to the officials Mt the
City Exchange to show Her a Way
Out of the Marital Net.
An insufficient acquaintance with the
English language and an even greater
! ignorance of the laws and customs of this
country relating to marriage, are respon-
sible for the unhappness of little Mahivi
Younis, the belle of the Syrian colony.
Mahivi is married, but she says she didn't
intend to be, and that she doesn't want
to be any more and now she is anxious
to know how she can get out of it.
Supposing, like most Of the other mem
bers of her race that the City Exchange
! is the center from which radiates all pow
er and authority, Mahivi went there yes
terday, and after telling her troubles to
the officials in the clerk of Councils Of
fee, wanted them to show her the way
cut of her matrimonial tangle. They
were unable to help her. however and
| advised her to see a lawyer.
The little woman is hardly more than
| a child She says she is only 10, but she
looks older. and the records at the Ordi-
nary's office give her age as 10. She is
easily the pick of the Syrian flock the
standard of beauty in the colony not being
q high one. but she would hardly be con-
sidered beautiful elsewhere. Except for
! ba, bar a
not above the ordinary, though she has
! the dark eyes and hair of her race.
Mahivi said that sheJs the daughter of
! Joseph Younis, member of the Syrian
| colony, ard that she has been in this coun-
| try three and a half years. Another mem
| Der of the colony. Masseef John, desired
| her hand in marriage. She did not like
| Mascot but she knew nothing about mar
| riage then, she said. Her father was not
particularly favorable TO the match. but
| gave his consent to the union on condition
| that the marriage should not take place
| for a year and half. At least this is Ma
| hivi's story and it Is apparent from other
evidence that there was some understand
| ing of the kind. According to Mahivi she
| was beguiled by Masseef John into accom-
! panying him to the church, where the GER
emory was performed by Rev. Father
| Quinan of st. Patrick's.
He give me some bananas and some
! fruit and something to. drink and, or
| course, | go with him. l not know any
| thing about marrying. Lots of people tell
me about marrying since then, and now
| | know Better l not want to be married.
When asked to explain herself the girl
! said that she had been living with her IA
| Their since the marriage and that MaSseef
! John was in the country on a peddlinS
| tour but was expected back to-day. she
| had learned of his intention 10 demand ner
| of her father, however, and as she is Dit
terly opposed to living with him she deter
mined TO seek some way TO get out of the
| marriage. She thought the officials at the
! City Exchange would be able tor point out
| a loophole of escape. Deputy Clerk
| Charles Hernandez, whose sympathetic
| nature where a woman is concerned is well
| known, was the first TO listen TO her story.
| He promptly advised Mahivi that this is
| a free country and that woman does not
| have to live with her husband unless she
wants TO. Clerk Bailey, who is mar
| ried man, disapproVed of this advice. AS
| The girl stated that her father was also
opposed TO her going with Masseef the
consensus of opinion al the clerks office
was chat the Iwo of them together ought
to be able to defy the husband
At the ordinary's office Clerk Keilbach
| stated that about the latter part of jan
uary Masseef John and another Syrian,
| father of the intended bride, came 10 the
Office for a marriage license. AS they
stated the girls age to be only 10 and as
| Younis' Anglo-Syrian dialect was unintel-
| ligible to the clerk, he declined to issue
| the license. The next day they returned
| accompanied by Two other Syrians and
| announced that Younis was willing to CON-
| ply with the law by giving his written
| consent TO his daughters marriage The
consent was accordingly signed and the
license issued. The old man, however,
| kept insisting -on some condition about a
year and half" which words he repeat
ed continually emphasizing it by holding
up the forefnger of one hand and then
crossing it with the forefinger of the other.
Mr. Keilbach gathered from this that he
implied some condition to the effect that
the couple should not begin the married
life until year and a half later on ac-
count of the youth of the girl. OF course,
he could not be a party to any such con-
diuon, the law only requiring that the
consent of parents or guardians must be
obtained where the bride is under legal
age.
About ten days later Younis and bis
daughter came to the Ordinarys Office.
Both were very much excited, and they
proceeded TO talk to the clerk in Syriac
Arabic and several other languages, in
Guiding broken English. Mr.. Keilbach
gathered that they We're angry because
the CONDITION as 10 a year ana nan ;
delay had not been incorporated in the
license and he could moi make them I'M
derstand that he had no Authority to in
clude such a condition. Both went away
very much dissatisfied, but the girl re-
turned the next day ana continued TO ex-
postulate further, but, of course, without
effecting anything,
Mahivi said yesterday that Mascot
wants to take her back to Syria with him
but that she prefers to remain in this
country. She is evidently determined in
her purpose TO unite the marriage knot
and if she persists, will doubtless find a
legal means Of doing so.
GOOD FRIDAY IN THE CHURCHES.