The Savannah morning news., 1901-02-06
TOO YOUNG TO MARRY.
His Syrian Bride wants Divorce
From Masseef John.

attorneys fees. which had been filed IN
the Superior Court by counsel for the
plaintiff in the divorce suit of Mehlbbie
Yunis John against Maseef John, was
marked settled and dismissed in the su-
perior Court yesterday.
The divorce suit Itself, however, is still
pending and when it is tried, in case the
defendant opposes the grant Of the d.
vorce for which his wife prays, there will
be interesting developments. The petition
for divorce, which was filed by Mr.. w.
Nj. Hayward, is an interesting document
Itself and in it's composition gives some
characteristic indications of its author
ship
Mr.. Hayward recites that at the time
of the marriage. January 81, 1900, his eli
ent was only l3 years of age, and the
meaning and purpose Of the marriage re-
lation were entirely beyond her infantile
comprehension. That since the ceremony
some of her female friends, who have
had experience. have explained to her
the duties of wifehood and the pains and
dangers of maternity and your petitioner
recoils with fear and dread from the
fate that threatens her and prays the pro-
lection of this honorable court.
Your petitioner shows" continues the
document, that said marriage was the
outcome of an agreement between her
father, one josef Yunis, and her hus-
band, and that her feelings in the mat
ter were not considered of much impor-
tance but. she ayers. her father has
since repented Of the part he took in the
matter and earnestly joins petitioner in
her application for divorce.
THE marriage license" she declares,
was obtained by her husband by the
false and fraudulent representation to
the Ordinary of Chatham county that her
age was 10 years and that she was per-
suaded and cajoled into the marr'age by
the false arguments and representations
of her husband. assisted by hsr father,
who urged upon her the flial duty she
owed to him"
Mrs. John declares in her petition to
the court that she has never lived with
her husband and doesn't want to begin.
Furthermore he has annoyed and terror
ICED her by threatening to use force to
compel her to live with him.
The suit for divorce is the outcome of
the somewhat strange and strained ante
and post-nuptial relations of the high
| contracting parties. A year ago the Morn
| ing News published the following account
of the grant of the marriage license:
CLERK Keilbach, of the Court of Ordi-
| nary, had an amusing experience yester-
day in an attempt to issue marriage IL
cense to two members of the Syrian colo
ny of Savannah whoVe knowledge of the
! language bore an inverse ratio to the
warmth of their affections for each other.
THE loving ones were Masseef John
and Mahibbie Yunis or, at any rate this
is the result of Mr.. Keilbachs earnest
and caretaking efforts to learn their
| names and the manner in which they are
spelled The groom-to-be turned up in
the office of the clerk of the Court of
Ordinary during the morning, and in
English that was absolutely shattered an
| nounced that he wished to secure a IL
| cense, that the marriage between Miss
Yunis and himself might be solemnized
in due accordance with law. After much
conversation it came out that the girl
was only 10 and the prospective bride
groom was informed that it would be
! necessary for him to secure the consent
OF her father or other natural guardian
TO the celebration of the nuptial rites.
Disconnected, but not discouraged, by
this announcement, Masseef John retired
| from the office. promising to return with
the father of his intended bride and to
gain from him the necessary consent to
| his marriage. He came back when the
| office was reopened at o'clock accom-
! panied not only by the father but also
| by two other members of the coony,
| whose acquaintance with the language
was not noticeably greater than that Of
| Masseef John himself.
Even in the office of the clerk of the
| court heated arguments anent the mar
riage were carried on. The father of the
! intended bride seemed to think that it
! would be to the advantage of all concern
| ed if the marriage were postponed for a
! year and six months, but to this course
the intended groom would by no means
! consent The reason of his haste he ex-
! planned briefly and emphatically and
| with many gestures 'Ah! Make no sip.
! Cut all de odders out Masseef seemed to
| have acquired at least one of the slang
terms of the vernacular during his resi-
| dence in this country.
| HE at last convinced the elder Yunis
| that it was altogether proper that he
| should give his consent to the marriage
at once and Yunis solemnly affixed his
mark to formal writing to this effect
| Armed, through this consent and the con-
sequent issuance of the license Masseef
John departed, apparently supremacy hap
py and content with his somewhat I'M
willing father-in-law that was to be max
ing a disconsolate second in the process
sion and the tive guides, philosophers
and friends" bringing up the rear.
On the day following this scene in the
! office of the ordinary the marriage took
| place, but it did not by any means end
the trouble. on the contrary, as it de-
veloped, the trouble had been but well
! begun, for the husband claimed that he
was entitled to the immediate custody of
his wife. while she and her father urged
| that the performance of the marriage
! contract was not to be begun for a year
and half The girl absolutely refused to
| live with her husband and he has never
succeeded in forcing her inclination.