The sun., 1901-07-31

wants msr Marriage wssA nss vsssss HssAs,
Annu1ls1.

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wants nw Marriage wisA nss vsssss HssAss
PHILADELPHIA, Pa. July so--A ssnsa-
ttonL story Of . forced marriage which
the youthful bride b now sndsavohng to
have annulled In order that she can marry
the young maa she loves b unfolded In
papsrs prepared by Prosecutor Frank
T. Lloyd Of Camden. counsel for Mrv.
Caroline Haas, who says she unwillingly
became the bride Of George Haas. we'll
to-do Philadelphian, . Sunday school
teacher. and member Of the Scotch Pres
byterian Church. 49,
Fifteen years ago Mr.. Haas, who lived at
is47 South Eleventh street. this city. in
formally adopted Caroline Thomas. who
was then four years OF ago. After living
with them for some time the child was
known a. Mamie Haas, and called her
foster parents father and mother. About
two months ago Mrs. Haas died. and two
days after her death Haas proposed mar
riage to tho young girl. She spurned his
offer and told her foster father abe was
engaged to be married to Robert Van Blunt
! Of Pitman Grove. and could not think OF
marrying Q man whom she looked upon
a her father.
The foeter father did not press the suit.
but on July 1 he invited Mamie to 60 on
visit to his sister. Mrs. Barbara Drexler
Of s3i East Seventy y-seventh street. New
York. He also persuaded Q young lady
named Bessie Brown. who boarded with
them. to accompany them on the trip.
Thcy reached New York city on July and
proceeded Immediately to the house Of
Mrs. DreIler. After being in the house
some time Mrs. Drcxler. It u said. said to
Mamie why don't you get married
right hers?' 'Oh. no. I am going to be
married on July ie,' replied Mamie. and
displayed her engagement ring. well,
guess not Mrs. Drexler L. alleged to
have remarked; you are going to marry
my brother right In this house At this
juncture Haas came in. and Mamie AYERS
he said: I'VE will have no moro business
like that have got pistol in my pocket
and will kill you on the spot II you do not
consent to be married.
Mamie then consented to the ceremony
and during the day wrote a despatch to
Robert Van Blunt. telling him Of her pre-
dicament. The message was sent by
Bessie. This was on July 4. Van Blunt
received the message early In the morning,
and went at once to New York. He called
at the house and informed Haas OF his
mission. Haas came TO him with a ring
and told Van Blunt that Mamie had given
him up and that the engagement was
broken.
II is further recited that on July S Haas
and Mrs. Drexler told Mamie that she must
be married that night and they took her
to church on East Seventy-second street.
Before going into the church Haas told
Mamie, she says, that II she refused e
shoot her at the altar. The ceremony
was performed and Mamie remained one
night with Hans. Three days later she
made her escape and came to Pitman Grove.
where she told the circumstances to Van
Blunt, which resulted in the above pro-
ceedlngs.
Charles Sebert a nephew Of Haas, when
seen last night at the home of his mo ther,
Mrs. Barbara Drexler. at 331 East Seventy
seventh street. declared that not only was
the story Of the marriage as told by the
girl untrue, but that she married Haas Of
her own free will and before the marriage
got down on her knees and begged his
forgiveness for the way she had deceived
him and lied to him about Van Blunt.
Haas, he said. had promised his first
wife on her death bed that he would
her with good home IL she would
have him. He knew nothing Of the
attentions Of Van Blunt, who Is his nephew.
He proposed to the girl that they should
be married in September. and she assented.
On July Haas and his adopted daughter
hara 10 ,yiai in al
bringing with them Bessie Brown, who had
boarded with the Haases in Philadelphia
On the day OF their arrival, said Siebert.
the Haas girl got Bessie Brown to send a
telegram to Van Blunt, asking him to come
on to this city Immediately Van Blunt got
house the girl refused to see him and had
Mrs. Drexler give him a ring which sho
drew from her finger.
The next day a registered letter came
to the girl from Van Blunt. On the en-
velope was written threat that legal steps
would be taken II the lester were opened
by anyone but the Haas girl. She read
the letter to Haas-'Pop, as she called
him-but when he came across the letter
later in the day he learned that she had not
read to him O postscript which declared
that Van Blunt would take the girl away
to Philadelphia. Haas interviewed the
Brown girl and learned for the first time
that Van Blunt had made practice Of call
ing at her home while he was at his cooper
age, and had planned to run away with
his adopted daughter. Then Haas saw
his adopted daughter and. Siebert declares.
she got down on her knees and, with tears
streaming down her face, confessed that
she had deceived him. She declared that
she realized her error and would marry
him the next day instead Of waiting until
September.
Haas, 30 Siebert declares, told the girl
that IL she did not want TO marry him they
would 20 back home and she could chose
her own husband, She was sure, however,
that she wanted to be his wife, and they
were married on July S. They went back
later Mrs Drexler received telegram from