The Farmville herald. [volume] (Farmville, Va.) 1890-1934, 1903-07-17
A STRANGE TANGLE.

and bis 'Way- that are dark sand o Chi
cago lawyer the other day. But occasion
ally there Is a villain in real liie who makei
the stage villain look cheap There is Z
case recorded in the New York supreme
court reports boo which young man nameo
Henry Reed played the role of villain.
Reed bad a cousin Janet, who was mar
ned 90 a man named Robinson salesman
for d large dy goods house in New Aori
city-and happily married, too. Reed Wm
Mrs Robinson only near relative. Though
several years younger than she he had con
ceyed for her a mad passion which hac
never been treated by her seriously but
always rather as joke. Alter ihc we'd.
ding be disappeared for awhile and waer
be made bis appearance again be seemed
much changed and was taken into Che house
by hi, cousin and her husband and treated
as one Of the family.
Zone of Robn-on's particular customers
came IN from the country one day 0u hIs
first visit TO New York. lie wanted 90 zee
the sights and particularly the Tender
loin.' Robinson thought DO impossible &c
refuse him and an engagement was made
for that evening Reed heard the engage
ment made and went out and hunted up
private detective. During the next - hours
Robinson was shadowed and the repor. was
given to Reed
"Some months later Robinson went Go
Europe on business for bis hm Tl., was
the chance Reed had been waiting for lie
vent % his cousin and under pretonse o.
doing a painful duty told his story Brief
ly il was 10 the effect that Robnson's life
was very immoral. Mrs. Robinson refused
to believe it and her woman's intuition saw
the motive underlying Reeds reiended
painful duty But Reed presented the
proofs to her
'She took the story TO an eminent lawyer,
a personal friend OF her husbands and he
began an investigation. lie called in Reed,
who told his story with great plausiblity
and apparent frankness, but withheld Rob
inson's motive in visiting the places in ques-
ton, the facts about the country customer
at whose request the trip was made and
failed TO say that the visit had been merely
general survey Of the slums. Ills story
was so artfully mixed with truth and false.
hood that the lawyer az last believed &C..
"Ihen he sent for Mrs Robinson and told
her his conclusions. She finally accepted
bis view Of the matter. She filed a bili for
divorce, notified her husband and Chen dis
appeared from an save her lawyer.
Robinson. Of course. hurried home. Tie
could find uo trace of bis wife and her lawyer
refused TO see him. TIE case came mp be-
fore a referee, and Robinson. as If in
dream, listened TO the chain Of circumsian-
q al u. H...f. f...N. Ia
woman took the stand to give false tosti.
mony he at last awoke 90 the fact that it
was an a conspiracy, but it was too late.
The referees report was against him and
the court granted a decree Of divorce.
Reeds connection with the case did not
appear at any stage In fact, It was 10 him
that Robinson turned for comfort.
"Not long after the decree both men we're
bathing at the seashore. The undcrtow
raught Reed and but for the assistance Of
the man he had 30 terribly wrongcd be
would have been drowned. At the risk Of
his own life Robinson helped Reed until
they were both taken ashore, nearly dead.
Reed never rallied. Pneumonia set In and
in less than a week he was dead. Before he
died he tried 10 undo The wrong he had done
lie sent for his cousins lawyer and gasp
ingly told him the details of the plot.
a few days afterwari Robinson and bis
wife were remarked by the same clergyman
and with the same witnesses who had Of
hcatcd at their former marriage. Here is
where the drama on the stage would end
the villain is punished and the hero and
heroine marry and live happily ever after.
But we all know this is not theway in every
day life.
For several years Robinson and his wife
lived happily and two sons came TO bless
the reunion. Robinson prospered In bust
ness. but at last he died quite suddenly.
lie left no will and his wife applied for let
ters Of administration. A distant cousin Of
her dead husband contested the applica-
ton and the case went finally 10 The supreme
court Of the state.
"The cousin contended that the second
marriage Of Robinson 20 his wife was void
on the ground that the decree Of divorce OBJ
tained by his wife contained a clause for.
bidding him to remarry.
Mrs. Robinson's lawyer offered 10 prove
the second marriage. but, fortunately for
her, as you will see later, the court refused
to allow it. In delivering its opinion the
court said: 1T appears that the decodents
wife had been divorced from him and he bad
been forbidden 10 marry, as the statute
provides in every case where a divorce Is
granted. Really, the prohibition was not
necessary and merely in the nature Of an
instruction and friendly warning. lie was
still a married man and incapable Of en-.
iering into any save an illegal b'Cmous
second marriage within the jurisdiction Of
this state. If any such ceremony was per.
formed, It was void
"The cousin took an Of Robnson's prop.
rty and the widow and her two sons were
left penniless. In less than a year Mrs.
Robinson followed her husband and the boys
iound refuge 30 a charitable institution
"Now note this: Had the judge permitted
proof Of Mrs Bobin.on's second marriage
it would have been his duty TO order her
arrest and she would have been indicted mn
der the criminal code for b'gamy and the
punishment would have been five years IN
The penitentary and fine Of 81 600. The
laws are on the statute books Of the state
and you cannot blame courts i0r enforcing
them. ."-Chiag0 Daily News.