The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1903-09-22
TRUSTING MAIDEN
HAS NARROW ESCAPE
Find Man She Was to Wed Had
Only a Fraudulent Decree
of Divorce.

Satisfied beyond all doubt that the
man to whom she was to have been
married last night had never been di-
Voreed from his first wife, pretty VIVA
Reltz, who gave up school teahing In
wisconsin and came to st. Paul to
work In laundry that she might be
near the man she loved, left Court
Commissioner Gallick's office last night
with tears trickling down her rosy
cheeks, while the man who is said to
nave deceived her remained behind and
attempted to explain his possession of
fraudulent decree of divorce.
The man to whom Miss Reitz was to
nave been married is Joseph Placek
who is employed in a butcher shop at
Rlce and University, and it was at his
instance that the girl came to st. Paul,
giving up a comfortable home at
Boomer, Wis, for the life of a laundry
girl in the city where her lover lived.
The efforts of the couple to secure
a marriage license yesterday exposes
what is believed to be bold attempt
on the part of Placek to impose upon
an innocent girl by means of a fraudu-
lent decree of divorce, and an investi-
cation by the county attorney and
grand jury may result.
Shortly before noon yesterday Pla-
eek and Miss Reitz presented them
selves at the Office of the clerk of
- duO dpplleQ LOT a marriage IL
cense When asked by the deputy if
he had ever been married or divorced,
Placek replied that he had, and that
the divorce had been granted to him
TWO years ago in Ramsey county.
Has Fraudulent Divorce Decree.
Miss Reitz,who appeared to be some
what suspicious, asked the deputy to
look at the records and ascertain for a
certainty whether or not the man she
was to marry had really been divorced
A thorough search Of the records fall
ed to show such to be the case, where
upon Placek said he would return to
his room and secure the decree which
ne had In his possession. Two hours
later Miss ReitZ returned to the court
house with what purported to be a de-
cree, but which appeared to be fraud
ulent upon its face.
The decree purported to have been
issued in Ramsey county in May, 1901,
but, instead of being signed by the
clerk of courts, 1t bore the signature of
&C. Bum, judge" Judge Bunn's ini-
t1alS are G. L. There were many other
irregularities throughout the document
and the girl was informed that the
document was a forgery.
The information came as p shock to
her and she burst into tears, telling the
story OF how she believed Placek to
have been divorced and of how she had
given up her school in Wisconsin and
followed him to st. Paul, being COM
PEELED to seek employment in a laun-
dry to make her living. as .,ti4;s
Tries to Bluff it THROUGH. s
Miss Reitz found Placek and informs
ed him of what she had been appraised.
Piacek, however, told her it was all a
mistake, and that matters would be
satisfactorily explained by him. Arr
q n rom 0rafc
go to Court Commissioner Gallick's Of
flee last night and be wed, but when
they reached there Mr. Gallick, who
had been investigating the matter, de-
cined to marry them, being convinced
that the man already had a wife liv-
ing.
While the fraudulent divorce decree
purported to have been issued in Ram
sey county, Placek explained his pos
session of 1t ia Court Commissioner
Gallick, when closely questioned, by
saying that he had bought it for "a
dollar" in Boomer, Wis.
why, Joe, you told me this after
noon that you paid $36 for it," inter
rupted> Miss Reitz, again becoming
suspicious.
Placek did not venture an explana-
ton, merely contending that he had
bought the document He admitted
having never appeared in court, and
gave eYas1ve answers to the questions
put to him.
Deluded Girl Is Heartbroken.
Miss Reitz, finally thoroughly con-
WINGED that she had been deceived.
turned from the court commissioners
| office and the man she was to have
married in an almost hysterical condi-
ton. She says she cannot now bear
TO return to her home after what has
happened, but that she will continue
her employment in the laundry and
try and forget the past.
Placek left the room soon after the
departure Of tie girl County Attor-
neay Kane was consulted regarding
the matter yesterday afternoon, and
1ntimated that the matter would be
placed before the grand jury.
Placek formerly lived at Bloomer.
Wis. where he was married. He left
a wife there and came to ST Paul,
where he engaged himself to Miss
Reitz, who had followed him here un-
der the belief that he had been d.
vorced.