Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1903-09-01
COMM ON LAW CASE.
Han Who Claims To Be the Com.
mon Law Husband of
a Woman.
WHICH CLAIM IS REPUDIATED
BY the Relatives of the Woman in the
Case-Some Talk of Insanity
Undesirable NOtoriety.

Chicago Sept. 1.-B. f. Holcomb, of
Boston, has come before the public in
connection with the claim he makes
of being the common-law husband Of
Mrs. Nellie Hurd-C -ComStock, daughter
of Harvey B. Hurd, of Evanston. HOl-
comb, who has been charged by Hurd
with being insane, published in a Chi
cago morning paper the following re-
markable personal"
Welded Under Common Law Forms.
Il, b. +. Holcomb, of Boston, Mass,
say to whom it may concern that about
year ago my father-in-law, Harvey
b. Hurd, Evanston. ILL.,, and my broth
er-in-law, George S. Lord, of the de-
funct firm of Lord, Owen & Co.. Chi
cago, published in the press of the
country, in the teeth of my sworn
statement TO the contrary, that Mrs.
Comstock had repeatedly informed
these relatives that we were married,
and happily so. A woman can not
successfully contend with these men.
1 beg. therefore. to state that there is
no diShonor in two persons of mature
years marrying each other under the
common law forms in Illinois. In or
der that the contract may be valid the
contracting parties have but TO In
tend matrimony and not an Illicit re-
lation. The agreement must be in
substance to be husband and wife uD-
der the law A stipulation that the
marriage shall be kept secret awhile
for certain reasons from the general
public does not affect the validity of
the contract
Insists That He L. Her Husband.
Il publicly announce that Mrs. Mel
lie Hurd- d-ComstOck, now SOjourning at
her fathers house. 1872 Ridge avenue,
Evanston, ILL.,, and are married. The
dfshonor. If any, is clearly in these
relatives not recognizing the marriage
as holy and sacred and as binding as
any Of strictest form or ceremony. My
wife is endowed with n fine mind and
a fine character, anu for anybedy to
say that she and l are rot husband
and wife. under the circumstances OF
our haying lived together more or less
openly as such. is not only most alb
surd, bue criminal"
Statement by n. ID. Hurd.
The strange case has attracted much
attention through the newspapers. Hol-
comb and Mrs. ComstOck were pa
tients at the same time at Sana-
torium north of Chicago, and 1t was
after this acquaintance that Holcomb
advanced the claim of the marriage
agreement. Harvey b. Hurd is an
aged lawyer who has IN office at 80
Randolph street. He said: MIR.
Holcomb's greatest complaint has been
that 1 have said and published state
ments that he is insane and that his
marriage with my daughter was not
legal l have not published any state
ment that Holconb was insane, buI
whether 1 believe him to be so or not,
is another. Neither do 1 think his mar
riage with my daughter was legal ac-
cording to my belief.
Wants the NOtoriety Stopped.
each time l say anything in regard
to this affair Holcomb Immediately
publishes some statement in refutation,
and. in that way. we are gaining a
great deal of unpleasant nOtOriety. This
notoriety must be stopped at any cost.
Therefore, we shall say nothing fur
ther in regard to the affair If Hol
comb Is crazy it is absurd to publish
statements which draw insane answers
from him. But whether he is insane
or not, have nothing more to say On
Tho ~