The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1903-02-06
Complex Case Of Mrs
Reffennins's Marriage
and Divorce.
ENOCH ARDEN With VARIATIONS.
Supposed Dead Husband Az.
pears After Wifs's Rsmar-
f>g rlase-Gets . Divorce In
Cleveland Courts.

Mrs. Hattie B. Reffenning, Of Cam
ton, figures in one Of the most COM
plex cases of marriage, desertion, sup
posed death, remarriage, and divorce,
ever rccounted in the annals of his
tory. II rivals the story Of Enoch Ar
den in its complexity, although condi-
ti0ns have removed from it the element
Of broken hearts, as there seem to be
noae in the case.
Attention was called to the case
through the fact that Tuesday her hus-
band, Ernest Reffenning, had been
granted divorce in the common pleas
courts of Cleveland, upon the ground
of willful absence. No other charge was
made and the wife, being willing that
the divorce should be granted, made
no defense.
The details of Mrs. Reffenning's mar
riages and divorces reads like the most
cxtravagant fiction. In 1898, at Raven
ma, she was married to Ernest Reffen-
ming. She claimed that her husband
was cruel to her and after short non
eymoon they separated. In his des-
peration he enlisted and went to the
war then in progress. The wife came
' to Alliance and while there the word
= came to her of the serious illness Of
3itf husband In the army hospital at
Manila. Later his sister, who lives in
Cleveland. wrote that he had died, as
The military authorities had sent the
Information.
After period of mourning, the wife
fell in love with Edwin Charlton, Of
Alliance, gentleman of good charac-
ter. The wooing was speedy one and
they we're married. The marriage was
happy one and for a year or two
they lived together, not knowing that
there was any bar to their union.
Early in 1901 the word came that
the dead was alive. The first husband,
after lingering at the point of death
for some time, had recovered, hut had
not taken the trouble to rotify his rel
atives in this country. When the news
finally reached the wife, she Immediate
ly separated from her second husband
and instituted an action in the Stark
county courts upon the ground that
she. had innocently contracted mar
riagc which she thought legal. The
action was not for divorce, but for the
legal annulling Of the marriage coll
tract. The Stark county courts grant
ed the decree asked June %, 1901.
No blame was attached to the wo-
man or Charlton even by the relatives
Of the husband. Charlton went back TO
Alliance and Mrs. Reforming remained
in Canton.
Shortly after this decision of the
court Reffenning came back from the
Philippines, but his wife, who had been
estranged from him before he went
away, refused to have anything to do
with him, preferring to work for her
own living. When she was notified
that he had applied for divorce she
was more than willing that he should
secure 1t SO long as her character was
not assailed. The husband then went
forward and secured the decree of sep
aration. telling a portion Of the story
to the Judge who granted him the d.
vorce.
The case is further complicated by
the fact that Erwin Charlton, the sec
cnd husband, has since the annulling
OF the first contract. has remarked, 80
that there can be no romantic re-
: union of the two who were 30 strangely
married and separated.
Mrs. Reforming is still a young and
attractive woman. She ia very much
exercised over the notoriety into which
she has sprung through the misinfor-
nation as to the fate Of her husband.
Since living in the city she has made
number of friends who sympathinc
with her in the multiplicity of her
woes. ~
Judge J. p. Fawcett Of this city. was
Mrs. Reffenning's legal advisor In the
courts.
DeWITTs WITCH Hazel. sALvE.
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