The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1904-11-23
FIRST, LOST BRIDE,
THEN NEWSPAPER
ROMANCE AND COMEDY BLEND
IN SUIT IN IOWA.
Charles City Editor Took His Prospec-
tive Son-in-Law as His Partner
When the Daughter Married Another,
the Tilted Man Resisted Custer and
Had to Be Enjoined.
Special to The Journal.

Special to The Journal. 49,
Marshalltown, Iowa, Nov. 23.-Romance and
comedy were blended in case which has occu-
pied the attention of the court at Charles City
several days. In 1902 Harris w. Smith,
former teacher in the public schools, and Miss
Meave Wright, daughter of Mr.. and Mrs B. F.
Wright of prohibition fame in Iowa, desired to
marry, but the parents were not willing FL
nally, however, becoming convinced that they
could not thwart the will of the daughter, con-
ditional engagement agreed to, covering
three years, at the end of which time, IT the
young people We're of the same mind, marriage
was to take place with the approval of the
parents In 1909 however, the young folks,
chatting under the long delay, entered into q real
engagement, and the parents, seeing opposition
would be useless, gave their consent.
Desiring to do the generous thing by his fu-
ture son-1n-law and by his daughter, Mr.. Wright,
who is an editor, gave his prospective son-in-law
q half interest in his Daily and Weekly Press,
and since that time the paper has been conducted
under the firm name Of Wright Smith. So
Now, while the father had surrendered all hope
Of changing his daughters mind and had
cepted what seemed inevitable, the mother still
cherished a belief that the match could be
broken, and to this end went with her daughter
to spend the winter with relatives in California.
The mothers strategy proved effective, and while
there Miss Wright met and loved another and
returned from California as Mrs. sharman.
Mr.. Smith, the discarded lover, did not pine
away nor drown his sorrows in the flowing BOWL
but he set to work with renewed vigor at his
newspaper business and proceeded to exercise all
| enterprise. Then the trouble began in earnest
Mr.. and Mrs. Wright individually and Jointly
essayed to make compromise with Mr.. Smith,
but nothing but the half interest its equiva-
lent would. satisfy the erstwhie sutton for their
daughters hand, Mr.. Wright commenced in
junction proceedings and the trial was opened.
The Wrights attempted to show that the en-
gagement Of the young couple was conditional, and
a letter written to Mr.. Smith from the Wrights
in 1902 read by the attorney in support Of
this claim. Mr.. Wright reviewed the circum-
stances leading up to Mr.. Smiths connection
with the office, and asserted that the gift was
| to give Mr.. Smith standing in the community,
i and that the interest was to be the daughter S
| upon their marriage.
The defense admitted the conditional engage
! ment of 1902, but rested its a more recent
engagement in 1908 which the Wrights at first
| denied. A letter from Mrs. Sharman, the daugh-
ter, then Miss Wright in which there were many
| tender passages and expressed desire for a Sc
cret marriage at once, was read in rebuttal,
which provoked a smile from the court itself.
Rather than have another and still more en-.
rapturing epistle read, Mrs. Sharman admitted
| the engagement. '
| Smith for himself was good witness, althC
| some of his testimony caused great hilartty
| until this fall for his expenses, applying the
product of his labor toward paying the indebted
| ness on the plant, at which time he was tc
marry the girl and become half owner of the
| printing establishment.
A great deal of amusement was provoked wher
Smiths attorney asked him how often he hat
proposed to Miss Wright, he replying, Fighter
times"
"And what was the answer" interposed thu
attorney. H - 49, ...-.t.. g.. a.:
After q moments hesitation Smith said: "Eacl
proposal was sealed with loving kiss
- The court found that the agreement did no
comprise partnership or transfer of interest II
the paper and decided for the Wrights.