The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-09-05
CUPID WORKING ON
DOUBLE Time NOW
Little God Does Not Belong to
Union OF. Stop at Eight
Hours.
MANY MARRIAGE LICENSES
Lawton Crutchfield Tells How
Old Records Are Being
Shattered.
MANY MARRIAGE LICENSES

If the record of the early September
days is maintained, more marriage Ii
| censes will be issued by the Clerk of
the Hastings Court for 1907 than in
any former year. There was no ons
around the court on Monday ito issue
licenses, but fifteen We're given out
Tuesday and yesterday, and the end
OF August usually a dull period with
the little god Cupid, is the beginning
OF the happy season for those anxious
to wed. Even June, the month of love-
making and flowers, may be put In the
shade. and the first thirty days OF
the fall will rush away with the hon
ors.
Like the female. around whose Heart
he works the god Cupid is somewhat
irregular in his visits, Last year 1,OO6
couples were married In Richmond.
There were 929 more or less happy
pairs in 1905. CAT in 1904, $50 in 1908.
and 9ss In 1902. The indications are
that the one thousand mark Will be
reached long before the end of Decem-
Der.
CrutchBeld Holds Record.
Mr.. f. Lawton Crutchfeld. for four
teen years chief deputy In the clerk
Office, will retire from that judicial
establishment on October list. He has
written more marriage licenses than
any other man In Virginia. and the
happiness md trouble he brought by
his official act is not for the deponent
to say. However. that is not part
of his business. He is one of the few
men in town with the right to de-
mand the age of blushlng girl and
he brazenly writes 1t in ledger for
all the world to read. Then he turns
to the next. like the festive barber,
and forgets In the night
When he leaves the court Mr.. Crutch-
field will attend to the more sub
stantial wants of those he has helped
to wed, for 1t will be his business
then to supply them with homes. where
the June brides will become the busy
and where there may be
no more lovemaking. But he Will take
no account of that.
They are coming rather fast these
days." said Mr.. Crutchtield yesterday,
as he handed slip to a young man.
who accepted 1t with strange sign of
"Fifteen in two days Isl
going some
The deputy picked up a memoran-
dun on which was the name OF q
young man who Will be denied n license
If he applies for it. His parents noti-
fled the clerk that the boy was not
sixteen years of age. and there were
reasons why he should remain single
not appear, and he will not be re-
warded for his labor II he shuffles in.
Can Wed mt Twelve.
"Under the laws of Virginia. said
Mr.. Crutchneld, "a girl may take unto
herself a husband at the age of twelve.
provided the parents are willing. II
don't remember fixing UP one SO young
as that, but many have launched upon
the sea of matrimony at fourteen. and
some have taken chances with 1t at the
age of eighty. Sometimes the bride
comes in with the groom, and have
known cases where they positively re-
fused to give their age. 1t doesn't
take long, however, to convince them
that there is a difference between this
business and shipping an express pack
age. where value asked and not given
is stamped on the back.
"Often when negroes come In they
are unable to give the names or their
parents. and age with them is like so
Not infrequently they make wild
guesses. shooting far from the mark.
The other day negro preacher ap,
piled for a license. 1 was sure l had
seen his race tbe1Ore. out he Sdln j
hadn't. I asked him If he was married
or single I don't know zactly what
20 means, boss man.. he said, but I'd
Jest like to state dat | is widow
Finally he admitted that he had Sc
cured a license six years ago, that his
wife had eloped with an usher in the
church and that she was subsequently
killed in q. railroad accident In North
Carolina AS he talked of his trouble
he started to weep. but I brought him
back to the base by asking about the
age of the new wife, and then he
smiled. We see many strange people
ir this shop"