The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-06-03
NOW THEY'RE WE'D
Romance of Wilbur FennelI and
Minnie Henderson Ended.
Girl Declared That Pugilist Had
Never Wronged Her.
BUT SHE WAS FINED So
Because She Failed to Appear
Against Sweetheart.
Wedding Ceremony Was the
Shortest on Record.
BUT SHE WAS FINED SIS

LIZ you take THIS man LOT your Hus-
band?''
"Uh huh
DO you take this woman for your
wife?'
Yes"
You're married.
This constituted the entire ceremony
that made Miss Minnie Henderson, Mrs.
Wilbur Fennell in the city court room
today The ceremony was performed
by Justice of the Peace Arthur Bolinger
and he omitted another important part
of the ceremony and neglected to kiss
the bride
Both the bride and the bridegroom
had just been on trial.-Fennell had gone
scot free and Miss Henderson had been
fined So for contempt of court in refus-
ing to appear in the court to testify.
Fennell himself had faced a more ser
ious charge-one that would have landed
him behind the high wall at Lansing
for a term of at least five years. The
injured person was the girl herself who
is now Mrs. Fennell. She had signed
the complaint but she testified today
that she did not know what she was
signing. Didn't you know what you
were signing?" asked Assistant County
Attorney Atchison.
II did not replied the girl
Nv nat did you think II was!
Wy, / thought it was a marriage
license" replied the girl and she blushed
a deep red and covered her face with her
handkerchief.
Fennell has achieved more or less
fame in Kansas as a prize fighter, his
ring name being Jesse James He has
put more than one man to sleep with
the force of his strong right arm but
there was nothing of the bravado about
him after he was arrested. When he
was first arraigned he cried like child
after the manner of a defeated pugilist
He had received his rst Knockout
blcx. When he was taken to Jail he
tried to commit suicide. Like other
men of his profession he has great re-
Operative powers and when he appear
ed in court today his face wore a smile
and he appeared confident of the result.
If it was the girl Minnie Henderson
that caused the first knockout she had
no intention of repeating the dose. On
the other hand she it was that saved
him. When she took the stand she de-
MED that she had ever been wronged
by Fennel. She had known him but
their association had been of an inno-
cent and lamb-like nature. He had call
ed upon her frequently and had boarded
at her fathers house but there was no
truth in the terrible stories that had
been told.
Mr.. Atchison. the assistant county
attorney WINGED as he saw his ca Sc
slipping away from him. He sent in
question after question. but ignorant
as the girl acknowledged herself to be,
she seemed fully capable. to ward off
the hot fire of interrogations. A slip
of the tongue might have led to her
own prosecution for perjury and the
conviction of her prize fighter sweet
heart, but she didn't make 1t. she
said that she was Is years old last
August when it was claimed she was
but Is. Her sister, Mrs. Mary Large,
was called to the stand to controvert
this and she wanted to do so but she
admitted that the birth record had
been lost in the flood and that there
had been more or less dispute about
the ages of all the children. She said
that she was not even sure about her
own age. She thought her sister would
be 16 her next birthday but was not
sure.
his hands. There was no evidence to
Justify the trial of the defendant for
ordered the discharge of Fennell and
he held his head up like a victorious
pugilist.
Justice of the Peace Bolinger had
been waiting for this. The couple had
attempted to be married before but
County Attorney Schenck would not
permit the ceremony to be performed,
but now Mr.. Schenck had nothing TO
say about it. But Judge Simon took
a hand and told Justice Bolinger that
he would have to wait
Then the case of the state against
Minnie Henderson for contempt was
called. She had not appeared to tes-
tify when ordered to do so by the
court and had gone to Washington
county where she was arrested ana
brought back by the sheriff last Satur-
day. since which time she has been in
Jail. az
Miss Henderson said that she dd
not understand she had been ordered
to return after the case of Fennell had
been once continued. But Judge |
simon did not accent the explanation
and ordered fine OF SO ana costs as
sessed against the girl. But he did not
want to interrupt the approaching
nuptials so he said that the girl would