The Washington herald., 1907-04-14
WEIRD LONDON MARRIAGES.
Courts Of England Daily Reveal
Many Family skeletons.

London, April 1S.-Neariy every day /
the courts Of England reveal. through |
various lawsuits. the contesting of wills |
and the like, some astounding and sensa- !
tional matrimonial mysteries. or non
matrimonial entanglements. But the |
recent Jailand wagstaff case. for down
right audacity and bold law breaking, !
takes the lead in court annals. It
out-HerOds Herod, and has made
the guileless British public gasp The
lawsuits over a viii to contest d lady's
right to a life interest in fortune of
S900,0o0 was the occasion of the startling
facts being made public The late Mr..
James Poole Wagstan, squire OF the
manor at Potion. Bedfordshire, made a
win giving his dear wife Dorothy Jo-
sephine Wagstan, a life interest in his
large estate as long as she remained a
widow; at her death the property 10 so
to the son of the testators cousin, Mr..
Berners Shelley Wagstaff. Now comes
the latter into court and testifies that
Mrs Wagstan" could not remain the
widow of James Poole Wagstaff as she
had never been his WIFE, having already
had husband at the time of her mar
Tiage 10 Wagstaff. sand she was therefore
entitled 10 nothing. Next appears the
lady herself. who tells the judge a simple
little tale of middle-class morals and re-
spectacle crime that might make the
sordid vice OF the Miles End road pale
into insignifcance and the fashionable
sinners in Mayfair appear but novices.
According TO the story as told by the
woman herself, she came to London from
Ireland as a sewing girl and gradually
took up nursing. She finally married a
good-for-nothing fellow by the name of
Jalland. This man disappeared the day
Of the wedding, and when he reappeared
a week later, after a debauch, she re-
fused 10 live with him, and never did
live with him, nor did he ever provide for
her, though M that time he was in pos
session of considerable income Mrs. jail
land returned to nursing and on one oc-
easion went TO nurse her dissipated hus-
band when he was i'll at his lodgings
About the year 1892 Mrs Jalland met an
elderly gentleman in the Strand. with
whom she got into conversation, accord
ing 10 the easy manners of that thorough
fare for the friendly disposed, about an
old woman Mrs. Jalland had assisted out
Of the way of a cab This gentleman IN
trodueed himself as DR.. Fitz-James and
invited the lady TO a cafe for refresh
ments. After this episode DIR. FitZ-James
was a frequent caller on Mrs. Jallandi
knew OF the existence of her husband,
and went with her TO see him, supplied
him with danties even. He finally told
Mrs. Jalland that his name was James
Poole Wagstaff. owner of Manor Park at
Potion. and not Fitz-James. He asked
her to come and keep house for him, Of
fering better pay than she received at
nursing Thither went Mrs. Jalland. and
Wagstah, knowing Of her husbands ex-
istence, invited him to the manor from
time TO time where he was known as
Mrs. Jallands brOther-in-law. Wagstam
also supplied him with & a week TO live
on. A few years passed and Wagstan
persuaded Mrs. Jalland to publicly marry
him. She demurred on account of having
a husband already, but Wagstaff. who
was a justice of the peace, succeeded in
convincing her that it was all right; that
her marriage TO Jalland was null and
void and that il would be perfectly legal
for her 20 marry him. With a determina-
ton to carry out a bold game, Wagstan
had the marriage performed a t the portal
of fashion, St Georges Church, Hanover
Square, and returned to the manor with
Mrs Jalland as his bride, knowing that
he himself had committed perjury and
that he had persuaded a woman 90 COM
nit bigamy What his object was il is
I
readily have obtained a divorce from her
husband. as he had never supported her.
and she had never lived with @lim. What
ever her conduct and history may be. she
is evidently a kind-hearted woman. but
the squire of Potion, James Poole Was
staff. for deceit and hypocrisy takes the
lead and il must make his Satanic
Majesty in Scarlet. turn green with envy
to see one of his favorite pupils so excel
him. The middle-class of England lay
claim TO all the virtues. II is they who
criticise the lives and conduct of the
aristOcracy. and the nobility. and it is
they who dictate how the poor and the
laboring classes shall live. eat and drink,
and pass their Sundays. To find that the
members of this dominant majority are
no better in their morals than the vicious
rich or the vicious poor is to shake ones
faith in truth and honor in any class.
! These people are indeed the worst of all.
for they have added 10 all the sins of the
high and low the vices of lying and deceit,
with which they assume the robes OF
virtue.
The Mormons appear like noble citizens
and the Turks as angels OF sweetness and
light in comparison with some of our
Christian gentlemen, for the Mormons and
the Turks acknowledge their concubines
publicly and provide FOR them The Turk
pensions his when lie is tired Of them,
and his life is at least free from deceit
and hypocrisy. 1t is noteworthy 10 men
ton that the judge decided in favor Of
Mrs. Jalland. Interpreting the viii accord
ing to the intention Of Wagstaff, who
meant she should have a life interest in
! the estate and who was undoubtedly re-
! spOnsible for her having committed big
! amy. After serving a nominal term in
/ prison for that crime, Mrs. Jalland re-
turned to the Wagstaff manor at Potion
and was received by the villagers and
/ residents Of the vicinity with the greatest
enthusiasm. The horses were taken from
! her carriage and she was drawn TO the
| house which had been her home for fif-
/ teen years by a crowd of admirers. The
! people of that section of Bedfordshire. in
/ spite of the usual Engiishman's respect
/ for the law. love and admire Mrs. jail
/ land. and consider that she was Influenced
entirely by Wagstaff. a man her superior
/ in position, education, and knowledge of
I the law.
I