The Lee County journal. (Leesburg, Ga.) 1904-19??, 1907-04-05
LONDON A oRETNA GREEN.
Runaway Couples From Germany &c
There to Wed.

iicult or expensive to reach, the Brit
ish capital occupies today precisely
the same position in relation to tn,
Fatherland as did Gretna Green tC
the regions this side of the Tweed il
the days of our great-grandfather'
and Observation-Disclosures, says LonFqS
Truth The cases that have got int,
the newspapers are only stray ex
amples OF a practice which is goinl
on regularly, and they have only go
there by accident, because the bride
or bridegrooms happen to be disting
uished personages, or because u,nc
circumstances connected with thei
marriages have attracted public atteu
ton in Germany or England.
There are in London a number 0
enterprising individuals Of German ma
tionality or birth whose principal,
not their only business is to entlc
Teutonic youths and maidens to thi
country and marry them off in accord
ance with the English law wheneyd
"just cause or impediment makes
difficult for them to get joined Il
gether in holy matrimony in the
own country
These agents advertise regularly
the German newspapers, calling Il
attention of the amorous Teuton to Il
facilities which exist in England
tying connubial knots expeditions
and on reasonable terms Some
them have their agents in Germa
to push the business and catch CT
toners on commission. much like t
parties who 'tOuted for licenses"
the entrance to Doctors Commons
the days when Mr. Weller, senior, "
captured for the second time.
They issue books, pamphlets a
leaflets describing, more or less
curately, the Rnglish law, and exDla
ing fully all the formalities in conn
tion with an English marriage.
show how carefully every detail
thought out, there is among the ste
in trade of one Of the most act
of these firms, a leafiet giving in e
fish and German the fateful questi
which the Book OF Common Pra
requires the priest to put to the
ties before joining their hands ]
vocably, together with the proper
sponses.
The reason of all this is easy to
derstand The tying of the ma
monial knot in Germany is m
more lengthy and troublesome b
ness than in England, and to do il
reptitiously Is very much more diffiC
/ am told that from the first off
notification to the completion of
ceremony the usual time consul
in going through the necessary ID
formalities IS about six weeks, and
be anything from that to twelve
mere statements Of the parties
not sufficient, but have to be supp
ed by Identification papers and 0
documents, wbich are carefully loo
into.
The only Formally that pres
any difficulty IT. all to a foreign b
and bridegroom coming to England
be married i5 o fifteen days reside
in the district brior to the cerem
but it is not much Of difficulty
reality, there being little risk in n
ing a false statement on the po
while it can al%a avs be got over b
special license when the parties
anxious that everything shall be d
regularly and do not grudge
necessary expenditure.
am told that it is becoming
common occurrence for pair of {
man lovers to disappear for W
and return TO their delighted frie
at the end Of that time with the
nouncement that they have been y
ried in London, and no one who s
the frequency OF the agents ad'
tisements in the German papers