Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1907-11-08
MANY MARRIAGES VOID
Court Ruling Makes Illegal
Marriage of 5000 Chicago
Couples at Hammond

Chicago. Nov. S.-Five thousand
marriages of Chicago couples which
have been performed in Hammond,
Ind, within the last five years We're
declared to be illegal, in an opinion
rendered yesterday at Hammond by
Attorney Lowden o. Bomberger to
| Ernest l.. Shortridge, clerk of the cir
| cult and superior courts.
In his opinion, he holds that licenses
issued by the superior court of Lake
county, located at Hammond, are is
| sued without legal authority, and that
the only court of Lake county which
is empowered to issue licenses is the
circuit court at Crown Point
If he is right five thousand couples
who have sought the aid of the kindly
laws of Indiana during the past five
years, and had the knot tied at Ham
! mond, have been living together with
out legal sanction. The possible COM
plications of legal character alone
which would follow such a state Of
affairs are innumerable.
Transfers Of property, inheritances.
and a veriety of matters depending
upon the marriage of contracting par
lies will be cast under Il cloud which
will remain until the higher courts are
able to decide the technical point
which is raised in the opinion.
In addition are the circumstances
that many people have been living for
many years on the assumption that
they We're man and wife. and that a
great many will find themselves en-
barrassed in the eyes of their neigh
bors if the opinion of Attorney Bonn
berger is proved to be correct.
Among those affected, it is said, are
Dr. Jerome B. Egbert, and the woman
who came all the way from India to
contest the divorce suit which he
brought against her. Joseph Howard
and Mabel Barrison are another pair.
Sequel to Justice Fight.
The revelation has been brought
about by a long fight between the jus
tees of the peace of Hammond and
AioSS VI SlONli OlIll lOI lIle LUCRATIVE
business of marrying couples who go
from Chicago to Indiana to avoid the
Illinois law requiring divorced persons
to wait d year before remarrying, or
for other good and sufficient reasons.
The superior court of Lake county is
at Hammond. The circuit court of
Lake county is at Crown Point The
clerkship of the two courts is a COM
mon office. II. II. Wheeler, former
clerk of the courts. With an eye to bus
mess. doomed Hammond for a Gretna
Green when he first took the position.
Also he doomed Crown Point. 1t was
all the same to him, and he did not
want to overlook anything.
So for four fat years couples came
to Hammond and left money behind
them, to the great JOY and profit of the
inhabitants. Some of it stayed in the
clerks office. Some of it went to the
clerk as fees Some Of it went to the
three justices. Some of it went to
hackmen. Some Of it went to ice
cream stores, some to florists, some to
jewelers., and so on, until the total
reached the sum of $4,000 a year.
But the best of it went to the three
JuSllSeS VI Tic pcdCG, WIlOSS lees
amounted to $40 on occasions. But the
justices became too ambitious for the
trade. They posted runners at the
depots to meet trains from Chicago.
These runners approached every sus-
picious looking couple and carried
them away.
Finally, when one Of the justices
started free bus and gave away a
meal ticket with each marriage, Clerk
Wheeler decided that it was nuisance
and took the entire business of mar
rying presons to Crown Point and the
eager justices Of Hammond had killed
their golden goose. That was a year
ago But in four years there had been
5000 marriages.
The justices had to submit, be-
cause the clerk of the courts was the
ultimate court of appeals On the first
of November, however, Ernest l..
Shortridge. a Hammond man, was
elected clerk of the courts on prom
Use that he would bring the. business
back 90 Hammond.
Will Go to Higher Court.
Then the Crown Point justices held
that the superior court at Hammond
had no right to issue licenses and made
objections. In order to settle the dis
pute Clerk Shortridge asked Attorney
Bomberger for an opinion covering
the matter-and got it. Now he is go
ing to make sure in the higher courts,
for he has an election pledge to full
fill He is not SO much concerned as
to whether the 5000 occupants of flats
in Chicago are married as to whether
Hammond will be allowed to add to the
number.
And 5000 couples in Chicago are
wondering who they are, anyway.
Great Lawsuit Decided.