The Hartford herald. [volume] (Hartford, Ky.) 1875-1926, 1909-03-10
WAS MARRIED IN
PRISON CLOTHES
WEEDS Woman Who Cost
Him Prison Term.
WOMAN FAITHFUL ALL THE TINE
Thought They We're Legally
Welded, but First Wife
Caused Trouble.

Frankfort, KY, March 6.-By mar
rying according to law the womaa he
thought he had a legal light TO marry
but the union with whom cost him a
sentence of nine years in the peniten-.
tiary, this afternoon obtained his liber-.
ty. The wedding took place In the
Governors office, with acting Gov.
Cox as the best man and other State
officials, employees and newspaper cor
respondents as witnesses. The bride
groom had worn the prison stripes
but his clothing made no difference
to the woman who has chung to him
since he entered the prison as a con-
victed felon and who has worked for
his release in spite Of the fact that
she was wronged and was not the
legal wife of the man. The ceremony
was performed by the Rev. Dr.. j. r.
Zeigen, of the Presbyterian church.
1t was perhaps the first wedding
that ever took place In the Governors
office. IT was an affecting sight.
The bride was young and frail and.
was weeping, partly from joy and
partly from nervousness She wGs get
ting back, after two years absence,
the man who had sworn at the altar
to love and cherish ard care for her
through life, and she was also acquir-
ing legal status as his wife, some
thing that had been long denied her.
Hammons was taken from the
penitentiary to the Governors office
this afternoon about 8 o'clock. He
went into the Governors office, where
he had a long talk with Gov. Cox.
The second wife way in the outer
office. having been told to be on hand
at the appointed hour. She had been
in Frankfort for several days in an
effort to get a pardon for the man
she claimed as her husband and who
was ethically her husband, although net
so legally. The woman was ner-
vous when she was called into the
Governors office, where about ten men
were gathered, and told that Ham
mons was ready to marry her and
would be pardoned after the cere-
mony =.
The case is an interesting one and
excited the sympathy of Gov. Cox
as soon as he heard all the facts.
Hammons lived in Grant county,
where he was married He and his
wife did not get along together and
Hammons left her, going to Mercer
county. There he was served with
notice that his wife was suing him
for divorce He waited two years
supposing that his wife had secured
THE divorce, as he had not made
any fight against it, he married Mag
gle Mcdonald, who lived at Burgin.
The first wife had never obtained a
Judgment for divorce, and when she
heardHammons had married again she
had him arrested on Il charge of big
amy. File pleaded that he thought
he had been divorced and had
right to marry again,
but the court did not consider his
plea, and Hammons was convicted
He was sentenced to nine years in the
penitentlary and has served two years.
His first wife has married again.
The second Mrs. Hammons, who this
afternoon, for the first time, acquired
her right to that name, stuck to the
man she claimed as her husband. When
he went to the penitentiary as a con-
Wet she followed him to Frankfort
and did what she could to cheer
him up. She went to Louisville, where
she obtained employment as a domes-
tic, to earn money to get her hus-
band out of prison. She made appeals
to Gov. Cox and to Gov. Wilson, and
Gov Cox to-day, upon hearing her full
statement, sent for Hammons, telling
him that If he would marry his second
wife again a pardon would be granted.
Hammons was glad to do so, and he
and his bride will take up life anew.