The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1910-02-04
A QUESTION OF
TOO MUCH WIFE
Matrimonial Experiences of lack
Roberts Are Aired in
Court.
fFrom Thursdays Advertiser

Aoih AQNOTllSeTl
Jack Roberts and few of his
wives, real, alleged or ex, held the cen.
ter of the stage at the courthouse yes.
terday afternoon in a serio comic play
entitled Jennie Roberts versus John
Roberts. Some of the wives seemed to
be enjoying themselves hugely. Roberts :
mirth was considerably less in evidence
One of the alleged wives was suing
Roberts for divorce, while the others
looked on with much interest The de-
Tense in the case is one of the most
astonishing ever heard in a divorce
trial, and yet it is the only defense
possible under the circumstances. In
effect, Roberts pleads guilty to violation
Of the Edmunds Act in order to escape
prosecution on a charge of bigamy. He
claims that the woman who is suing
him for divorce is not and never was
his wife, but that they merely lived to-
gether without having gone through
the formality of marriage ceremony.
The libelant, on the other hand, claims
that there was a common law marriage
and that when Roberts married Jean
nette Cooper few weeks ago, ne COM
mitted the crime of bigamy, as he was
still her own husband by virtue of the
contract entered into between them.
Roberts nuptial experiences appear
to have been quite varied. He left one
wife on the Coast, after divorce had
separated them, but lost little time
after reaching Honolulu in getting an
other. He got a divorce from her
about two years ago, alleging that she
had treated him with excruciating
cruelty. The libel in that case was one
of the most remarkable ever filed in
| the local courts.
| Then Roberts took up with Jennie
Williams, and, according to her story
married her by contract. That is, he
went and got marriage license, but
told her it was all nonsense going to 9
preacher. She says he showed her the
marriage license and told her, "Now
we're married and we can't either OF
us get away if we want to-" A rather
peculiar feature of the matter is that
the woman, who is twenty-six year,
old, had been married before, so she
knew the usual marriage ceremony.
The woman who wants the divorce
sat with her lawyer, but the two othel
wives, present and ex, sat together anC
talked and giggled like the best O.
friends. When Jennie Williams, o
Roberts, whichever she really is, point
ed out the little actress as the woman
with whom she said Roberts is now liv
ing, he having married her few week
ago, Jeanette Cooper, or Roberts, which
ever she may be, shook her head in vic
lent and virtuous negation.
Several times Lorrin Andrews, VIII
is Roberts attorney, moved to strik
out all the evidence given, on tn
ground that there is no such thing a
a common law marriage in Hawaii
This motion, however, has not yet bee
granted. Attorney Biting, who repre-
/ sents the libelant, strapped fercel
ton asked, and the two legal lights e2
changed mutual compliments at a
, stages of the game.
, In one of his arguments, Biting rt
, ferred to the supreme court s ruling i
| the Godfrey. Roland case.
| "That was the famous black an
J white case" interrupted Judge Robir
, son. 81 know something about that.
"Yes, have no doubt Your Homo
> is very well acquainted with tina
case" retorted Biting suavely.
S The trial of the case was not col
t cluded yesterday afternoon, but We
continued until next Friday mornin
Q at ten o CLOCK.