Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1911-02-16
COURT HOUSE
SUPPLIED SCENE
UNUSUAL NUPTiAL FUNCTION is
HELD IN CLERKS OFFICE
YESTERDAY AFTERNOON.
A PERSEvERING PAIR
Seek License to Wed Four Times Be-
fore SUCCESSFUL; Bride Tells the
Groom to Say Yes in Answer
to Parsons Question.

With all the plot suitable to the
comic opera stage and befittfng the
eve of st. Valentines day. as well as
happening on the thirteenth of the
month, wedding at the Office Of this
clerk OF the district court yesterday
afternoon could have been made 8
money-maker II the pen of George
AIDE could have caught 1t. It is vel
known to habitues Of the court house
that some really strange and unusua
things happen in the Office of the clerk
Of the court-cupid holds sway there
quite frequently and the staff will
break their necks to satisfy the love
lorn even at the risk Of delaying q
million dollar litigation.
Mary Decker Welded.
Yesterday an example of the little
love gods work proved an interesting
spectacle to an Office crowded to the
limit with curious spectators-a union
of America and Greece was consum.
mated when unusually tall Mary
Decker took Charley Ponos, much
smaller in stature, as her lawfully we'd
ded, etc. Ordinarily these affairs are
featured by succession Of Il wills"
Yesterday It was altered to Say yes. =
The effect. however, regardless of the
slight change in mode of expressing
acquiescence, meant the same, so at
least thought the marrying parson,
Rev. Thomas Brown, for he tied Gre
clan knot that only heaven and the
courts can unite. The function was an
instance Of how success comes If one
will only persevere. Four times did
this couple attempt to procure the nee
essary passports to the welded state;
three times 1t proved failure, but
that was due to the ignorance of the
ways of the law in such matters. The
first trip was made Saturday when
Mary Decker and Charley Ponos called
at the clerks office and accosted Miss
Clara Peterson. deputy clerk, the wom-
an saying that she wished license.
Previous to this, the couple had
stopped in at the county superintend-
ents' office and inquired II 1t was the
hospital or court house. Telling her
wants, the woman was told where to
go to procure 1t.
Each time until the last attempt was
made to procure the license. the couple
could get no one who seemed to know
each person to the contract, and the
deal was put off, Coming in yesterday
afternoon about 3:45, Miss Decker,
whose height is variously guessed to
be six feet to six feet three inches,
told the deputy clerk that they were
ready and had the witnesses necessary
for the license. She was prepared, too.
She wore a modish creation in robins
egg blue, of lawn or dimity. with hob
BILE not too stinted. and hat that was
a masterpiece of the milliner's art, be-
Ing a black inverted affair resembling
a useful household utensil with the
landscape effects in plentitude Of red.
AS the ceremony progressed. the
groom failed to quite savvy the ques-
ton of the minister, do you take this
etc.," and after the question
was repeated he received Jolt in the
ribs from his bride-elect, who accom-
panied the nudge with the command
10 "Say yes" He did what he was told
In an obedient manner and the cere-
nony continued uninterruptedly to-
he end. Both give Ottumwa as their
address.