Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1912-05-13
MOCK MARRIAGE
LOST HER DOVER.
Mary Lee Turpin Was Not At
Ianta Hotel Mans Legal
Wife, Court Declares.

DUBUQUE. IOWA. May 1.-THE
s250.OoO fortune of the late F. NJ. Tur-
pin. whose hotel interests in Atlanta
were large, will not be divided to give
Mary Lee Turpin a widows share.
Circuit Court Judge Benson has put
forth a decision declaring that Mary
Lee Turpin was never legally married
to the hotel man. in spite of the fact
that she had lived with him in New
York and Chicago.
The case was one in which one OF
the oldest families Of Georgia was con-
cerned. September q, 1910. Mary Lee
Turpn filed a petition with the dis
trict court asking for J divorce from
Turpin then proprietor Of the Julien
hotel of this city. and also interested
in hotel property at Macon. Ga, Knox
Vile Tenn and Atlanta, Ga.
Before =erviee could be obtained on
the defendant. he died al the home o<-
relatives at Macon \ few days after
his death, the woman claiming TO be
the widow. had an administrator Of
the estate appointed This was H. ].
Grace of Dubuque. clerk in the ONCE
Of the clerk of the district court.
Mother Fought Suit,
March s. 1911 the woman applied to
the court for widows allowance. Suit
was resisted by decedents mother who
alleged that the woman claiming tho
allowance was not the widow of her
son. never had been his wife. and that
he never had intended to make her his
wife
In the trial attorneys from Macon
and Chicago assisted the best local
lawyers. Witnesses were brought from
New FORK. Chicago Macon, Atlanta and
Jacksonville, Fla.
In her suit for divorce the plaintiff
alleged she and Turpin were married
in New York city in September. 1905
and that they lived at the Hotel Girard
as husband and Wife. She alleged that
the suit never came to trial before the
death of the defendant.
In the trial under the petition for a
widows allow ance tho plaintiff said
she was - years old: that she was born
q Brunswick. Ga. At the age of about
"a she was married 10 James G. Smith.
4 locomotive engineer In 1904 aid he
was killed in railroad accident.
After that the plaintiff alleged she
worked for Captain James Mckay, own
eli and operator Of coastins vessels. as
stenogra pher, bookkeper and confden-
tial secretary.
Claimed Mock Marriage.
She was called to Jacksonville by the
illness OF brother. and there met Tur-
pin. From that time on they met ire
quently and eventually became engaged
to marry, the plaintiff said. Early III
September. 1908 she added Turpin sent
her telegram to journey to New York.
where they were to be married. She
made tic trip, met him in Jersey City.
wont to-an office building in New York
city, was married by man she sup
posed was a civil officer. Then the
two went to che Hotel Girard
She showed in court pages Of the no.
tel register containing their names.
in the spring of 1910 at the Majestic
hotel in Chicago the woman said Tur
pin told her they were not married,
and that the ceremony was a mock one
Then she tried to commit suicide bv
drinking water which had been poured
over matches. The house physician
saved her life.
or the part of the defense it was NOT
denied that the plaintiff and Turpin had
lived rs husband and wife al vsried
places. hut it was denied that they
were ever married.