Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1912-04-18
FROM
HIS S|STER.N|FE
Knew Not Their Relationship at
Time Of Marriage.
PARENTS OF TWO CHILDREN
Upon the Advice OF Judge Lueders,
Of Cincinnati, the Couple Come
Into Court ana Explain
Their Honest Mistake.


Cincinnati "A strange story, which
resulted in John P. Ruch, Jr., aged %
years. being divorced from his sister,
Helen Hoffman Ruch, "a, was related
in the Insolvency Court here. The
half-brother and half-sister were mar
sried October 26, 1910. neither at the
time knowing Of the blood relation
ship between them The discovery of
the relationship was disclosed few
weeks ago and the action for a divorce
followed.
1t was explained to the court that
the mistake had been possible because
of the fact that the mother, for a
private reason, had hidden from the
children the fact that they were bro
Their and sister, allowing them to be-
lieve that the girl was only an adopted
child.
The husband was given the custody
of the two children.
The petition for divorce, fled by the
husband, was upon the formal ground
of neglect. The divorce was granted
upon that ground for the purpose Of
protecting the young couple, so far as
possible, in the record. The father
and mother OF the young couple were
not in court when the hearing was
held. g
The relationship Of the Ruchs was
disclosed to the young husband and
wife by Judge w. Lueders, of the
Probate Court, few weeks ago in the
presence of their mother, Mrs. John
p. Ruch. Neighbors Of the Ruch fam.
lily informed Judge Lueders that they
believed the couple were half brother
and half-sister. He learned after in,
vestigation that the two had grown up
together under the belief that the girl
was only an adopted daughter of Mrs.
Ruch. The youngest Of their children
is only few weeks old. In securing
the marriage license Ruch gave the
young woman's name as Helen Hoff-
man.
This young man came to the pro-
bate court in 1910 and secured Ii
cense to marry this young woman.
who, it since has been discovered, is
his sister," said Judge Lueders to the
court THAT was before the recent
law was passed requiring both appli
cants for marriage license to person
ally appear.
.sThe young man gave his name, age
and address properly. He gave the
young woman's name as Helen Hoff-
man and told her age and address. !
am informed-in fact, / have investi-
gated the matter carefully and feel
certain that he did not know at that
time that this young woman is his
sister. The discovery was not made
until comparatively short time ago.
had them in my office and we tried
to arrive at some solution for the prob
lem presented. They have two chill.
dfen.
ssThey still love each other and love
their children. ] explained to them
that although they might be able to
keep the secret for years there will
come time as surely as anything hu,
man can be certain, when some one
will have discovered it and it will be
exposed possibly in their declining
years. Or if the disclosure were to
come nots until after their death 1t
would be Heft as a heritage to their
children. Now they can come into
court, honestly to explain an honest
mistake and do the only thing in their
power to rectify that mistake"