Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1912-05-30
HER DIVORCE AT
"A IS SET ASIDE
Court Doubts Legality of Mrs.
Dyes Marriage to the
Colonel.
UNUSUAL ROMANCE OF
OLD BRIDGE is RECALLED
Ceremony Was Performed in
1867. According to the
Papers Filed.

NEW YORK, May N.-on the ground
that newly presented evidence cast
doubt on the validity of Mrs. Susan
Blson Dyes marriage to Colonel Joseph
ID. Dye, who is rs, her recently obtained
divorce has been set aside by Justice
Greenbaum in the Supreme Court.
Mrs. Dye, who is, according to her
testimony, IA, and according to her hus-
band five years older than himself, OBJ
tanned a divorce In November, 1911. on
the charge that Dye, whom h married
IN 1857, after she had been divorced by
her husband, William H. Dukehart, was
guilty of infdelity.
= Colonel Dye, who is a veteran of the
: Civil War, alleged in the trial that the
present Mrs. Dye was really not his wife
lat all. since his first wife. Martha Spen-
Ger. of Ole Bridge, N. j., was alive and
had not divorced him, when he mar
Red Mrs. Dukehart. The testimony to
this effect was, however, not convinc-
ing to the jury.
A Abandons Husband.
On May 10, however, more than ten
sfhdavits from eye witnesses of the Old
Bridge wedding and from relatives of
the former Mrs. Dye, were presented
rs bearing out Colonel Dyes defense.
These various aff1davits, which have
caused Justice Greenbaum to set aside
the November verdict, tell, in the aggre-
gate, the curious romance of Colonel
Dye.
In 1863, Just prior to his departure to
jodn the Army of the Potomac, Dye
travelled to Old Bridge N. j., and married
Martha Spencer. During his absence In
the war he confided his young wife to
his mother, who lived at Stapleton, 3. !.
In 1865 he returned for her, and tool her
to New York, where they stopped at a
west Twenty-sixth street clearinghouse
owned by Mrs. Van Valkenberg.
Here Dye mot Mrs. Dukehart, who at
mat time was about thirty. He became
infatuated with her. Mrs. Dyes anger
was aroused and she abandoned her
husband, returning to her old home in
Old Bridge, N. J.. And here the difficulty
of identity arose. For Mrs. Dye left off
her old name and was known for the
remaining years of her life as Martha
spencer, On her tombstone her brother
caused her name to be inscribed as
Martha Spencer. and in her duly pro-
bated will no mention Of her husbands
name Is made.
ies@ VIII Retry Case.
: In 1883, the AFFIDAVIT says, Mrs. Spencer
DYE was killed in a train accident. No
notice of her death was sent to Colonel
Dye who had no word Of her, since she
left him in 1865. Now. during the two
years ensuing Mrs. Dyes detection, Mrs.
Dukehart was. according to Colonel
Dyes statement, divorced.
I'm 1857 he alleges, Mrs. Dukehart
asked me to marry her. / told her 1t
was impossible, since / had no word OF
my wife being dead. She told me that
the law permitted me to marry again,
since 1 had not heard of my wife in two
years. Now, / was entirely under the
influence of this woman at this time,
and SO, against my will. l consented to
tho of marriage, although my
conscience was uncertain all h time
In presenting this affidavit, Mr.. Tower
explained that he was striving o
out the trial to reach the long-iived in-
habitants who, he surmised. still nveu
NJ Old Bridge, to tell the tale of Colonel
DYES wedding at the half-forgotten Old
Bridge Hotel. AS they recall II. a dash
ing young officer burst In upon the
sleepy town, met Martha Spencer, mar
riel her and bore her off, all within the
span of a week.
Justice Greenbaum has set the retrial
Of the case for next week.