The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-06-23
WIDOW FREED FROM
MASSEUR HUSBAND
His Rapid Wooing Of Rich
Woman Is Cause of Quick
Action by Court.
AUDACIOUS, SAYS JUDGE

A speedy annulment OF the marriage
of Mrs. Lancie Blum. widow of Samuel
Blum. a hat manufacturer, to Arthur
Macdonald. her masseur. two weeks
after her first husbands death. was
ordered yesterday by Supreme Court
Justice Blanchard.
This Is the most audaclous attempt
TO get money from a woman that ever
came 10 my notice said the Justice
after listening 10 a mass OF testimony
which brought out tho facts that Mrs.
Blum had Macdonald massage her for
partial paralysis; that her chauffeur.
Joseph Pattee. had been the masscur's
rival at one time, and that the cere-
mony was performed In Bayonne. n. j.,
under circumstances which caused the
court to remark that the New Jersey
marriage laws seemed to have been vio-
lated because the license was used less
than twenty-fours hours after It was
issued.
Blum died last December. leaving his
widow an estate OF more than 5000, 900.
Macdonald had been employed in the
hAt ''AtfV " s"Ns " INV NtlN
Mrs. Blum had a stroke OF paralysis she
began treatment which was continued
until after her husbands death.
One OF the grounds upon which tine
legality OF the marriage Of Mrs. Blum
to Macdonald was questioned was the
fact that the ceremony was performed
by the Rev. George G.. Muller, pastor
of the Dutch Reformed Church OF Jer-
sey City for the past twenty-eight yenrs.
I Wit hin a few hours IA flor tin tiaapZ. 1al
been obtained. although the New Jersey
law make II a misdemeano for any
person to perform a ceremony within
t~wenty-four hours after the permit has
been granted.
The clergyman testified yesterday that
Macdonald brought Mrs. Blum 10 his
parsonage In a taxicab and asked him
TO perform the ceremony. He said he
told Macdonald that as the license had
been issued in Bayonne the couple must
be married there. Macdonald then took
the clergyman In the taxi and the party
went to a Bayonne restaurant for the
ceremony. TIL Rev. Mr.. Muller was
asked why the marriage certificate filed
in Trenton was dated January IL. a
day after the license was obtained.
when the ceremony took place on the
llth. and also was asked IL ne knew that
II was a misdemeanor TO perform a cere-
mony within twenty-four hours of the
date OF, the license.
Am l on trial. slrT' asked the cler-
gyman. Justice Blanchard replied
sharply. You are here to answer aues-
lions" but he sustained an objection 10
the question.
"One day before her husband died
Mrs. Blum asked me IL I would marry
her II anything happened to him. and I
told her II would be time enough to talk
about Il after he died. testified Mace
donald. Il knew then that Mr.. Blum
wouldn't live very long. Mrs. Blum told
me she was afraid her brothers were
going TO a her property away from
her. She asked me again 10 marry her
and l consented"
Macdonald admitted that Mrs. Blum
was on confidential terms with her
chauffeur and her maid as well as with
himself, and said there was some talk
that the chauffeur intended 10 marry
her. Mrs. Blum then learned through
Macdonald hat the chauffeur was mar
ried and she discharged him. Macdon-
aid insisted hat he never heard OF a
plot by which a divorce case AGAINST
the chauffeur's wife was planned in or
der that Pattee might be free to wed the
wealthy widow.
You don't profess that you had any
affection for Mrs. Blum
81 had no affection, but I had SYM
pathy for her." replied Macdonald.