Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-08-22
AGENT CAN'T BUY
LICENSES TO WE'D
''No Publicity" Notaries
Arouse Ire of Register
Sheehan
C HARGE BIG FEE S
Broker" Agrees to Get Per.
nit and Keep Names Out
of Newspapers
C. HARGE BIG FEES

Register of Wills James B. Sheehan
has declared war against certain notaries
public who advertise they can obtain
marriage licenses without publicity" for
clients. Mr. Sheehan said exorbitant
fees are charged creduous persons for
the service.
One of the license brokers this after
noon offered to procure marriage
license for So and guaranteed that the
issuance of the license would not be
published.
Register Sheehan as chief clerk of
the Orphans Court. has general charge
of the Marriage License Bureau. Sew
eral weeks ago he issued an order for
bidding the issuance of marriage licenses
to notaries public on behalf Of clients.
Despite that prohibition some brokers"
are still advertising that they can Sc
cure the permits without trouble or
publicity"
| Turn to Delaware County
Some of the notaries. alarmed at the
Registers declaration against exorbitant
; fees, have turned their attention to
/ Delaware County to reap harvest from
the uniformed. The attention of the
county clerk of Delaware County. at
Media, has been called to the practice.
! Notaries, it Is said, have no legal right
to obtain licenses in Delaware County
unless the parties intend to have the
ceremony performed in that county.
! Mr.. Sheehan pointed out that marriage
, licenses may he obtained without any
inconvenience at Room Ala. City Hall.
The legal fee is 81. But no one. he said.
can lawfully guarantee that the issuance
of the license will not he published in
the newspapers. An act of Assembly
requires that they be made public
The list of licenses issued each day
is prepared for the newspapers of this
city by court news association which
dispatches copy of the list to eacr
newspaper subscribing for the service
officials of the court news association
say no one has any legal right to assert
that certain names may be deleted from
these lists. Such assertions. the officials
say amount to false representation.
Frank S. Lewis, with offices in the
Commercial Trust Building, is one o1
the brokers who has been advertising
that he can procure marriage licenses
without publicity for his clients.
Mr.. Lewis was asked this afternoon
: over the telephone if he could obtain ;
, marriage license for the person calling
: He assured his questioner that he could
Asked If he could guarantee that tn
applicant's name and the name Of hi
! Drlue-tO-De Npuiu ho' pS
the newspapers, Mr.. Lewis said he could
His fee for securing the license woul'
be IS. he said.
Would Attend to Everything.
Mr. Lewis was asked il his prospectiv
: client should bring a 'gift' to him t
be given to the newspaper men cover
ing" the marriage license bureau.
: NO" he replied, II will take care o
! everything
! He said all that would be necessar
for his prospective client would be t
call with the prospective bride at hi
J offices in the Commercial Trust Building
: It would not be necessary for the appli
cants to visit the license bureau in per
son. If application was made before
O'Clock in the afternoon. he said, tn
license could he delivered to the appli
cant at o'clock the same day.