The public ledger. [volume] (Maysville, Ky.) 1913-1968, 1919-11-12
PREACHER BLAMES
WIFE'S SUIT0R FOR
HIS TROUBLES
Minister who Married Local Woman
Says Devil Is Author Of Report
First Wife Died.

The Cincinnati Post says; Rev.
George Cocks, 46, of Van Lue, o., who,
tho not legally divorced from Mrs.
Murtice Cox. was married at Mays
vile, KY, Thursday night to Miss Nam
ME Gill of that city, charged Tuesday
former sutton of his. bride is stirring
up trouble.
The minister, who came to Cincin-
natl to appear before Judge Charles
w. Hoffman in Domestic Relations
Court Wednesday to explain why he
had used the name of Cox" in his di-
vorce plea and also to explain discrep-
ancies in evidence regarding the
length of separation from his first
wife, said the devil himself is au-
thor of a report that he was alleged to
have said at one time his former wife
and their two children were dead.
Rev. Cocks, who was arrested at
Harrison, O.. last winter because he
kept his church open in defiance of
an order of the Board of Health, also
blames saloon interests for stirring
up his predicament. Rev. Cocks kept
his church open because saloons were
not forced to close.
"My former wife left her home for
the show business while we were
in Kansas" said Rev. Cocks.
mo human being truthfully can
say 1 ever said my wife was dead. l
have always said l lost her and let
people make their own inference. How
long would a preacher last If he went
around telling that his wife had run
away?
"As to the discrepancy in the spell
ing names. My father spelled his
name Cocks, and when boy, after
left home, dropped the long way of
spelling for the shorter way. When
! married it was as Cox. Now, when
my wife left home the last time, l de-
cided that in order to obtain divorce
and avoid publicity 1t would be advis-
able to spell my name as originally.
knew / would have to file the appli-
cation under the same name as I was
married.
81 first met Miss Gill more than
year ago and we began correspond
ing. She has known from the first
that / was separated from my first
wife. l told her the whole story, but
did not tell her folks. She said it was
not necessary that everybody should
know.
when | made application for di-
vorce from my former wife, l asked
it on the ground of absence and ne
glect.
who blames me for protecting my
self?
81 supposed / was within the law
when married Miss Gill; My attorney,
]. Q. Martin did not know anything
about my going to marry.
Miss Gill andssJ had planned to
marry as soon as the case was de-
cided, and when l received card CIV
ing the date of trial, notified her the
marriage would take place Thursday.
when l left the courthouse I was
confident the judge had settled the
case and given me divorce. / wired
Miss Gill and when got to Maysville
all preparations had been made for
the wedding.
81 was as honest as any man on
earth, but ignorant. l had no inten-
ton of doing wrong.
81 have lived with the children for
three years and cooked, patched,
washed and ironed their clothes to
keep them in school.
Where is the man or woman who
could blame a preacher for wanting
a home? have shed many tears
over this, and as sure as there is a
God In heaven he will see me thru 1t.
All this talk is the result of the Har-
rison case last year.
81 was on my way home from Mays
vile with my bride when / saw
notoice that the Judge was withhold
ing the divorce and Immediately sent
MY wife back to her home.
Il hope to have the case settled this
v-aah and 90 hack IN NV hnma In Van