The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1920-07-29
Marriage of Karthryn
Durkin and VIM. Thomas
Halted at Altar.
BRIDEGROOM FAILED
Friends Wait at Church in
Vain and Later Reported
Former Wife Interfered.

Kenosha on Monday when the marriage
of Miss Katharyn Durkin, daughter
of Mrs. Jennie Durkin, 258 South
West Main street and William B.
Thomas Of Racine, was interrupted
at the marriage altar.
Miss Durkin, just a slip Of girl
and about eighteen years of age, is at
her home today trying to forget, while
Thomas is believed to be in Racine
making an effort to find an excuse for
his failure to apprise the young woman
that he already had a wife and that
his efforts to enter into new marriage
contract were outside the plane of the
law. Thomas failed to appear when the
time came for the celebration of the
marriage ceremony and later through
agencies of the police department. the
reason for his delinquency was found.
Friends Wait in Vain.
The plans for the marriage Of Miss
Durkin and Thomas were made some
time ago and the hour set for the cere-
mony was eight o'clock Monday morn
ing. At that hour the Rev. R. j. Smith
waited in the chancel at st. James
church to perform the ceremony. The
bride and her attendants fingered in
the vestibule of the church waiting for
the interesting march to the altar and
a score of friends of the bride and
groom were waiting in the main body
of the church to witness the ceremony.
But the groom did not come. It was
thought possible that he might have
missed car out of Racine and for
nearly an hour the bride and the
priest and the assembled guests waited
at the church for the appearance of
the bridegroom. Then an appeal was
made to the police department to seek
Thomas, it being feared that he might
have met with an accident.
Had Wife in Racine.
Just little later the little company
of guests were dismissed and the MEM
bers of the bridal party left the church
and it was stated that the investiga-
ton had brought the fact that Thomas
had a wife in Racine. None of the
people connected with the case ex-
pressed any desire to talk about it
today. It was said that the young lady
who had been cruelty misled was pros
trated and did not care to see any one
but her closest friends and that she
did not care to make any statement in
regard to the failure Of her romance.
From people who knew both the bride
and groom it was learned that Miss
Durkin had known Thomas for more
than year and that they had been
keeping company for most of this time.
There had been no secrecy in regard to
the plans for the wedding and it had
been formally announced in the church
and to the friends Of the young woman
Made Affidavit for License
Thomas had been in Kenosha on Sun
day night and had been enthusiastic
over the plans for the wedding which
had been set for Monday morning
He gave no hint Of the possibility of
his failure to appear for the cere-
monv. Some time ago Thomas appear
ed at the Office of the county clerk with
MISS DurkIn to secure a license for the
marriage. At that time he declared
in an affidavit that there was no i'm
pediment to his marriage to the Keno
sha young woman The records at the
court house say that Thomas is car
penter twenty-three years of age and
that he is the son of Max Thomas.
The record indicated that this was to
have been his first" marriage.
Such cloak of secrecy was thrown
about the case after the failure of
Thomas to appear for the ceremony
that little could be learned of the in
innate facts in regard to the life of
Thomas. 1t was admitted that Thomas
could not be found in Racine, but
that it was not believed that he
had left the city.
Reports said that the delinquency of
Thomas was due to the fact that he
did not have clear understanding of
his relations with former wife. 1t
was said that they had separated
shortly after the marriage ceremony
and that Thomas had believed that he
was free to marry. Evidently he dis
covered his mistake just before the
hour set for the ceremony. Friends Of
Miss Durkin intimated that no prose
cution was anticipated. 1t was sug-
gested that Thomas might be charged
with perjury in connection with his
securing the license, but the police
officers sail today that they had re-
ceievd no request for any arrest Of ths
man on any charge