The Washington times., 1922-12-26
MAN WEOS
ILLEGAL
KIN
Makes Stepmother His Bride
and Runs Foul Of Dis
trict Code.

Cupid and the law clashed today
in. the first round Of what is GER
tain to, be a matrimonial tangle,
the end of which is yet to be
solved. .
In tie first skirmish Cupid,
bearing In mind the maxim that
possession is nine points in the
law, appears to have been the
victor.
Laughed at Law.
The law said they could not
marry. but they laughed at the law,
and somewhere in Washington or
en- route from here on their honey
moon. stepmother and stepson are
happy in the belief that their mar
riage this morning in Judge Robert
E. Mattingly's court was the tie
that binds and that they are on
their way to welded bliss.
The marriage, one of the queerest
in the District. is that Of Seba l..
Christie, twenty-eight years old. OF
GOT o street northwest, to- bis step
mother, Bessie Lee Christie, forty
two years old. Of the same address.
The couple appeared before Col.
w. A. Kroll. marriage license clerk
Of the District, and secured a IL
cense.
The license was issued; the cou-
pie. clutching the paper, sped down
the corridor into an elevator. then
went into the office Of Judge Mat
tingly. produced the license. paid
their SO marriage fee, and left.
So far so good, but
Shortly after the license had been
granted 1t was discovered that the
youthful husband was the stepson
Of Mrs. Christie.
Third Marriage.
This is her third marital venture.
Her first husband died: the second.
Christie, had been divorced. Cupid's
dart, however, found it's third mark.
and their application for the license
was not questioned. 1t being quite
common for people of the same name
to marry.
After the discovery of the rela-
tionship was made, efforts to locate
the pair were begun. However, on
inquiry of Judge Mattingly 1t was
found that the couple had already
been married and had left.
An attache Of the court was dis.
patched to the couples home on
o street. They were informed, how
ever, by neighbors that the man
and his stepmother had gone out
early in the day and had not re-
turned. They knew nothing Of the
marriage.
Marriage Is Void.
The law, according to court at.
taches. Is specific on the point and
does not make exception as to
blood relationship" but states that
the marriage is null and void"
from it's inception and does not
have to be annulled.
"They simply are not married,
despite the license and the mar.
riage ceremony" lawyers stated.
who were discussing the strange
case. declared to be the first of it's
kind in the District.
"The Christies were waiting for
me when / reached my office to-
day" said Judge Mattingly. "They
seemed to be refined. educated peo.
pie of pleasing appearance. There
was nothing on the face OF the
document or In their actions to
arouse my suspicious.
Although their names arc sim.
liar. I have so often married per-
sons Of similar names that
thought no inquiry as to this fea.
ture was necessary. In fact. 7 have
no right to ask questions unless
have well-defined doubts.
"I regard this affair as unfortu.
nate. and 7 am sure Colonel Kron
does. had absolutely no idea that
the Christies were related beyond
the degres prescribed by law. and
.c, 80 Kroll didn't