The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1923-08-02
Mrs. Ratobielski Thought
She Was Only Giving
Children Name. {
WAS NOT MARRIAGE
On Her Statement Judge An
nuIs the Ceremony which
Leagalized the Marriage.

Really, one had to smile at Katy
Ratobielski, and smile at the ways of
women. There she sat on the witness
stand in the court room,' stranger
unable to speak the language but We
hement in her expression through the
Interpreter, and ABSOLUTELY sure OF what
she wanted. As result Judge Slater
found that she was not married and
was again a single woman.
Her face was pale under the little
gay Powered hat, but she managed to
tell the court that on May 8, 1928, she
had no idea and no intention Of mar
rying Paul Ratobielski. She and Paul
had lived together for ten yeafs, and
were the parents of two well-mannered
and well-cared for little boys, Nick
and Peter Alfred, but she did not love
Paul any more, didn't want to live
with him, and above all, repudiated
the marriage which had been ar
ranged by the authorities and which
had taken place last may.
Thought it Was for the Boys.
81 thought we were signing papers
for the boys" she said, so that they
would get name. That is what ev-
erybody said. didn't know I was get
ting myself married"
The police and other officials, after
discovering the relation that existed
after Paul had Spilled the beans"
had indeed backed up Paul in his urg-
ent desire to be married in order to
have the rights under the law of IA
Their and head of the family.
But Paul with his marriage propos-
al came just ten years too late. Katy
told the court that down in Buenos
Aires, Argentine, where they first set
up housekeeping, Paul had been a
bolshevik and told her that the. boil
sheviki way of marriage was just that
each promise the other faithfulness
and that was all there was to it. She
said that she did not know whether
or not, Paul chung to the bolsheviki
theory still.
Paul on the witness stand later de-
MED he was or ever had been a boil
shevik.
Found She Was Married.
R. v. Baker, who as county judge
had granted statutory dispensation
and oficiated at the marriage of the
couple, sincerely believing at the time
it was to their interests, and who
now represented Paul in the court
room as counsel, sought to refresh
Katy's recollections as to the events
of that marriage day. He asked her
If she didn't hear what was read to
her which was translated by the Po-
lish interpreter at the time.
81 was so full of tears" said Katy,
shat 1 hardly knew what they were
saying, but I understood it was for
the children. When we came out they
told me, one woman that is here to-
day and other people, that / was mar
ried, and that I had gotten myself
married, and 1 said No! ThaSsI was
only giving the children name"
Would you have married Paul if
you understood" asked Katy's attor-
ney.
NO." she answered positively.
Didn't you," interposed Attorney
Baker, "think it was wrong to live
that way with Paul Ratobielski and
have children and not be married to
him ~
"Then why didn't he marry me
long ago in the beginning? flashed
back Katy with true feminine logic.
The situation was that Katy no
longer loved Paul, she would not live
with him or be his wife. She wanted
only to do what was right to the chill
dren but did not wish Paul to be made
legally their father at the sacrifice of
herself.
Katy Has Bank Account.
One Of the troubles of the couple
and perhaps the chief one was. shown
to have arisen over the fact that Paul
laid claim to the money that was in
the bank which Katy declared she had
saved out of her earnings from keep
ing boarders. This amounted to
$1,000. Paul insisted that this was
his money. However, Attorney Vau
dreuil for Mrs. Ratobielski was able
to show that Paul had had his own
bank account at the same bank and
that during last April he withdrew
his deposit, and then sought to lay
claim to the bank account Of his
wife.
Judge Slater held at the close of the
testimony that Katy Rstbielski had
not married Paul on May 8, 1923, and
that she was free individual, and
also that $1,000 of the sum in the
bank was hers and 5000 Paul's. 1t
was ordered that $500 Of the sum in
the bank be- held in trust and given
out each week at the rate of SO
week.
Katy had won out.