The producers news. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1918-1937, 1929-04-19
FRIDAY, APRIL 10, 1929.
OFFICIAL MEDDLERS

early last autumn
There seems to be ends to what officers will do
when idle to convince the suspicious people that they
really earning their salaries, maybe do to divert
the public attention from what they ought to be doing
but for some reason or other are neglectng
The former Mr. and Mrs. Willis Knight and Mr.. and
Mrs Lawrence Rikansrud are neighbors adjacent
farm in Renve county about twentyeght miles north
west of Minot Both couples the parents of child
rem, quite young
1t occurred that the different spouses to think
of the neighbours mate the case may be than
of his own Finally the couples decided to exchange
consorts Divorces necessary which secured
on grounds of incompatiblity with little difficulty.
Judge Lowe read the pleas and heard the evidence in
the district court at Mnot The wives petitioned while
the husbands defauted Judgments duly docketed
and DEGREES entered.
Laws of North Dakota provide that divorce is not
final until ninety days has elapsed after entry of de-
Thus interesting situation is created by law:
a condition when the divorced person is neither single
married maybe both single and married-one of
those capers of law makers The for this is
public policy that the interest of society is the better
served the divorced parties tarry three months before
again embarking the matrimonial waters. Some
times this interim is annoying and nconvenient.
Thus is proved to the Knights and Rikansruds. Both
ladies had children to look after and both needed roofs
over their heads 1t would have been scandalous for
the divorced spouses to live together after the ties had
reprehensible for Mr. Knight to reside with
Mrs. Knight as it for Mr. Knight to take up his
abode with Mrs Kikansrud.
What was to be done?
There only two homes available! 1t seemed
mpracticable for Mrs Knight with her children try
to make home under the roof with Mrs Rkans
with her babies ninety days during that time
of incompetency. Such arrangement would have
duly endangered the existing friendly relations. 1t
would not have been difficult perhaps for the
who could have bided the time anticipating the
adventure undsturbed by the din of the children But
it would have been waste of time.
Mr. Knight and Mrs Rikansrud and Mr. Rikansrud
and Mrs. Knight did not want to violate the laws of
North Dakota, they did what is done every day by
people in the same difficulty and has been done for
years, they went to place where they could be
married legally without breaking the laws of their
state-it only matter of law anyway.
The contracting parties dressed the children and
themselves in a becoming wedding party,
piled in the and drove over to Manitoba prov
ince of Canada, secured licenses sought minister and
in the presence of their children, Mrs Rkansrud be-
came Mrs. Knight and Mrs. Knight became Mrs Rik-
ansrud each witnessing the contract and marriage of
the other
The newyweds returned to their homes in Renville
county. The former Mrs Knight, Mrs. Rikansrud,
taking up her home the Rikansrud farm and the
former Mrs. Rikansrud, now Mrs. Knight and her
children going to her abode on the Knight farm
Personal effects transferred from house to
the other matter of The affair seemed
closed as far those interested were concerned
The whole procedure proper and legal as far as
the eyes of the law
But the thing was novel. People are not accustom-
ed to such peaceful separations and unions This I'M
usual disturbed the minds of those who are
taught to look upon marriage as a sacrament rather
than simple legal contract To those who look upon
marriage contract solemnized in heaven, this ac-
ton seemed indecent. To those who believe that mar
rage is simple contract yet accustomed to the usual
the affair did not seem just right To the first group
the whole arrangement was immoral but to the second
group it seemed questionable because it was extraor
binary If Willis Knight and Mrs Rkansrud had died
with the flu, and Mrs Knight had almost Immediately
married Lawrence Rikansrud the first group, while
maybe thinking the contracting parties somewhat has
ty, would not have questioned the morality of the act
IT, on the other hand the Knights and the Rikansruds
had had scandalous quarrel and have gone into the
courts and disclosed all of the intimate faults of each
other, eliminated and recrminated and lied and held
each other up to public contempt got divorced
ana having waited the ninety days, married dagonaly
as they did, and each mother had taught her children
That their father was scounrel and william then
IN the minds of the second group things would have
been ordinary and proper. But as it was no one was
just satisfied
The officers in either case would have never noticed
the occurrence.
But the divorce and marriage of the Knights and
Rlkansruds were peaceful, so reasonable-wthal so
sensible they sensational and attracted attention
lar and wide. The press heard the story the facts
were featured in the metropolitan papers. Convention
was shocked the editors edtoralized and the ministers
denounced Even Judge Love- the politician disturbed
because OF his innocent part in the proceedings bowed
to public opinion, referred to the matters as "os
reprehensible"
So trouble brewed for the Knights and Risansruds
The states attorneys of Renvlle and Ward cou,ties
accompanied by the sherfs (why the sheriffs should
De involved or concerned, nobody knows but they went
aiong)' met IN Mnot few days since and had con-
ference to devise misery for the Renvie county
farmers 1t is rumOred that they may prefer charges