The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1932-12-15
BLAME STATE AND CHURCH
FOR ACTS OF BLUE BEARD
Presbytery Says Lax Marriage
Laws Made Killings Possible
To Ask For Stricter Statutes
REV. BROCK ON COMMITTEE

The State, church and every citizen
of Maryland were accessory to the
crime of William E. Powers, the So
called Blubeard of Clarksburg, West
Va, it is commended in a report on
Maryland marriage laws presented
by Rev. Walter B. Brock, of Oakland,
and DR.. Hugh Lenox Hodge, of Bal
timore, before the Presbytery of Bal
timore on Tuesday afternoon
zone of the most shocking crimes
in recent times was the wholesale
butchery by William E Powers, no.
torious Bluebeard, of Clarksburg, w.
Va, of various widows and their chill
dren, attracted through matrimonial
bureaus and murdered for the pur-
pose of obtaining their property" the
report said.
State Is Indicted
'Mr. Powers final matrimonial adj
venture was solemnized with the
blessing of the church in the town Of
Oakland, Nd. The State of Mary
land, in our opinion, and, we believe,
in the judgment of God, stands as ac-
cessory to this crime, by making it
possible for persons to enter the
State, obtain a marriage license from
the Clerk of the Circuit Court of any
county on the basis of no other infor-
nation or misinformation than that
which one of the parties may be
pleased to present and be married
within ten minutes by any clergy
man.
"The church is also accessory to
this crime by allowing such state
of affairs to exist without energetic
protest. And every citizen Of Mary
land, whose Indifference, or, in some
instances, whose cupidity condones
this condition, is an accomplice to the
: crime.
Says Other Tragedies Exist
"This is the most publicized tragedy
that may be laid to laxness of the
Maryland system of granting mar
rage licenses. But it is not the only
tragedy. On the contrary, we believe
that scarcely day passes that does
not record the consummation of an
unwise or illegal marriage in the
State of Maryland, entailing a life of
suffering and sorrow for some person
and perhaps for several persons, that
would have been prevented by more
intelligent laws more intelligently ad-
ministered."
The reports made by DR.. Hodge
as chairman of a special committee
appointed to study Maryland marri
age laws was received and adopted by
the Presbytery at the morning ses-
sion.
To Urge Law Change
In the afternoon the Presbytery
adopted resolutions urging the Mary
land Legislature to consider revision
of the marriage laws so as to require
the expiration of seventy-two hours
from the time of making application
for marriage license to the deliver
ing of the license to the applicant.
1t was left to the committee, of which
DR.. Hodge is chairman, and Rev. w.
B, Brock a member, to carry out the
provisions of the resolutions, by see
ing that the resolution was presented
to the Legislature.
The resolutions suggest that pro-
vision be made in the law for the
Judge of a court to waive the time
provision at his discretion and in
such cases issue license immedi-
.ately.
The report read by DR.. Hodge also
expressed the belief that reform OF
marriage laws and practices is the
only intelligent and effective method
of reforming the divorce scandal OF
America"
Originate With Clerk
4'Many divorce actions really begin
when the county clerk issues the mar
riage license" the report continued.
"'The county clerk himself, if he knew
the real facts in the case-viz., he
redity, insanity, diseases, perjured
misstatements of age or residence or
srace-would realize that such a mar
riage would never endure and ought
never to be entered into in the first
instance.
"The proverbial ounce of prevention
would be infinitely more effective and
certainly much more humane than
many pounds of stricter divorce laws
Aud surely the pulpit has little right
to condemn the individual guilty par,
ties as long as the pulpit has nothing
to say about the indefensible condl'
lions which make possible these do
((Continued on Page Four)