Blandford Weekly News. — 1889-04-20 (Blandford, Dorset, England)

ABOUT GERMAN MARRIAGES.  Some interesting statistics from the register of marriages in Berlin during 1887 have, says the correspondent of the Daily Telegraph, just been published. Of the 15,209 couples who gave one another the hand for better or worse," 13,246 were bachelors and 13,806 spinsters; 1,808 widowers or divorced men, and 1,325 widows and divorced women, thought fit to try a second chance; 145 men and 74 women took a third leap; and 10 men and four women were found to be so devoted to the married state that they risked a fourth trial. It is very noteworthy how few young marriages take place in this capital. The necessity to serve in the army and the scarcity of the needful sinews of war are the two primary causes which nullify the possibility of these indiscreet unions; but apart from that the habits of the people in all classes Of society are in general against them. The two youngest Bonediets were 19 years of age; whilst there were 27 Beatrices who had turned 16, 89 were 17, 247 were 18, and 558 were in their 20th year. Ten of the eldest bridegrooms were over 70, the oldest being 77, who chose a helpmate of nearly 70, and the oldest bride, who had already turned is, selected a supporter younger than herself by about 20 years. The average age of the bridegrooms was between 25 and 30; and the corresponding age of the brides between 20 and 25. Nearly 50 per cent, of the young husbands were only five years older than their wives, but 54 of them married girls 30 years younger than themselves. As a counterpart to these latter cases there was one of a lady nearly 65 years of age, who found a husband 40 years her junior. Uncles are allowed in Germany to marry their nieces, and nephews to marry their aunts ; but there was only one case of the latter and eight of the former registered. It is also noteworthy that amongst those married 226 of the husbands and 169 of the wives were subjects of foreign non-German countries.  The American despatches just received at Queenstown contain intelligence of the murder of an Englishman, named J. R. King, his wife, and six chatlren, in their farmhouse, Titus, county Texas, and the arrest of King's cousin and son-in-law charged with perpetrating the dreadful tragedy. The latter had eloped with Ring's eldest daughter, forged a marriage licence and married her, and it is thought that the fear of being prosecuted for the forgery had -.mused him to commit the murders. He admitted having killed King and his wife, and alleged that a man named Frank Schulze killed the six children with an axe, and then set fire to the house. A native gentleman of Bombay has contributed Ra. 10,000 towards the founding of a female dispensary in connection with the Grant medical hospital.  A shocking murder, telegraphs the Paris correspon..ent of the Daily News, has occurred in the Marion Blanche district. The victim, a young woman of 25, a confirmed drunkard, lived in a lodging-house. Early in the morning the landlady, perceiving her lodger's door to be ajar, looked into the room, and saw the young woman lying dressed upon the fluor with her head resting upon her hand, apparently asleep. The landlady took her up in her arms, to lay her on the bed, and discovered that she was dead. There were scratches and finger-marks on the neck. The murder was probably committed with intent to rob, SIA the victim. pocket, were torn out. No clue to the mu,'" hit. been fooncl.