THE AMAZING MARRIAGE.

Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, Volume XXXIII, Issue 9111, 2 April 1908, Page 7

THE AMAZING MARRIAGE.

An exchange contains the following fuller reference to the case reported yesterday from Dunedin “If two'young men marry each other’s mother, what relation do the two young men bear to each other, to their respective mothers, to their wives, and to themselves?” This was a conundrum propounded by an extraordinary case in the City Police Court to-day, before Mr H. Y. Widdoweon. Two young men had married each other’s mothers, one young man had tired of matrimony, and the other man’s mother was suing for maintenance. Mr J. B. Hawkins appeared for . the complainant, and Mr Downie Stewart for defendant. Complainant, a middle-aged lady, said her name was Sarah Ann Elizabeth M‘Oaughan, and that shelhad several children by a former husband. She had married defendant, aged she believed twenty-one, five fmonths ago. He left her three days after the marriage took place. She resided on her son’s place at Wakari. Her husband did not appear to , have any home of his own, so she told him he could come and help her, and live with her sons, and this he seemed quite satisfied to do. Mr Stewart: Before you married defendant, his mother had married your son? Witness: Yes. So each of the young men is his own stepfather (Laughter.) Witness: Yes; and it’s no laughing matter either. Mr Stewart: There was a good deal of jollification at these weddings, I believe? A voice: Was it Leap Year? (Laughter, and frenzied demands for silence.) Continuing, witness said she only lived on her son’s farm, and went out washing when she could get it to do. She had not asked defendant to marry her. It had been the other way, and he knew what he was doing. She had witnesses to prove that. Her sons had not made things unpleasant for her young husband. There had nob even been an angry word.

Mr Stewart said that the young man, in pique at what his mother had done, had gone"oflf and married his stepfather’s mother. The farm mentioned was in complainant |s name, also a"cottage or so, and it had not been proved that complainant was without adequate means of maintaining herself. The Magistrate: Well, it appears to me that complainant is no worse of than before, except that she has got a husband. T-hdmas Hector M'Gaughan, aged twenty-one, said he married plaintiff last October. She told him that the farm and some cottages were in her name. He had nowhere to take her, bo he consented to live with her. After being married three days, he told his wife that he was “full'up of it.” He could not get on with her sons. She had said: “Ton are foolish to go away,” but had packed his clothes for him. She had treated him more like a son than a husoand. He was now employed at a dairy farm at St. Glair, and got 15s a Week and keep. Other evidence was given to show that the defendant was a weakling, and suffered from asthma and bronchitis, and was only able to work in dry weather. The Magistrate said it was a most extraordinary case. The best thing complainant could do, having married the boy, was to take him home and look after him.

The question of relationship still hung like a cloud over the barristers’ table.