SECRET MARRIAGES

Shannon News, 6 February 1925, Page 4

SECRET MARRIAGES

WILL REVELATIONS MYSTERY OF HIDDEN WIVES. There are few stranger romances in real life than those of men Who masquerade as bachelors while they are legally weded to women whose existence is concerned from the world. That the late ‘Mr Cleveland Master-, man, a wealthy resident of South Shields (England) was a married mhn wite never suspected by hi® many friends and acquaintances. He was looked upon as the most confirmed of celibates until, on his death recently, at the age of 81, it was revealed that for nearly forty years he had been the lawfully-wedded husband of “Mrs Broom,” who was known as his house, keeper. And Air Masterman was only one of many men who have led this dual life to their last day, posing as bachelors, while they are husbands of hidden wives. There was probably never, so far as the world knew, a more crusty bachelor than Mr B-— —who died ta few years ago in a north country village. Although a man of some wealth, he lived in a small cottage With a man servant to attend to his simple wants; and so great was his aversion to women that not one was ever allowed to cross his threshold. When at last he died, well advanced in years, it was found that he had left an annuity of £IOO to “my wife, on the same conditions as those under which she had enjoyed it during my lifetime— 1 -namely that she should ; never come within 100 miles of me, dead or alive.” Formal Courtesy. a ;ow years ago' there were living at opposite ends of a Yorkshire village Mr C —, an apparently well-to-do bachelor, and Miss M —, who, whenever they met treated each other with a formal, old-fashioned courtesy, and were regarded by the villagers more as acquaintances than friends.

Their astonishment, may thus be imagined; when on Mr C—’s death it .was discovered that lie had left all he possessed to "my lawful wife, common iy known as Miss M —,' of this village, to whom I was married in the City of York many years ago, but who, for reasons which need not be explained, had never lived with me or been known as my wife.' At the recent '.funeral of a gi'Oom in the Midlands, a very dramatic scene was witnessed. As the coffin was being lowered into' the grave, the dead man’s employer, ichanjoing to] sOK>k round, saw his daughter, dressed in black and weeping' bitterly, just behind him. ‘What are you doing here?'’ he whispered angrily. "Why did you come?” ‘"Why?” answered the girl, her voice, broken with sofe •'because 1 am his wife!”

Of another secret marriage, the following amusing story is told: A few year,-, ago a venerable white-haired man came to live in a London suburb with a pretty young girl, of whom he spoke as his grandmother. It was not long before the girl’s beauty and charm affected many admirers, much to the old gentleman’s annoyance, which reached its climax one , day when he threatened to horsewhip the most persistent of them if he did not cease his'unwelcome attentions.

‘‘May 1 ask, sir, said the indignant M>ung man, “by what right you prevent me from paying honourable attentions to your granddaughter?” ‘‘You can pay what attentions you