SAD SEQUAL TO AN ILLEGAL MARRIAGE.

Samoa Times and South Sea Gazette, Volume 2, Issue 79, 5 April 1879, Page 3

SAD SEQUAL TO AN ILLEGAL MARRIAGE.

A twmMlt»M# fame, ■ Hhwtrating tho folly of people contracting fcarriagrs In which thaw U no legal tie, canio under

the notice of Messrs H. H. Hornby and j J. tx, Livingstone, iu th* the Liverpool Police-court recently. At well known, | many persona have married their deceased wives' sisters or their deceased husbands'! brothers, feeling that they thus incur no moral obloquy, and having tufficleht confidence in each other to trust in the permanence of the tie of affection. After the case brought under magisterial notice however, it may be expected that in future there will be more hesitancy in entering into these illegal alliances. John Mitchell, who was said to be a master chair-maker, carrying On business in Beau-street; was summoned to shew cause why be should not contribute to the maintenance of two children', of which he was the putative father. Mr. R. 11. Bart let t, who appeared for the complainant; said the case was one of the most melancholy which had ever come before the Court; The complainant was married to the defendants brother twenty years ago; but he died shortly afterwards, and she was then married to the defendant at St Nicholas's Church. From that time, 22 years ago, up till nine wtteks since they have lived together, and she had had nine children, five of whom were now alive, their ages being respectively 10', 14, 13, and 4 years and 15 months. About nine weeks ago defendent left the complaint and married another woman and as her marriage with him as her first husband's brother »'as illegal, she had no remedy except to ask .the magistrates to order the defendant to contribute to the maintenance of the two children, the three eldest being so near the ages at which the defendant's liability for their support would cease, that he (Mr. Bartleet) did not think it necessary to moke any application in their cases. Another unfortunate feature of the matter was that the complainant was again near her confinement. The defendant acknowledged the paternity of the children, and that he had lived with the complainant as her husband for about 22 years. The Bench ordered the defendant to pay 5s per week for each of tie two children; and one guinea as the solicitor's costs.