Show BY JUSTICES WHO TIE THE KNOT FOR LOVING COUPLES tunny stories gathered in justices offices people prefer a civil mar riago because it Is free from formality and Is less expensive hundreds of couples ire each year united by the justices of the peace of st louis it is almost surprising to what extent people seek this form of civil marriage the two hearts that are made to beat as one by a suave justice are by no means always those of giddy young elopers elo pers as the general public believes what is the reason that so many people prefer a court marriage to a religious one was asked squire frank spaulding 1 I think that in the majority of cases it is because it is so free from formality there is no time lost in making the couple man and wife the form prescribed by the statute does not take more than half a minute to go through with nearly all tho people united by the magistrates are poor and unable and unwilling to go to the expense of buying an extensive wedding outfit they need the money to provide for their own immediate wants then a great number of people are bashful and do not like to stand up in front of a crowd and bo married they can go before a magistrate and be united in the presence of only two or three persons do they always have money for tha fee in nearly every case when they I 1 always make it my duty to marry them anyway what alo they usually give to the magistrate oh it varies the law prescribes a fee but people give different prices usually it is five dollars about a year ago a woman brought a young fellow in here they had a license and he was half scared to death while she was calm and businesslike he say a word while she explained to me what was wanted I 1 made them man and wife she then reached down into a pocket in her dress pulled out a roll of bills and handed me five bollara do llara she then gave her husband a five dollar note saying go on out and treat the squire ive always wondered what kind of a life that poor mans leading now for it was evident that his wife was the head of the family WAST TO BE when I 1 was with squire taft at eleventh and franklin avenue we used to have a great many ludicrous incidents we had so many marriages there that the place got to be known as tho marriage corner one day an intelligent looking young couple came in they had beard that the place was where they should go to get marriage licenses they know anything about that part of the pro gramme the clerk directed them to the recorders office they went and the license and probably it was necessary to go through some additional formality came back to our office squire taft was busy trying a case and at once got down off the bench he knew nothing of tho preceding visit and at once proceeded to go through the ceremony As soon as he pronounced them man and wife the young girl threw up her hands and fell into a chair in dismay great godl what will my mother say this is a protestant marriages marri agel she cried she was a devout catholic and thought she was only going through part of tho forms to secure a license although they were married as tight as the law could do it they were married that night by a catholic priest do you have many runaway couples call upon you was asked not aa many as tha public generally imagine they are generally from out of the city and are tired and weary with the journey and excitement when they arrive several years ago a couple went into squire tafts office he was out and they eat down on a bench to rest they had made a long journey and the first thing the groom did was to go to bleed bleep the little girl at last gave in too she leaned her head upon his breast and both were in tho deepest kind of slumber when tho squire camo in no ono liked to wake them but finally we made enough noise to arouse them A minute later they had been pronounced man and wife the groom laughed merrily over his falling asleep and at tho conclusion of the ceremony said 1 dont know which refreshed me the most going to sleep or getting married FUNNY the funniest incident I 1 know of was the groom that forgot his brides first name it long before wo had that fixed however and they went on their way rejoicing have you ever followed up the after lives of conales you have married no but about half of them follow me up the general impression of the poorer classes is that a man who can marry them can also them I 1 should say that fully five out of very ten couples 1 marry come around again and want a divorce then in a great many cases when the couple have a quarrel the husband tears up the marriage certificate and tells hh wife they are no longer wedded the wife generally cornea around to see mo and I 1 give her a new one 1 remember a couple I 1 married a short time ago they went off on a bridal trip to illinois and had a quarrel about two days after the marriage tbt husband left vowing he was coming back amriet the ay tearing it up dread off iho marriage the wife telegraphed to me not to give him the certificate they made up later and are now living happily together squire taft used to make kiss the bride part of the ceremony one daya young fellow and a woman of about birty came in and when after the ceremony the squire said kiss the bride she revolted im too old for that she said the squire insisted that it was part of the ceremony and she was not married unless it was done so she finally yielded st louis republic |