OCR Text |
Show TROUBLE IN THE TRIM FAMILY. A Typical Utah marriage Neither Had a Legal Bight to Marry, But Still They Went In for Time and EternKr. The trial of Mrs. Maria Argent Trim vs. her polygamous lord and master, Hyram P. Trim, of Sugarhouse ward, Salt Lake City, afforded the only interesting interest-ing news in the Third District Court this forehooh. The complaint, filed some two weeks ago, alleges that the unhappy twain were married here in 1861, and ever since have been and now are husband hus-band and wife. " That there are now living, liv-ing, the issue of said marriage, five children, named Solomon, Amanda, Eunice, Eu-nice, Rosetta and Israel Trim, aged respectively re-spectively 23, 20, 19, 14 and 9 years. Mrs. Trim states that defendant has treated her in a cruel and inhuman manner man-ner by compelling her at one time, while lying sick in bed by thu side of Amanda when but eight days old, to do the work of a man ,in cutting and packing the shingles used in the roof now on the City Hall. Trim also ordered her out of the house in the middle of the night on one occasion while she had a babe in her , arms, for the purpose of bringing home a young girl for a polygamous wife, and he abused her unmercifully because she re fused to go. He has used her cruelly for years past to drive her from the house. Trim is alleged to have driven her put of the house in the middle of the night two years ago, and plaintiff, in a delirious condition sought shelter at the home of her cliildren. Trim is accused of attempting at-tempting to kill plaintiff some time during the year 1881, and Mrs. Trim went before Justice Speirs and had defendant put under bonds to keep the peace for one year. During the past two years the defendant de-fendant has called her a prostitute and his five children bastards. Plaintiff further alleges that defendant is about to dispose of his property or encumber en-cumber it, unless restrained. She further states that she has helped accumulate all the property and has worked in the fields, cutting and sawing and packing shingles. Plaintiff further alleges that she is dependent depen-dent upon the charity of her friends for support. . The defendant Trim, in answer to the lengthy complaint, emphatically denies every allegation, and, further, answering the charges, sets forth , that they were never . lawfully . married, and at the time of the alleged marriage the plaintiff had a lawful husband hus-band then living and from whom she had never been divorced, on account of which the plaintiff was incapacitated and not able or competent to contract herself in marriage with defendant, and is not now his wife. That "at the alleged time of marriage with plaintiff the defendant had another and lawful wife living and undi-vorced, undi-vorced, which disabled him from con-! trading the alleged marriage with plaintiff, plain-tiff, and is not nor ever was her husband. Defendant prayed to be dismissed hence without day and for costs. Mr. C. S. Varian appeared for the defendant, and M. M. Kaighn and C. O. Whittemore acted for the plaintiff. -Mrs. Trim, the plaintiff, Mrs. Bateman and the defendant Hyram Trim, were examined by counsel and gave evidence to the following facts : Plaintiff stated that she came from England, where she left a living and un-divorced un-divorced husband, named Goodwin. She stayed in Brooklyn, New York,about one year, there joined the Mormons and emigrated here. A month after arriving in Salt Lake City she met and married defendant. -Learned of her first husband's hus-band's death ten years after marrying defendant. . Hyram P. Trim was an interesting witness, wit-ness, and stated that he came from Boston, Bos-ton, Massachusetts, where he married Ellen Frj'er, and then falling in with some Mormons, lie joined theiaith and took them to his home. "My wife," said he, "would have nothing to do with the Mormons, and told me to clear out, and I didn't wait any longer, but got out and left her. I don't know whether she is dead or living. I got no divorce from her, and have never heard a word from her since I left. I married Maria in 1861. One of 'the elders united us. . Ten years afterward we were married again in the Endowment House." "Why were you married a second time?" "Because the Mormon religion runs that way. If a man is not sealed to his women ne is omy married for this world, and through time and eternity he will be a hewer of wood, a carrier of water and such. I am no longer a Mormon, but can't say as to the plaintiff." Defendant further stated that he has about $4,500 worth of this world's goods, and desires peace. The examination was proceeded with this afternoon by recalling the defendant to the stand in order to establish the time of the second, or celestial marriage, which took place in the Endowment House. Mr. Trim said he fixed the date from the birth of his son Israel ; the marriage mar-riage was in accordance with the Mormon religion for the purpose of reaping celestial celes-tial glory through all time and eternity. Solomon Trim, a son, 22 vears of age fixed the year the letter was received from England, announcing the death Goodwin, his mother's first husband, hus-band, by the birth of his brother Israel as being in 1876. llamtitt Mrs. Trim, was called back to the stand, and said she fixed the marriage in the Endowment House by Israel's birth, which took place a very few months after the second marriage. The letter simply announced that Goodwin had died in the hospital and was buried. The celestial marriage was to perfect our lives for eternity. The defense introduced an amendment to the complaint, relative to the second marriage, which was allowed. The.Conrt reviewed the testimony and ruled that Mm. Trim be allowed $100 for witness fees and the costs of action to enable her to present her case to the ! Court. Mr. Varian requested the case down for hearing at any time in the near future. and, the defense concurring, Thursday of this week at 10 o'clock was set for "the time of hearing. . |