A new article has been added at Newspaper Abstracts > United States > District of Columbia http://www.newspaperabstracts.com/index.php?action=displaycat&catid=323 Direct link to article: http://www.newspaperabstracts.com/link.php?id=34782 Submitted by: Susan Article Title: Washington Post Article Date: December 28 1887 Article Description: Mrs. Bulkley Wants to Annul Her Recent Marriage Article Text: Married But Not a Wife Mrs. Bulkley Wants to Annul Her Recent Marriage A Suit in Which she Figures as Miss Bessie Hillyer, Filed Yesterday – Mr. Bulkley’s Parents Say that They Will Contests the Matter. Another chapter in the affair which has lately been an interesting subject of conversation among the social acquaintances of Miss Bessie Hillyer and Mr. Grassie Bulkley was developed yesterday at City Hall. About noon a bill was filed entitled “Bessie G. Hillyer, by her Next Friend, Curtis J. Hillyer, vs. Grassie Bulkley.” The first thing that attracts attention on opening the document is a certificate of marriage marked “Exhibit A.” It certifies that on the 20th of December 1887, at 1031 East Monument Street, Grassie G. Bulkley and Bessie G. Hillyer were united in marriage in Baltimore. The paper is signed by W. M. Ferguson, pastor, North Baltimore Methodist Episcopal Church. The bill asserts that the complainant, who is 18 years old, and the defendant, aged 20, were married as indicated by the certificate. This marriage ceremony, however, it is claimed, was and is invalid and void, and no legal marriage, in fact, took place, as the complainant never legally consented to it. Such formal consent as was given by her was obtained by fraudulent artifice and misrepresentation, and by threats of such a character as absolutely to deprive her of the power to give a rational consent. Further, the laws of Maryland forbid the celebration of any marriage ceremony in the city of Baltimore except in pursuance of a license previously issued by the Clerk of the Court of Common Pleas, and also provides that no such license shall issue for the marriage of any male person under 21 years of age without the written consent of his parents, properly attested by the signature of two witnesses, or unless the parents go before the clerk and personally consent. The defendant is only 20 years of age, his birthday having occurred in August last. He had not complied with the law as to parental consent and obtained the license by falsely swearing before the clerk that he was 21 years of age. He knew at the time that his statement was false, and made it with the fraudulent purpose of securing an immediate celebration of the marriage, before she could have time to recover such condition of mind as would enable her to act as a free agent. In making this oath, he committed perjury. “By reason of the above facts,” says the bill, “the said marriage was not legal or binding.” There has never been any consummation of the marriage, says the bill, but immediately upon the completion of the ceremony, she returned directly to this city, to the home of her parents (neither of whom had any knowledge of the marriage until her return), where she has since resided without having seen Bulkley. Messrs. J. H. Ralston and William Stewart are Miss Hillyer’s solicitors. A Post reporter called upon Judge Hillyer last evening; but he did not care to supplement the legal steps already taken with an interview, remarking that the proceedings would speak for themselves. There is no attempt on the part of the Bulkley family to claim that Grassie Bulkley is of age. A friend of the Bulkleys said last night that, while Grassie’s hasty action in marrying Miss Hillyer was entirely unexpected and a blow to the family, they would stand by him now that Judge Hillyer had adopted an aggressive course. “Blood is thicker than water,” said the friend, “and when the Bulkley blood is up they will see the thing through to the end. They are to be neither scared nor bulldozed. And I want to say again emphatically that there was not the slightest hint of coercion or undue influence on Grassie Bulkley’s part to persuade the young lady. The legal points I will leave to the lawyers; but how can any one talk of coercion when Miss Hillyer had spent the night at home, left her father’s house, met young Bulkley by previous appointment, rode along with him to Baltimore, went to a minister’s house and was left there by him, while he returned to the depot to meet Nogueiras? During all this time wouldn’t she, a girl of great presence of mind and strong will, have recovered the self-control she is alluded to have lost and refused to proceed? It is absurd to suppose otherwise.” Mrs. Bulkley, the mother of Grassie Bulkley, was seen last evening by a Post reporter. “Dr. Bulkley has been very busy all day attending to his professional duties, and has had but a very brief consultation with his legal adviser. Nothing definite has been determined as to what steps will be taken, or what counsel will be employed. Grassie’s action was a great surprise to us all, but he has always been a dutiful and obedient son, and it would be unnatural for us to stand by and see him maligned by such charges as that he had coerced Miss Hillyer or used undue influence. From what I have seen of her, she seems to have a very decided will of her own. Grassie has neither seen, communicated, nor attempted to communicate with her since their marriage, and he is very sensibly listening to the advice of his parents and elder brothers.” Dr. Bulkley, when seen last, simply said that these were his sentiments. The defendant in the case of Hillyer vs. Bulkley will not be obliged to put in an appearance in court before the 1st of February next, nor to file an answer to the bill served on him yesterday before the 1st of March. Under the most favorable conditions a decree in the case could not be rendered until six months. Rather than keep the public in suspense concerning the probable reply of the defendant, the Post reporter has consulted eminent counsel as to the legal points on the Bulkley side of the case. “In the first place,” said the eminent counsel, “the weight of evidence is presumably against ‘fraudulent artifice, misrepresentations and threats which absolutely deprived her of the power to give a rational consent.’” “The young lady leaves her father’s house alone and commits several specific acts, each of which testify to her willingness to marry young Bulkley. She moreover, by word of mouth, testifies to the same effect in responding to the marriage ceremony. “Second, while the Maryland law forbids the issuing of a marriage license to a minor without the consent of his parents, the injunction and penalty for its infraction rest on the clerk of the court and not on the applicant, nor does its infraction in any degree nullify or invalidate the marriage. There was no perjury on the part of Bulkley, for there was no oath taken. They are married as tightly as the law can do it. “Now if the Bulkleys choose to push this matter, they might, as a first step, young Bulkley suing through his father, get out a write of habeas corpus and have the young lady brought into court to see if she is not acting under restraint, duress, coercion, undue influence, threats, etc., or if she be not restrained of her liberty. Then he could demand the custody of her person. If she should refuse to go with him, he would then have presumable cause for action against Judge Hillyer for alienating the affections of his wife and depriving him of her services and companionship. Oh, no, the case is not one-sided by any means.” The whole matter still affords subject for conversation in social circles. “Grassie didn’t show a bit of sense,” said a blooming 18 year old girl at a K Street reception yesterday. “He ought to have taken Bessie to Philadelphia or New York, put up at the best hotel in the city, waited three or our days, and then telegraphed Judge Hillyer like this: “Dearest Papa: Bessie and I are very well. But this hotel is awfully expensive, and the bill is just running up dreadfully. Please send check. Yours dutifully, Grassie Bulkley.” ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ DC-Old-News ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ NewspaperAbstracts.com - Finding our ancestors in the news! TM http://www.NewspaperAbstracts.com