WEDDED HIS NIECE 1901

ATWOOD

Posted By: Cheryl Locher Moonen (email)
Date: 12/22/2016 at 18:14:50

Dubuque Daily Telegraph – April 4, 1901

WEDDED HIS NIECE
~
Two Orphans That Wedded
Discovered That They are
Closely Related
~
Des Moines, April 4. – The facts concerning a peculiar complication in the matter of marriages came to light here today in the filing of a petition for divorce by a Minneapolis man, the defendant being a married woman of this city. It seems that five years ago Jacob Atwood came from an eastern state and settled. He met a Miss Jeanette Atwood and in due time they were married, both were orphans and knew little of their families, but after a time it became whispered that they were closely related and their marriage was one forbidden by the Minnesota statutes. Investigation followed and after considerable correspondence they discovered that Atwood had married his niece, although she is several years his senior. They immediately separated but as gossip did not cease in the neighborhood she came to Des Moines a few years ago. Under Minnesota law the marriage was illegal. She met a prosperous Des Moines man and was wedded again.

Now Atwood desires also to marry again and he today filed a petition for divorce, which seems to be required under Minnesota law, even though the marriage was illegal. When the papers were served on the woman here she declared that her present husband knows nothing of the former mismatting, but the divorce will be quietly granted in due time.