The Peculiar Case

A pecnliar case resulting fiom a secret marriage was settled in the circuit oourt on Monday when Jndge Kinne handed down his decisión in the action brought byMrs. Mariao L. Lawrence, ofjYpsilanti.to foreclose a mortgage on the premises of the late George N. B. Renwiok, of Saleru. When the claim carne on for hearing, Mary Matilda Sinith set op a claim to homestead and dower rights in tlie estáte, to take precedence to the mortgage, as widow of the deceased. Pioofs showed that the defeudant had entered the eruployrnent of Renwiek when she was 18 years oíd and had lived with him as honsekeeper nntil April 13, 1872, on whioh date she was married to him in Detroit. On their way home on that day an aooident happened to the train on which tbey were aod a satehel which contained the marriage certifícate was stolen. She gave the ñames of the minister and of tbe two witnesses to the marriage, bnt one of them is dead and the otbers have been lost sight of. Renwick, however, kept a diary and it contained an entry that on April 13, 1872, he and Miss. Smith went to Detroit, bnt it oontained no suggestion of a marriage. The testimony of Dr. Walker, of Salem, was intrudnced and sbowed that her husband had been oalled at one time by Mr. Renwiok, who stated that he wanted him to come and see "his wife. " Among Mr. Reawlck's papers after he was dead was fcmud a letter to Jndge W. D. Harriman, which had never been sent, asking him to "take care of the interests of his wife, Tillie. " The testimony for the coruplainant, given by neighbors of Mr. Renwiok, showed that he bad always been considered to be a bachelor. At the time the mortgage was given Renwiok was asbed by the attorney if he was a married raau and hesaid"No, " lama bachelor. The decisión of the oourt found that Mary Matilda Smith was what she claimed to be the widow of Renwiok and entitled to the dower and homestead rigbts that sbe claimed.