A MARRIAGE ROMANCE.

Alexandra Herald and Central Otago Gazette, Issue 1210, 3 December 1919, Page 2

A MARRIAGE ROMANCE.

HAPPY SEQUEL TO AN ELOPEMENT. DRAMATIC INCIDENT IN AN EDINBURGH CHURCH. A quiet, wedding, with a dramatic incident at tho oloso of the ccremonw in. St. Andrew's Parish 'Church, George street, Edinburgh (says a Scottish paper to hand last week), formed a romantic sequel to the elopement' of an English girl residing at Gloucester;, with a demobilised American Army officer in May last. Their experiences leading up to the happy event savoured more of the pages of fiction or a cinema plot than real life. It will be recalled that a fortnight ago the American, whose name is Raymond J.*.e Hiles, and his wife, were charged at Edinburgh 'Sheriff Court- with suborning two witnesses to make a false statement before the Sheriff that the parties had been resident in Scotland for 21 days prior to the date, of their application i'or a certificate of i'i;:rriugo on May 13, 191!). Hiles vas

sentenced to two months'-imprison-ment, and the two hotel porters who noted as witnesses were-sent to prison for one month for making false statements to the Court. . An Interrupted Honeymoon. It \vus._es]>!.'HEed" in Court tti.it Hill lies, who is 34, met his future wife at, Gloucester in November. 19.17, anil later proposed to her and was accepted. After seeing service in. France, stul being demobilised in America subsequent to the Armistice, he returac;] to £ll gland with the intention of immediate marriage. The girl's parents, however, would not give their co-nscai 1u the marriage until she had reached the age of 20—she is now 18. The decision to elope was then made by the young couple. Under the mistaken impression that marriages- were s'iil as easily contracted in Scotland as in the romantic days of Gretna Green, rliey crossed the Border and came to Edinburgh. They had overlooked the law of 135t>, however, which requires that one of the contracting parties must reside in .Scotland three weeks previous to the proposed marriage. They were thus placed in an awkward dilemma. Anxious to protect the young iady : s honour, Mr lliles rashly decided ou i!)-..' i-ourse of action which brought him within reach of the law. Immediately after this form of marriage they returned to England, where the honeymoon was spent, and a passage booked on the Olympic, which was to sail for America on June O'th.- Two hours before the happy couple were due to leave Southampton two Edinburgh detectives stepped across the gangway cf the Olympic with a warrant for their arrest. It was a sad blow to their hopes, and the subsequent trial and conviction filled their cup of bitterness to overflowing.

In view oi' the unusual circumstances of the caso Mr U. M'Laren Henderson, solicitor. who has acted throughout ns agent for Mr Hiles, presented a memorial on the mutter to the Secretary for .Scotland, pointing out all the circumstances. The matter was also taken up by the Kev. George Christie, minister oi' fit'. .Andrew's Parish Church, whoso advice had been sought through a member of hi-s congregation. The yotniy cohple expressed anxiety to repair their initial error", and tosiret lo go through a,.marriage in legal i'orju at the earliest possible moment. This could not bo arranged for some days. According to the practice oj" the Church of Scotland fifteen days-' previous losideuco in Scotland are necessary as a domiciliary qualification! before the marriage banns can hp proclaimed, and thoreaftor 18 hours .must elapse before the ceremony. July Ist was therefore the date fixed for the vtcdding, provided the consent of the Prison Commissioners could be obtained to the temporary release of Mr Hiles for tho purpose. Meantime the consent of Mrs Hiles-V parents hud been obtained, and authority was giycn by the Prison Commissioners for the -marriage to take place. On the proclamation forms, Mr Hiles's address in America was given, and Mrs Hiles'a address was stated as JIG George- si reef, tho headquarters of the Young \\ omen's Christian Association, where she had been in residein*e, ,

Dramatic Moment In Churcli. As the (mutter had been kept quiet, there were no members of the general public, present in tho church. Mr Hiles arrived from the prison in civilian clothes, escorted by a p'risoii»'ofilcinl, also m mufti. The best man, Mr Legato, is a relative of the bridegroom, and is 'connected with the American Y.M.'C.A. in London. Mrs M'Laren Henderson acted as bridesmaid, and Mr M'Laren. Henderson; gave the bride away. Th,. marriage was then duly solemnised, the Uov. Mr Christie officiating. Thereafter the parties retired to tho vestry to sign the forms of registration; it was then that a dramatic and pleasant surprise came. Ala-' jor Monro, the Governor of the Gallon Jail, appeared In the room, and after the marriugc form had been completed, ho drew a document from his pocket, and announced that the Secretary fur Scotland had consented to the immediate liberation of. Mr Hiles and the two hotel porters. It was a tense moment, anj the actors in this drama of real life were deeply moved. Mrs' Hiles swooned .and had to be assisted to a chair. She soon came round, however, and general congratulations followed.

_ The happy couple were present,at ii danco the same night in the American. Y.SL'C.A. Hut, St.- Andrew Square. .H is their .intention to resume their interrupted journey to Now York its soon as their passages' can be arranged. In the course of an interview, ; Mr. Ililes said .ho; had . been most fiiiriv and courteously "r treated through-ut, and he would leave, Edinburgh vaiJi«ni.i any foejijjg of ill-wlil. He now realised the nature;of his-offence, but it had been committed with the best iu-

tent-ions. Ills desire, wheal lie realised the predicament they wore- in on their arrival in Edintouigh, was to avoid compromising - the character- of his intended wife. It had brought much trouble, ok their shoulders, but 'all's well that, ends well,-' he remarked with 'M smile.