A SINGULAR MARRIAGE STORY.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 3568, 15 December 1882, Page 4

A SINGULAR MARRIAGE STORY.

A marriage of a very extraordinary character took place a few months ago at Sheffield between a local solicitor, Mr E. Knowles Binns, a member of the Sheffield Town Council and Sheffield Board of Q-uardians, and Mrs Ada Caroline Milne, widow, of Tunbridge Wells. Two months ago Mrs Milne, who possesses a fortune of £18,000, advertised her wish to again get married. The advertisement fell into the hands of Mr Binns, who en<

tared into correspondence with the lady. An appointment was made, and Mr Binns met the lady at Tunbridge Wells. The interview was interrupted by the appearance of Mr F. Liebert, the brother of the lady, who, believing that his sister was not responsible for her actions, as she had already been confined in an asylum, took energetic measures to defeat the intentions of her suitor, who at his hands received summary chastisement. He was thrashed and kicked out of the house, and the thrashing was repeated at the railway station. Mr Binns, returning to Sheffield, wrote to the lady for "some explanation why your brother should have thought fit to insult me in the way he did," and received a stern reply from the brother himself, who opened the letter. Mr Binns, however, persevered in his intentions. Early this month the lady, -who had taken up her residence at a convent at Folkstone, suddenly left and went to Sheffield. Here secret arrangements were made for a marriage by special license. In an interview with the clergyman the question of the lady's sanity was mentioned, whereupon Mr Binns produced three medical certificates all pronouncing her sane, and as he was prepared to make the declaration necessary to be made before a license could be obtained, the vicar had no option but to grant the license. Mr Liebert, hearing of his sister's contemplated marriage, went at once to Sheffield, and, as soon as he was aware that an attempt would be made to have the marriage ceremony performed, he took steps to prevent it. A carriage-and-pair were in waiting at the church gates, and a number of men were employed for the purpose of forcibly seizing Mrs Milne and to put her into the carriage and drive her away until such time as an injunction could be obtained restraining the marriage on the ground of the lady not being in a fit and sound state of mind. On the day of the marriage Mr Binns, however, had taken effective steps to prevent a breach of the peace. On the lady alighting from the carriage which conveyed her to the church, her brother stepped forward and seized her by the arm, and asked her to go with him, but she refused. The police held him back, and the lady then entered the church, chased by her brother as soon as he got free from the constables. Mr Binns, the bridegroom, entered the church soon after, and the wedding ceremony proceeded quietly until the words, " If any man can show any -just cause why they may not lawfully be joined together, let him now speak, or else hereafter for ever hold his peace." Mr Liebert then stepped forward and made a whispered statement to the vicar, the purport of which was that the lady was of unsound mind, and that if time were granted he could prove the truth of bis assertion. Canon Blakeney, who was performing the ceremony, replied that Mr Binns possessed medical certificates from three leading Sheffield practitioners, and that he was bound to proceed with the marriage unless "just cause" could be shown against it. Mr Liebert repeated his remonstrances again and again, but in vain, and the ceremony was proceeded with to the end. Mr Liebert was much affected, and leant his head on one of tbe pews weeping bitterly. The affair has created a great sensation in Sheffield, where Mr Binns, owing to his public position and his standing as a solicitor, is well known.