Ancient News, April 1916, An April Wedding 95 years ago

The following was found in the Sun Journal for April 18, 1916:

ALLEGES PERJURY IN CONNECTION WITH MARRIAGE LICENSE

S.E. Jones, of Zorah, Told the Register Miss Knox Was Eighteen.

MAN UNDER ARREST IS NOT THE BRIDEGROOM

  When S.E. Jones, of Zorah, this county, came over to New Bern last Saturday morning and told Register of Deeds S.H. Fowler that Miss Mary Knox, also of Zorah and the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. C.B. Knox of that place, was eighteen years of age and that he desired to secure a license permitting her to become the bride of Mr. Mack Wetherington, he probably did not think he would face a jury at the next term of Craven Court and explain why he said the young woman was eighteen years of age when she is only fifteen. However, such he will do.
  Mr. Jones secured the License and the wedding took place Sunday night at Ernul, being performed by 'Squire C.J. Heath. The parents of the bride, when they heard of the affair, decided to do about and they did, in fact their doing resulted in a warrant being sworn out for Jones charging him with perjury and today he appeared before 'Squire C.K. Hancock, this county, to answer to the charge.
  The bride's parents swore that she was fifteen years of age, that her birthday occurred last March and that it was their belief that the whole scheme was a concocted plan. Mr. Jones testified to the effect that he thought the bride was of age, that she had told him so and that he had no reason to believe otherwise.
  The affair culminated in 'Squire Hancock finding probable cause and binding Jones over to court under a bond of one hundred dollars, which he gave.

S.E. Jones was Shady Elcaney Jones, son of Azariah Jones and Sarah Jane Toler. He was born in Beaufort County in 1889 and died in 1936. He married first Nellie Jane Booth (1886-1929) in 1909, and in 1930 married Mary Emma Clemmand Ward. [The Jones Family of Blounts Creek by P.A. Jones, Jr., p. 137]

Mr. and Mrs. C.B. Knox were Charles Bryan Knox and Armetta Toler Knox.

Miss Mary Knox married Mr. Mack Wetherington (son of Henry B. and Laura Toler Wetherington) on 16 April 1916, 95 years ago on the day of this posting.