Frank Horner, bigamist of Bridgeboro

Frank Horner, of Bridgeboro, who was committed to jail on June 15 when he failed to furnish $1,000 bail after he had been charged with bigamy, was the first called. Through his counsel, Aaron E. Burr, he entered a plea of non vult contendere. The admission of the charge practically ended the case so far as the hearing was concerned, but Mr. Burr believed that there were "extenuating circumstances," that should be made known to the Court, and he was permitted to proceed. The complainant in the case was Mrs. Horner No. 1, who was Miss Laura A. Edwards, of Delanco, and she was called to the stand. She stated that she married Horner on November 12, 1901. Her testimony showed that from the time of their union until their final separation they lived a rather strenuous life, as the final was their fourth separation. Various causes were assigned for their troubles. When she heard of her husband's second matrimonial venture, which took place at the Riverside Lutheran church on June 13, she immediately took steps to have issued the warrant that led to his arrest. She denied that in June last she gave her husband consent to marry again, as she intended to marry John Westcott, of Trenton. Horner was called to the stand and it soon became evident that his trouble had been caused by his very strange view of the situation after he and his wife had parted for the fourth time. From his testimony it was gathered that he believed the first marriage had been outlawed and that the marital ties had been legally broken when his wife made the remark that he understood to be her consent to his second marriage. He had no reasonable excuse to offer for the offence that he first committed. The prisoner was employed at the electric power plant at Riverside prior to his arrest, and while he was away from home at night he had understood that the Trenton man called on his wife. It was brought out by counsel that Horner had even offered to furnish his first wife money with which she could obtain a divorce, but the Court could not see the effect of this testimony and the proceeding was blocked with a remark that had Horner attempted anything of this kind he would ahve been arrested for collusion. Mr. Burr soon discovered how ineffective this testimony appeared to be to the Court and he then took occasion to direct his attack toward persons and things directly or otherwise connected with the defendant's second matrimonial experience, which proved to be so disastrous. Among the other things set forth in extenuation of the crime Mr. Burr said: "Down in Riverside, where they have plenty of beer and some fifteen churches easy of access, you can get up a marriage any time for 12 1/2 cents, and matrimony evidently is not considered such a sacred thing. The minister who performed this second marriage ceremony ought to be before this bar of justice, for, in my opinion, he had reason to believe that this defendant Horner was a married man." Regardless of Horner's many excuses for his bad break the Court would not overlook such a serious crime, as marriage must be considered a sacred state, and the prisoner was sentenced to one year in the State Prison. Before dismissing the case the Court informed Mr. Burr that if there was anything illegal in the Riverside minister's action in performing Horner's second marriage ceremony or in the actions of Mrs. Horner No. 1 there must be prosecutions and the law will take its course if proper evidence is furnished to Prosecutor Atkinson in either case.