A peculiar case emerged at the Dublin Police Court on Friday, involving a Limerick-born seafaring man named James Thompson. Thompson faced charges of falsely declaring to the marriage registrar that there were no impediments to his marriage with Amelia Tully, who happened to be his deceased wife’s mother. Mrs Amelia Tully (Thompson) testified, revealing that she had witnessed her daughter’s wedding to the defendant. After her daughter’s passing, she herself married Thompson. Both individuals hailed from Scotland.
During the proceedings, Mr Byrne, a solicitor, inquired about Thompson’s qualities as a husband, to which the witness responded with enthusiasm, describing him as a splendid husband. The solicitor further questioned whether Thompson deserved happiness, eliciting a lighthearted remark from the accused, who claimed to be happy himself. Sergeant Ahern recounted how, upon arrest, Thompson had commented on the discrepancy between the relatively light punishment for assaulting a mother-in-law and the potential severity of imprisonment for marrying one. He added, amidst laughter, that she was an exceptional wife.
Magistrate Mr Swifte informed Thompson of the potential sentence of seven years imprisonment. The case was referred for trial, but the accused was granted bail.
The Limerick Echo, Tuesday, April 26, 1904
