Marrying and Giving in Marriage
"Marrying and Giving in Marriage."—Even so will the world be doing in the day of our Lord's coming, according to His own words. Matt. 24:38. The passage indicates excess, and extravagance in the matter, so much so as to mark it as a sign of the age. And how true this is of our time. Marriage and divorce, divorce and marriage, are the order of to-day. Hasty, unconsidered marriages, thoughtless marriages, ill-matched, ill-advised marriages, unholy marriages, for lust or gain. An article in the New York World of September 4 informs us on what is considered good authority that there are marriage syndicates, formed for the express purpose of marrying women with money so as to secure it. The number of women who have been won, wedded, robbed, and deserted by this organization of bigamists is said to be 50,000. The World offers $500 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of one of these arch rogues, Dr. Geo. A. Witzhoff, who is said to have figured himself in twenty-five such marriages as principal, and planned a hundred others. Since January 1 it is estimated that 3,000 women in New York City have thus been married, robbed, and deserted. Gangs operate in all the large cities. Authorities are about to begin prosecution of the rascals. How careless people are respecting one of the most important events and relations of life.