Forced Marriage in Skagit
A young man looking for a way out of a paternity suit finds himself wedded to an Indigenous bride instead of boarding a train to Kansas.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
Young Robert Hayes, who was a single man this morning, is a married man this evening, much against his expectations and inclination. He has been working on a farm near Burlington lately, giving his leisure moments to the pleasant ladies in the vicinity. With one of these, Mary Plamaudu, he became too intimate. He perceived his mistake when too late and yesterday bought a ticket for Kansas. Mary had been saving for a husband, however, and when he boarded the train he was confronted by Deputy Sheriff Blackwell with a warrant for his arrest on a charge of bastardy. At the jail, Mary called on him, and after discussing the situation thoroughly, they agreed to send for Justice Painter in order to marry. The judge came, and after the ceremony, Hayes was allowed to go in peace with his Indian bride. Young Hayes is the son of a wealthy and influential man in Kansas. He will not start for his home with his prospective heir, but will at once use the ticket bought for the journey he began yesterday.
“Young Robert Hayes, who was a single man this morning, is a married man this evening, much against his expectations and inclination.”
This story reflects the brutal colonial power dynamics of the 1890s, where 'bastardy' laws and the legal machinery of the state were weaponized to enforce domestic arrangements. It is a stark reminder of the social exclusions and forced outcomes that shaped relationships across racial lines in early Washington state history.
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